2 JOHN
The author identifies himself as “the elder” and speaks with authority (2 Jhn 1), which points to John, the last remaining one of the twelve apostles, who alone lives to great age. Church tradition also names John as the author of 2 John and there are significant parallels of this letter and the other writings of John: the Gospel of John, Revelation and the letters 1 John and 3 John. According to church tradition John lived the latter part of his life (after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD) in Ephesus, the capital city of the Province Asia in Asia Minor, in modern day Turkey. He lived till about 98 AD, and – as the last remaining apostle – must have been a pillar and anchor of the church. He would have been a person with great authority, though referring to himself simply as “the elder”. He traveled (2 Jhn 12) and likely oversaw church planting and church growth in the whole of Asia Minor.
He writes a warm letter to “the elect lady and her children”, which is a poetic way to refer to a specific church (2 Jhn 1,13). John knows the church and also what just has happened to them. He writes a letter to them for their future protection:
This church unwittingly hosted a false teacher who came visiting them. John affirms them for their hospitality to itinerant teachers, but reminds them that they must be discerning whom they host. He gives them the essential criteria, the minimum requirement of a teacher to be acceptable: He must teach that “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh” (2 Jhn 7). This shows that gnostic teachings were plaguing the church, for Gnosticism teaches that God, being Spirit, would never pollute himself by entering this physical world or a human body. Therefore gnostics didn’t believe in Jesus being born as a human, they rather believed him to be a spirit that appeared in the form of man, or that Jesus was a normal human that was possessed by the spirit called Christ at his baptism. John asserts that one cannot have God without accepting Jesus as the human he was also: “Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ … does not have God whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son” (2 Jhn 9).
John stresses in this letter that the believers need to know truth, hold on to truth and walk in the truth. False teaching is not a harmless thing and must not be tolerated. Therefore his command: “Do not receive into he house or welcome anyone who comes to you and does not bring this teaching; for to welcome is to participate in the evil deeds of such a person” (2 Jhn 10-11). He also stresses that truth must be lived out in love: those who embrace and obey truth, leading a life of love, will know the truth and abide in it.
The author
The author identifies himself as “the elder” (2 Jhn 1) and speaks with authority and fatherly kindness in this letter. Together with the witness of church tradition this strongly points to John, the son of Zebedee, one of the twelve apostles. According to church tradition, by around 70 AD all apostles have been martyred except John. After the destruction Jerusalem in 70 AD, John moves to Ephesus, the capital city of the Province Asia in Asia Minor, in modern day Turkey. Ephesus has a church since around 52 AD, was Paul’s ministry base in 53-56 AD, was pastored by Timothy for a time, and now is the center of John’s life and ministry from 70-98 AD. As the last remaining apostle and eye witness to Jesus, John is a pillar and anchor to the church, a person with great authority, yet referring to himself simply as “the elder”. He travels in the area (2 Jhn 12, 3 Jhn 14) and probably oversees church planting and church growth in the whole of Asia Minor.
What other evidence is there for John being the author of this letter? Church tradition states so, and also there are significant parallels (both in themes and wording) of 2 John to John’s other writings: his Gospel of John, Revelation and the letters 1 and 3 John.
