Third Presbyterian Sunday Morning Bible Study - May 17, 2020

Below is the Bible Study written by Jim Rudiger for his Sunday School Class which meets at Third Presbyterian Church, Norfolk, Virginia. It's based on 2 John.

Have you ever gone to a family reunion? Living in the COVID-19 era has all but killed reunions.  But, back in the day, where were reunions usually held? A lot of times the only times the only times families got together were at weddings and funerals.  Oh, there were always promises to get everybody together so everybody can catch up on if Joe and Sally’s kids ever learned to behave themselves or if uncle Buddy still hasn’t got a job. But there just never seemed to be time enough to arrange for everybody to be in one place at the same time. 

I guess for me, Christmas Eve served as our family reunion.  Jackie’s grandmother started the whole thing started in the forties by having people drop by on Christmas Eve down at Willoughby.  The whole family came by and there was potato salad, deviled eggs, ham, rolls, and home made fruit cake.  Christmas lights would be hung along the back porch to greet you as you came up the walk from Ocean View Ave. And there would be laughter and talking until the last candied cherry was plucked from the empty fruit cake platter.  After Jackie’s grandmother sold her house in Willoughby, Jackie’s mother and father fell heir to the party and finally thirty-five years ago, we became the hosts.  It’s fun and sometimes sad to remember all of those Christmas Eves.  Everybody seemed so young and happy then.

What makes a family gathering a success?  Hospitality is sure a key ingredient.  What does hospitality involve? Being gracious, warm, friendly and happy.  Above all, make everybody feel welcomed.  Ever been to a party and not feel that you fit in?  Most of the time, it is because the host or hostess didn’t make the effort to make you feel at home.  Feeling at home is the Hallmark of hospitality.  Making somebody feel at home isn’t hard if they are family or friends. How about if they are strangers?  Well, that is what our study deals with today - should you make a stranger feel at home?

So far, we have been studying 1 John which probably wasn’t written as a letter.  It wasn’t addressed to anyone special.  It didn’t inquire as to how things were going and it didn’t end with a goodbye.  In all likelihood, 1 John was part of a sermon or a clarification of how a church deals with such things like “fellowship”, “love” and “eternal life”.  With 2 John and 3 John, the two shortest books in the New Testament, there is no question that these are classic letters.  They are written like we would write a letter today.  There is a greeting, a wish that everything is going well with the person receiving the letter, a discussion of the purpose of the letter and a goodbye. 

In those days letters were written on papyrus sheets.  Papyrus sheets were made from strands of the papyrus reed woven into something like a mat and then mashed until the woven strands bonded.  The finished product was a sheet that was about 8 x 10 inches - very close to our standard writing sheets of today - 8.5 x 11 inches.  If you think toilet paper is hard to get now, you should have tried to get a sheet of papyrus in John's day. It took a lot of work and time to make a single sheet of papyrus, so, as you can imagine, it was not only hard to get, it was expensive.  If you were going to write somebody a letter, you made sure you had enough to say to fill up the sheet or you would be wasting a lot of money.  Many times you would start off by writing horizontally and if you still had more to say when you got to the bottom of the sheet, you flipped the sheet 90̊ and started to write vertically.  Think about how hard it was to read a letter like that, but, it saved money.  2 and 3 John each would fit completely on one sheet of 8 x 10 papyrus.  So that means that these were probably real letters, but also that there wasn’t anything added or removed from the original.  Because of that, nearly all of the experts agree that these letters are the real thing.  These letters are so short and unassuming, no one would have gone to the trouble to fake them.

As to who wrote these letters, there is no question that the same person wrote both of them.  There is also a close connection with the issues and thoughts contained in 1 John that leads most experts to conclude that all three were probably written by the same guy.  But who was the guy?  It seems to boil down to one of two people - John the Apostle or a first century Christian named John the Elder.  John the Elder was a follower of one of the original apostles and lived during this same time period, so it might have been him.  However, there are a lot indications that this letter was written by someone who either lived in Ephesus or had a connection with the church there.  Since scholars know that John the Apostle spent his later years in Ephesus as a church leader and his Gospel mirrored the emphasis on Christian love, it seems likely that John the Apostle was the author.   Also, many of the second and third century Christian writers considered John the Apostle as the author.