Topic / word John 1 John 2 John 3 John
truth
Jhn 1:14, Jhn 8:32, Jhn 14:6; Jhn 17:8,17-19
1 Jhn 1:6-8 2:27, 3:18, 4:1-6
2 Jhn 1, 3, 4
3 Jhn 3, 4, 8, 12
whom I love in the truth 2 Jhn 1 3 Jhn 1
children walk in the truth 2 Jhn 4 3 Jhn 4
Jesus, the Father’s (only) Son Jhn 1:14, 1:34 1 Jhn 2:22-25 2 Jhn 3
To have the Son = to have the Father Jhn 5:23 2 Jhn 9
A new command, no new command, his command
Jhn 13:3-4, 15:17 1 Jhn 2:7, 3:23 2 Jhn 5
love one another Jhn 13:34 1 Jhn 3:11 2 Jhn 5
In / from the beginning Jhn 1:1-2 1 Jhn 1:1, 2:7 2 Jhn 5
abide in Christ / in this teaching
Jhn 15:4-10 1 Jhn 2:6, 3:6 2 Jhn 9
joy will be full / complete Jhn 16:24 1 Jhn 1:4 2 Jhn 4,12
deception 1 Jhn 2:26 2 Jhn 7
enemies of Christ / Antichrists 1 Jhn 2:18, 22 2 Jhn 7
those doing evil are not from God / haven’t seen God 1 Jhn 3:10 3 Jhn 11
hospitality Jhn 2:1-11 2 Jhn 10-11 3 Jhn 5-10
final greetings 2 Jhn 12-13 3 Jhn 13-15
The readers
He writes a warm letter to “the elect lady and her children” (2 Jhn 1). In the light of 2 Jhn 13 “The children of your elect sister send you their greetings” it becomes quite clear, that this is a poetic way to refer to a specific church. The church or believers are called “elect” in no less than twenty-three verses in the New Testament, for example in Rom 8:33 “Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies”. Therefore John’s choice of words “the elect lady and her children” to describe a church are not out of the ordinary. “The elect sister” that sends greetings then would be the church that John is with currently, probably Ephesus.
John knows the church and also the fact that they have recently been visited by a false teacher. In answer to that he writes his letter, trying to ensure their protection against such events in the future.
It is not clear when this letter was written, only the basic time frame is known: 70-98 AD. Neither is it clear where this church is, other than that it is most likely somewhere in Asia Minor. Therefore neither the founding nor the history of this church is known. Generally it can be said that Paul starts preaching the gospel in Galatia in around 48 AD, that there is a church in Ephesus from latest 52 AD onward, that Paul makes Ephesus his ministry base from 53 to 56 AD, that churches are planted by both the apostles (Paul, Aquila and Priscilla, possibly Peter) and by local converts, like Epaphras (Col 1:7). This general area is being written to by Paul (Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, 1 Timothy, possibly 2 Timothy), by Peter (1 Peter, possibly 2 Peter) and now by John (Gospel of John, Revelation, 1, 2, 3 John).
False teaching: Gnosticism
What is clear is that already the rising false teaching of Gnosticism is affecting the church, here in the form of a false teacher visiting the church.
Gnosticism comes from the Greek word ‘gnosis’ which means knowledge. Knowledge is understood to be secret spiritual insight, that leads to enlightenment, which considered the equivalent of salvation.
Gnosticism is strongly dualist: matter is evil, spirit is good. Gnosticism acknowledges a supreme God, who is good, but he is also completely transcendent, separated from this evil material world and can have nothing to do with it. God has no personality and cannot be known. In gnostic understanding ‘knowing’ means ‘mastering’, and since God can’t be mastered, he therefore cannot be known.
But how then did this evil material world ever come about? Gnosticism gives a very complicated explanation: God has spirit emanations (something going forth from him), which all are good, but less so than him. This creates a hierarchy of spiritual beings (called ‘aeons’), with lesser and lesser God-likeness. One of these emanations or spirit beings created the physical world by accident or out of foolishness or out of rebellion. Some Gnostics associated this bad emanation that is responsible with creating the evil physical world with the Creator God of the Old Testament. Gnostics therefore despised the Old Testament, though they heavily borrowed from the New Testament writings.
Gnosticism asserts that some divinity of God broke to pieces and some of these pieces are incarcerated in evil matter, that is: incarcerated in human bodies. Gnosticism therefore says that there are three types of people:
- Gnostics, who are enlightened. If they have major spiritual experiences they might escape reincarnation and be reunited with God when dying.
- Psychics, lesser men but still with a hope to get enlightened. In gnostic eyes most Christians are psychics.
- Hycics, completely material men with no hope of enlightenment and no chance of salvation. They are destined for destruction.
Gnosticism borrowed from Christianity a concept of a Redeemer sent from God, who brings the necessary knowledge of man’s origin, identity and destiny. By being initiated into this knowledge, the divine spark is set free at death and is reunited with the godhead. In Gnosticism a man’s real problem is not sin (bad choices), but his body (physical matter). Salvation is not redemption from sin, but the escape of the divine spark from the body, the material world by revelation and enlightenment. Salvation is to recognize one’s divinity or the spark within.
This special revelation or enlightenment is attainable only through knowledge to only an elite. Therefore Gnosticism is an elitist, exclusive cult with special knowledge, initiation, ranks of spirituality and limited access. Gnostics claim, that they are not capable of sinning because of their superior enlightenment. Moral conduct is not important, since salvation only depends on the divine spark, special knowledge and enlightenment. If one’s spirit is enlightened, it doesn’t matter any more what a person does with the body.
Gnosticism, therefore, doesn’t really believe in Jesus’ incarnation. It holds that a Redeemer from the spiritual world could not possibly defile himself by becoming flesh. How then is Jesus’ story understood? Some gnostics believed that Jesus is only a Spirit, appearing like a man but not being touchable and real but rather floating on the ground like a ghost, leaving no footprints. Other gnostics came up with what is called ‘doceticism’, the teaching that Jesus is a normal, good human who at baptism is possessed by the divine spirit called Christ. Christ, being a pure spirit cannot suffer or be sullied by suffering and death. Therefore docetists claimed that the Christ spirit left the man Jesus before his suffering and death.
Gnosticism doesn’t really believe in the incarnation (Why should a pure God contaminate himself with this evil world?), nor in resurrection (Why would you want another body?), nor in the restoration of all things at the end of time (Why would God recreate the physical world?).
John’s message to the church
The church John addresses in 2 John had unwittingly hosted a false teacher who visited them. John affirms them for their hospitality to itinerant teachers, but reminds them that they must be discerning whom they host. He gives them the essential criteria, the minimum requirement of a teacher to be acceptable: He must teach that “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh” (2 Jhn 7). Of course this is precisely what gnosticism denies: Jesus has not come in the flesh, he has not become fully human.
John warns that those who don’t teach that Jesus is fully human are deceivers, “antichrists” (2 Jhn 7) and they are doing evil (2 Jhn 11). He says that anyone who doesn’t properly understand Jesus has therefore also not properly understood the Father: “Everyone who does not bide in the teaching of Christ,…. does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son” (2 Jhn 9). Therefore no part of the gnostics’ teaching should be accepted.
John commands: “Do not receive into he house or welcome anyone who comes to you and does not bring this teaching; for to welcome is to participate in the evil deeds of such a person” (2 Jhn 10-11), showing them that to host or even tolerate such a person is to act against the truth.
How long had this false teacher been with the church? It is unclear how long he had been with the church, but it was long enough to influence the church and for John to find a letter needed. John says in 2 Jhn 4 that: “some of your children are walking in the truth”, meaning that some of the believers in the church have refused this teaching, but obviously not all. At least a few believers have come under the influence of this false teacher. They have left walking in the truth and have accepted lies. This does not mean that they have lost their salvation, but that they are definitely going the wrong direction and need to change.
Is seems from 2 Jhn 10 that the teacher is gone by now, but that John finds it important to tell the church not to make the same mistake again with another person. Also there may still be people left in the church that need to hear that the teaching they fell for is truly not of God, and John gives them a clear word that this teaching was indeed false.
John also says “I hope to come yo you and talk with you face to face” (2 Jhn 12), possibly showing that he is worried about the church.
Keep walking in the truth
John motivates the church by both his own joy over them (2 Jhn 4) “I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth” but also by the authority of the wider Christian community: “the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not only I but also all who know the truth” (2 Jhn 2). The false teacher probably made the believers feel like they were ‘the ones on the outside’ but John asserts that it is rather the other way round: virtually all Christians in the world believe this, but this teacher has been pulling a different direction and wants to isolate the church.
John stresses in this letter that the believers need to know truth, hold on to truth and walk in the truth. In this small letter he mentions the word “truth” five times, and its opposite “deception” three times. False teaching is not a harmless thing and must not be tolerated.