With that introduction, lets see what John has to say in this letter.

2 John 1 The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not only I but also all who know the truth,  2 because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forecer:  3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's son, in truth and love.

How does John start the letter?  The writer identifies himself as “the elder”.  This doesn’t mean that John is identifying himself as the first century guy called John the Elder.  In those days, elder could have three different meanings.  First, it could mean an old guy - a senior citizen.  A guy who had been around the block.  In context with this letter, it means that he had seen so much and had so much experience in the Christian church that his views meant something.  It is kind of like when we talk about an experienced older politician as being an “elder statesman”.  So, “elder” could mean a Christian elder statesman.  This sort of background and experience certainly would be applied to one of the original apostles.  Secondly, elders could be an official of a local church just like we have elders in our church today.  These men had say so in their own churches but their influence was usually limited to their own church.  But, there was a third way this word was used then.  As the church entered the second century, most of the apostles had died, but, there were disciples of these apostles still around making sure that the things these apostles had told them about the person of Christ weren’t lost or Christ’s words weren’t distorted.  These men bridged the gap from the time of the apostles to the second generation Christians.  Mark was this kind of elder.  He had been Peter’s secretary and when Peter died, he wrote down all that he could remember Peter telling him and that is where the Gospel of Mark came from.  It would appear that John uses the term of elder to describe the first meaning focusing on his experience.  If this letter was written to the church in Ephesus, John would have been considered an elder in that church.

Who is the letter addressed to?  The chosen lady and her children.  Was there a real lady who got this letter?  There have been some people who thought that this was a letter between John and a sweet old lady in Ephesus.  It is more likely that the words “chosen lady” really referred to a church.  If that is so, who were “her children”?  The congregation.  In the New Testament, the church is frequently referred to as a woman.  Remember, the church is the bride of Christ.  So, who John is writing to is a church and it’s members.  Why not just say “to Sister Jones at the church in Ephesus” and leave out this “chosen lady and her children” stuff?  It was probably because at the beginning of the second century, there was starting to be some persecution of Christians by Rome. John didn’t want to identify any one person and expose that person to arrest by the Romans. Rome was very tolerant when it came to religion.  People could believe in any gods and as many gods as they wanted to.  The only condition was that they had to include the Emperor as one of their gods.  This is something Christians wouldn’t do, so this led to their persecution. The people who were insiders in the Christian movement would know who the letter was intended for but the outsiders would have no clue.

The congregation was loved not only by the writer, but by a lot of other people.  Because of what?  “The truth that abides with us and will be there with us forever.”  What “truth” is John talking about?  The gospel - the good news.  It’s important to John that the truth be the bond between he and the church because this letter is going to deal with fraud and lies - the enemies of truth and they were raising their heads in the church.  For John, truth is permanent.  Remember in the Gospel of John, Jesus says that he is the truth.  So abiding in truth is the same as abiding in Christ.

John gives his blessing.  What is it?  Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ.  How does John further describe Jesus?  “The Father’s Son.”  There is a lot of meaning in the words of this blessing.  A theologian once explained that grace was God’s favor to sinners riddled with guilt; mercy is God’s compassion for the sinner’s misery; and peace is the result when the guilt and misery of sin is removed.  Most of the time the blessing states from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.  John adds that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  He purposely added this identification because of the issue that caused him to write this letter which we are going to find out about in the next verses.

2 John:4 I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father.  5 But now, dear lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning, let us love one another.  6 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment just as you have heard it from the beginning --- you must walk in it.