He also stresses that truth must be lived out in love: those who embrace and obey truth, leading a life of love, will know the truth and abide in it.
The Author of the Letter
The author identifies himself with ‘the elder’, as in 3 Jn 1. The author speaks with kindness, simplicity, authority and long background: ‘not new commandment’ (2 Jn 5). The author knows the audience, knows about their current state (2 Jn 4), knows about a problem that arose with accommodating a false teacher (2 Jn 10). He is connected with them and hopes and plans to see them soon (2 Jn 12), and expresses his joy about them (2 Jn 4,12).
Church tradition strongly points to John, whose later life and ministry in Ephesus (70-98 AD) would fit the letter well, also the title ‘elder’ would be one John can truly claim, and it expresses his humility also.
The other big argument are the many parallels of 1 John to Gospel of John, but also between 2 and 3 John, and the four writings in general. John’s writings show that Jesus is the Christ, come in the flesh (2 Jn 7). To have the Son is to have the Father (2 Jn 9), a strong parallel to Jn 5:23 ‘Anyone that does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father who sent him’ and many similar ones. Further examples of parallels between the four writings:
Topic / word John 1 John 2 John 3 John
truth
Jhn 1:14, Jhn 8:32, Jhn 14:6; Jhn 17:8,17-19
1 Jhn 1:6-8 2:27, 3:18, 4:1-6
2 Jhn 1, 3, 4
3 Jhn 3, 4, 8, 12
whom I love in the truth 2 Jhn 1 3 Jhn 1
children walk in the truth 2 Jhn 4 3 Jhn 4
Jesus, the Father’s (only) Son Jhn 1:14, 1:34 1 Jhn 2:22-25 2 Jhn 3
To have the Son = to have the Father Jhn 5:23 2 Jhn 9
A new command, no new command, his command
Jhn 13:3-4, 15:17 1 Jhn 2:7, 3:23 2 Jhn 5
love one another Jhn 13:34 1 Jhn 3:11 2 Jhn 5
In / from the beginning Jhn 1:1-2 1 Jhn 1:1, 2:7 2 Jhn 5
abide in Christ / in this teaching
Jhn 15:4-10 1 Jhn 2:6, 3:6 2 Jhn 9
joy will be full / complete Jhn 16:24 1 Jhn 1:4 2 Jhn 4,12
deception 1 Jhn 2:26 2 Jhn 7
enemies of Christ / Antichrists 1 Jhn 2:18, 22 2 Jhn 7
those doing evil are not from God / haven’t seen God 1 Jhn 3:10 3 Jhn 11
hospitality Jhn 2:1-11 2 Jhn 10-11 3 Jhn 5-10
final greetings 2 Jhn 12-13 3 Jhn 13-15
So language considerations (linguistic structure, special vocabulary and polemical issues) as well as Church tradition indicate the apostle John as the author.
The Life of John
John, brother of James, is one of the twelve disciples. He is the son of Zebedee, daughter of Mary, possibly a sister or cousin of Jesus’ mother, Mary (Mt 27:56, Mk 16:1, Jn 19:25). John, together with his older brother James are fishermen, who together with their father Zebedee have a small fishing business. They are partners with the brothers Peter and Andrew, also fishermen in Capernaum. Jesus calls them to be disciples on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
John, James and Peter are part of the twelve disciples, but besides that Jesus takes them aside for some special moments, like the raising of Jairus’ daughter and the transfiguration on the mountain. Jesus gives John and James the nickname ‘sons of thunder’, due to their passionate, even hot-headed personalities. This is seen when they want to call down fire on a Samaritan village for not hosting Jesus (Lu 9:51-56) and John once takes offense with a person casting out demons in Jesus’ name but not being one of the disciples (Lu 9:49-50). There is loyalty in John, but he is also thinking about position and power.
In a very telling incident James and John have their mother approach Jesus to get them prime positions of power in Jesus’ future kingdom (Mt 20:20-23, Mk 10:35-40), which Jesus won’t promise. He predicts, though, that both brothers will embrace suffering for him.