These verses begin to suggest that all is not well in the church.  How does John put it?  “I am overjoyed that SOME of your children are living in the truth.”  “Some?” Is everybody living in the truth?  Or to put it another way, is everybody in the congregation abiding in Christ?  There is good news and there is bad news.  The good news is that some of the church members are walking in the truth.  The bad news is that this implies that some of them aren’t.  If some church members are abiding in Christ and some aren’t, what do you think would be happening in the church?  The church was divided.  What’s John’s remedy for a divided church?  “I can’t give you anything but love, Baby.”  Is this something brand new?  In fact, the remedy has been there ever since the church started.  This is what we have been learning in the last four weeks.  Jesus had said, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  It was true in the first century and it is true today.  When relationships are broken; when hurt feeling cause us to stop speaking to each other; the only way to mend the problem is to bury all of the hurt and pain in a big pile of love. After all, love mends a broken heart and love is the one thing that will restore a lost relationship.  By John offering this remedy, he is saying that this kind of love is missing in that congregation.

What about the other members in that church who aren’t walking in the truth as John sees it?  They could come back by saying, “Look, so we don’t agree with some of the things that other crowd believes.  That doesn’t mean that we don’t love God.  We are talking about two things here - people and God.  How we feel about those other guys have nothing to do with how we feel about God.”  John could quote Jesus again when Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  And what was Christ’s commandment?  Love one another.  Case closed.  You see, just as John wrote in 1 John, the only way we can show that we love God is to love one another.  The fact remains that the cure for all the troubles in churches then as well as now is love.

2 John:7 Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; any such person is a deceiver and the antichrist!  8 Be on guard, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but may receive a full reward.  9 Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

Now we are getting to the nitty gritty.  The real problem in the church.  The reason why this letter is so urgent and important is that the disagreement is centered around what?  Whether God came down and dwelt with us as a human being in the person of Jesus Christ.  Simply put, some believed in the incarnation and some didn’t. Now, John goes after the Gnostics who claim that Christ never was a human being.  If Christ wasn’t a human being, what was he? They taught that Christ was a spirit.  He only looked like he was human.  They even went so far as to say that when Christ walked down a dusty street, he didn’t leave any foot prints.  Without foot prints, even those guys on Forensic Files would have to agree that Christ wasn’t human.  Martin Luther said this about Christ: “He ate, drank, slept, woke up; was weary, sorrowful, rejoicing; he wept and he laughed; he knew hunger and thirst and sweat; he talked, he toiled, he prayed...so that there was no difference between him and other men, except this - he was God and had no sin.”  You see, if God could not stand to enter the body of a man, but, had to remain some kind of disembodied spirit, then the body of men is forever despised and there could never be any fellowship between God and man.  God had to become as we are in order that we can become what he is. 

What does Christ not being human mean to Christianity? He didn’t suffer on the cross and without suffering there was no atonement for our sins.  Since he wasn’t a real person who died, there was no resurrection.  Without the resurrection, there was no proof that our sins are forgiven.  This is the problem John is addressing in this letter.

Why were those others in the church taking such a position?  Was their intent to destroy the church?  On the contrary, they claimed that they were just helping Christianity grow up.  Making it more acceptable to people in changing times.  They wanted it to be relevant to the times.  They were just interpreting the Good News so it looked more like the Breaking News with Bret Beir.  Their motives were pure.  The problem was with the other side.  They just would not let go of the past and recognize that the New Testament has to change to be relevant to a new generation.  Is there anything wrong with that?

What makes up our Christian foundation?  The incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, forgiveness of sin, the grace of God and the Trinity. John insists that to destroy the foundation upon which the church was built will eventually destroy the church itself.  These deceivers were the progressives, the advanced thinkers. The men with open minds who would never consider that Christ was truly the only way to God.  After all, we have to be tolerant of other beliefs even if they trash Christ and kill Christians.  It would be wonderful if we could say that John had been successful in stamping out these deceivers two thousand years ago.  But, you only have to read what is going on in our own denomination to see that the children of these deceivers are healthy and working as hard today to destroy the foundation of the church as the people John was talking about.  Don’t get John wrong.  He isn’t against learning all you can or taking an unpopular stand.  He is saying that the thinking has to be consistent with the teaching of Jesus.  Any teaching that is out of touch with Christ’s truth is always wrong. 

John gives the church then and now a warning.  Watch out for those who claim that God has to change if God is to be relative in our day.  God doesn’t have to change.  We have to change and anybody who doesn’t believe that doesn’t have God in his heart.  On the other side of the coin, those who continue to preach the truth has God in their heart.  As laymen Christians, what should we look out for in our time?  Church leaders who are more interested in global warming than in beheading Christians in Africa.  Church leaders more interested in embracing a religion who as  doctrine demands the death of Christians rather than speak out for Christ.  Church leaders who condemn Christian countries but are silent when faced with religions of hate.  When we set ourselves up as knowing more than God, we lose the relationship that gives us life.  Oh, to have a letter from John today.  I’ll guarantee you it wouldn’t fit on one page.

2 John:10 Do not receive into the house or welcome anyone who comes to you and does not bring this teaching:  11 for to welcome is to participate in the evil deeds of such a person.

These are John’s tough love verses.  Isn’t it nice to be agreeable and be around agreeable people.  How would you describe an agreeable person?  Easy going.  Smiling.  Acceptable.  Not confrontive.  Can a person be too agreeable?  How about a doctor who doesn’t want to worry you and holds back telling you that you have to change how you are living if you want to stay alive.  Or, an estate planner who doesn’t warn you that you have invested in a poor stock.  So, it is important that we know the truth so that we can make realistic plans.  The same goes for our religious beliefs.  There are truths that form our belief foundation.  There are some religious matters where we can be flexible.  What would they be?  Time for the service.  How often we celebrate Communion.  How many elders we should have.  These can all be debated and we may have to give a little to maintain unity in the church.  But, there are some religious things which are not up for debate.  There are truths which define us as Christians which cannot be compromised or changed.  These are our religious foundations.  These are the bedrock of our beliefs.  If we leave them, we give up on the foundation on which everything depends.

If some one should come and tell you that you have to give up some of these foundational beliefs, what does John tell us to do?   Don’t greet him or invite him into your home.  That’s pretty drastic stuff.  The picture we get is that if the guy knocks on your door and you open it and see who is standing there, you don’t say a thing.  You just slam the door in his face. 

This is a big demand for the church back then.  Hospitality to a stranger was the hallmark of the early church.  Missionaries were dependent on the hospitality of the churches they visited.  In John’s day, all of the missionaries weren’t the right kind of missionaries.  There were missionaries who brought the truth about Jesus, but there were also missionaries who brought lies about Jesus.  Does John want Christians to be rude?  What is he trying to do?  If the bad missionary doesn’t have anyplace to stay, they will move on and spare the church from hearing lies.  It was all about not contaminating the church. For John it was crucial to keep the church free from false teaching.

2 John:12 Although I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink; instead I hope to come to you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.  13 The children of your elect sister send you their greetings

Is it easier to write somebody a letter describing a problem or to tell them in person?  Forty-five years ago before the internet, writing a letter at least fostered developing a complete thought.  Now with Face Book and twitter, the goal is to write as little as possible.  With twitter you are limited to so many letters.  Even with a well written letter, we are limited in how we can communicate our thoughts.  We can’t smile as we write something.  We can’t shrug or role our eyes.  We communicate physically as much as verbally.  John recognizes this and can’t wait to see them in person so he can expand on what he wants them to understand from the letter.  Since this letter is crammed on one sheet of expensive papyrus, to say more would cost a lot.  That’s why he doesn’t want to use any more paper and ink.

John then talks about “your chosen sister’s children greet you.”  Who does he mean?  The church he is at when he writes this letter.

What do we learn from this little letter?  For starters, there are times when the church has to be inhospitable.  That seems narrow and against most of what we have been taught.  I think that what it means to us is that we have to be careful who we invite to speak in our church.  If the person plans to speak on something that violates the foundational truths about Christianity, then he isn’t welcomed to bring those thoughts into our church.  Toughness in the face of heresy is no sin.   


Prayer: Loving Father, close our ears to the deceivers in our day and open our hearts to the privilege of extending hospitality to the family of God.  Amen.