After Jesus’ death and resurrection and with the coming of the Holy Spirit, it is Peter, often with John at his side who takes the lead (Acts 3-4). Within about 15 years of the church being founded John’s brother James is beheaded by Herod Agrippa I in a renewed wave of persecution (Acts 12:1). James is the first of the twelve apostles to die as a martyr and his death must have affected John. John on the other hand survives the other apostles, who all die martyr’s deaths in the 50s and 60s AD John is the only of the twelve to die a natural death, though according to church tradition he is also tortured and imprisoned various times. With the bloody Jewish Roman war the Jewish heartlands (Galilee and Judeah) as well as Jerusalem and the temple are destroyed (66-70 AD) and depopulated by force. The remaining Jews now find themselves in the diaspora, as so many Jews before them. Church tradition states that John moves to Ephesus, taking Jesus’ mother Mary with him. There he spends the rest of his life (till his death in approximately 98 AD), ministering in Ephesus, Asia and the larger Asia Minor region. It is also to this region that he probably writes his letters (1, 2, 3 John) and his gospel (Gospel of John).
The Audience of the Letter
The Greek style letter identifies the audience in 2 Jn 1 ‘to the elect lady and her children’. The Greek word is ‘Kyria’, mentioned again in 2 Jn 5. At then end there are greetings in 2 Jn 13 ‘The children of your elect sister send you greetings.’ Some think the letter is addressed to a literal woman named ‘Kyria’ and her bodily children. Kyria could be a proper name of a woman, but the content of the letter, and especially the greeting at the end make this unlikely.
Females are commonly used to metaphorically describe communities, cities or nations in the Old Testament (for example: daughter Zion) and also in the New Testament, especially in Revelation.
‘Elect’ is a fairly normal way to address believers in the New Testament. G1588 ‘elektos’ occurs 23 times in the New Testament, for example Ro 8:33 ‘Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.’
So then it is most likely John addresses a local church and her children, meaning its members, or simply its believers. The greetings at the end are from the local church where John is currenly, presumably Ephesus.
There is no evidence from the text where exactly the church addressed in this letter may be, probably in the district Asia, possibly as far as Asia Minor. It is a church targeted by at least one gnostic or docetic false teacher. But since this false teaching is widespread, this doesn’t yield any information as to the exact location of the church.
Date of Writing the Letter
There is no direct evidence in the text. John is still able to be traveling (2 Jn 12), visiting churches, presumably to teach, strengthen and help.
Gnostic or docetic teachers have already arisen ‘those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh’ (2 Jn 7). Though the full flower of gnosticism is only in the 2nd century AD, other New Testament writings addressing Asia Minor (Ephesians, Colossians, Revelation, 1 & 3 John, Gospel of John) all already battle gnostic ideas. Therefore a similar time range can be given for 2 John: 70-98 AD approximately. 70 AD is when Jerusalem falls and all Jews leave, 98 AD is the approximate year of John’s death.
There is no direct evidence in the text where the letter is written from. If the above is correct (John as author, 70-98 AD as date), then most likely from Ephesus, the base John uses in the latter part of his life.
Historical background
Generally the area had strong idolatry, wide spread mystery cults and occultism or magic. There was also the growing influence and sway of the false teaching of gnosticism, and its “Christian child” doceticism.
A false teaching challenging the church: Gnosticism
Gnosticism
Gnosticism is a combination of Greek philosophy, mystery religions, Jewish faith and Christianity. From Greek philosophy it took dualism of spirit and matter, from the Jewish faith angelic beings, hierarchies and legalism, from Christianity the concept of a Redeemer coming down, from mystery religions the idea of secret knowledge and initiation.
Even though Gnosticism isn’t in full flower till the 2nd century (around 140 AD) with greatest influence in Egypt, Syria and Asia Minor, Gnostic views had begun to affect the churches in that area: Ephesus, Colossae, Pergamum, Thyatira, etc.
Gnosticism comes from the Greek word “gnosis” meaning knowledge. Though there was different groupings within Gnosticism, they all had in common an emphasis on knowledge (meaning: secret spiritual truth) leading to salvation.
Gnosticism was strongly dualist: matter and spirit. Matter was inherently evil, spirit was good. Gnosticism acknowleged a supreme God, who is good, but he is also completely transcendent, separated from the evil material world (as in Aristotle), can have nothing to do with it. God has no personality and is unknowable. In their understanding: ‘knowing’ means ‘mastering’, and since God can’t be mastered, he therefore can’t be known.
If that is so, a problem arises: how did this evil material world ever come about? Gnosticism gave a very complicated explanation: God has emanations (something going forth from him), which all are good, but less so than him > hierarchy of spiritual beings, with lesser and lesser God-likeness. They are called aeons, together they make up the fullness ‘pleroma’ of God.
One of these emanations or spirit beings created the world by accident or out of foolishness or out of rebellion. Some gnostics associated this bad emanation with the God of the Old Testament, therefore gnostics despised the Old Testament, though they heavily borrowed from the New Testament writings.
They claimed some divinity of God broke to pieces, some of these pieces were incarcerated into evil matter (human bodies) > so some humans have a divine spark in them. Therefore there are 3 types of people:
- Gnostics, who are enlightened, if major spiritual experiences they might escape reincarnation and be reunited with God when dying.
- Psychics, lesser men but still with a hope to get enlightened, in gnostic eyes most Christians fit this category.
- Hycics, completely material men, no hope of enlightenment, cannot be saved, destined for destruction
In order to make this salvation possible, the supreme God had sent a Redeemer, who brought the necessary knowledge of who man was and of his origin and destiny. By being initiated into this knowledge, the divine spark is set free at death and is reunited with the godhead.
The problem of evil in gnosticism is therefore not so much one of sin, but one of matter. Salvation was not redemption from sin, but the escape of the divine spark from the material world by revelation and enlightenment. Salvation is to recognize one’s divinity or the spark within. This special revelation or enlightenment was released only through knowledge, to only the “elite” > elite, exclusivity cult with special knowledge, initiation, , ranks of spirituality, limited access.
Gnostics claimed, that they were not capable of sinning because of superior enlightenment. Moral conduct was not important, since salvation depended on the diving spark, special knowledge or enlightenment. The body was seen as sinful, the spirit as separated and good. If one’s spirit was enlightened, it didn’t matter what a person did with the body, the total dichotomy of spirit and body.
Again two schools of thought arose from this dichotomy: Aceticism (gaining control over matter by denying, controlling, punishing the body) or Libertinism (since spirit cannot be infected or affected by matter, the body is of no importance and one can do what one likes with it).
Gnosticism doesn’t really believe in Jesus’ incarnation, for a Redeemer from the spiritual world could not possibly defile himself by becoming flesh. How then is Jesus’ story understood?
Doceticism, a Gnostic heresy of Christianity
The following points are taken from Church Father Irenaeus’ writing Book 1 ‘Against Heresies’ where he describes doceticism of Cerinthius (a docetist gnostic and contemporary of John in Ephesus) as follows:
Jesus not born of a virgin but Mary and Joseph’s natural child, though more righteous, prudent and wise than other men. At his baptism, the spirit ‘Christ’ (another emanation from the supreme ruler) descended upon human Jesus in the form of a dove. Christ=Jesus is a gnostic, a good human possessed by a divine spirit, proclaiming the unknown father. Christ=Jesus is not from this world, he is not tempted, impassable (not liable to pain of injury), a spiritual being untouched by the world. Some taught that Jesus left no foot prints in the dust or sand but floated about.
The spirit Christ departed from Jesus before the suffering. Spirit cannot be suffering, be humiliated, be infected, be defiled nor be associated with death. Only the human Jesus suffered. Church father Irenaeus calls docetists “those who separate Jesus from Christ” (Book 1 of Against Heresies). One interesting story recorded by Irenaeus tells that John was going into the bath house at Ephesus and finding Cerinthus there rushed out without bathing exclaiming, “Let us fly, lest the bath house fall down because Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth is within!” Tradition also links Cerinthus with immorality. He was, it seems, anticipating a thoroughly sensual millennium, he was also connected to the “Nicolaitans” mentioned in Rev 11:6,14,15. These people are guilty of immorality.
So Gnosticism doesn’t really believe in Jesus’ death (how could a good spirit die?), not resurrection (why would you want a new body?) nor in Jesus’ 2nd coming (why would this world be redeemed & restored?). In the commentary of Jerome on Gal 6:10 he tells the famous story of John in extreme old age at Ephesus. He used to be carried into the congregation in the arms of the disciples and was unable to say anything except “Little children, love one another!” At last wearied that he always spoke the same words, they asked “Master, why do you always say this?” “Because”, he replied, “it is the Lord’s command, and if only this is done, it is enough”.
Problems with Gnosticism
Gnosticism has no acknowledgement of sin, no need for confession, repentance forgiveness, change. It has no need for holiness, moral behavior, selflessness, service, love. In Gnosticism the pursuit is not of character, but of knowledge, revelation, spiritual experience.
Gnosticism is exclusive, excluding, elitist, and initiates’ only religion, denying access to most, leading to pride, superiority on the one hand and hopelessness on the other. It is flying in the face of the universal gospel of faith and salvation for all.
In gnosticism the issue is not response to the gospel, not attitude nor heart. The issue is divinity leading to deep pride, excluding others, loveless, prideful and selfish behavior. Gnosticism declares everybody else as pretty much lost, or almost lost, so it is shaking up people’s assurance of salvation and eternal life (as exemplified in Colossians).
Gnosticism is a fascination with knowledge, revelation, enlightenment, light, spirit, special access, secrecy spiritual experience, it sets its followers up for all kinds of deception and immorality
The founding of the Readers’ churches
If Asia Minor is assumed as readership, then the founding was possibly from:
- 30 AD Pentecost Acts 2:9 Jews from Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia)
- 47-48 AD 1st missionary journey Acts 13-14 churches of Galatia founded
- 50 AD 2nd missionary journey Acts 16:1-3 Paul travels through Galatia shortly
- 53-57 AD 3rd missionary journey Acts 19:8-10 Ephesus as center, gospel spreading from there
- before 64 AD Peter most likely visited 1 Peter 1:1 him writing to Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia
- the area received several New Testament writings: Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, 1 Peter, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy
Groups in the Readers’ churches
No direct evidence. At least one gnostic or docetic teacher visited them, probably leaving behind some confusion and quite likely division.
Strengths of the Readers’ churches
- 2 Jn 1 elect, loved by John, loved by all who know the truth
- 2 Jn 2 the truth abides in us, them and John and all who know the truth
- 2 Jn 4 John overjoyed at those (‘some’) who walk in the truth just as God commanded
- 2 Jn 5 they have heard and know the commandment to love
- 2 Jn 10 they have been hospitable and welcoming to itinerant teachers
- 2 Jn 12 John expresses his confidence for them
Weaknesses of the Readers’ churches
- 2 Jn 4 not all children are walking in the truth, possibly referring to the impact of the docetic teacher that came by
- 2 Jn 6 need hear the challenge to walk in the commandments (to love) again
- 2 Jn 8 need to be on their guard to not lose what they have worked for, the full reward
- 2 Jn 9 some, like the teacher they listened to, have gone beyond the teaching of Christ
- 2 Jn 10 they have received, welcomed and given opportunity to gnostic or docetic itinerant teachers
- 2 Jn 11 need to be warned that to welcome false teachers is to participate in their evil deeds
Literary Style
The letter is entirely in prose > literal interpretation
Structure
It is a typical Greek style letter with author, audience, blessing, and greetings.
Composition
Problem to solution
Main ideas / topics
- Anyone not saying that Jesus came in the flesh is a deceiver, not of God and needs to be not give opportunity to speak. Otherwise the host become co-guilty. Jesus is 100% God and 100% man.
- Reassuring the church of the basic gospel they had received: Jesus came in the flesh, truth needs to be abided in and work itself out in practical love.
- Affirmation of hospitality but the need to discern with who to welcome
Main reasons / purpose
- to safeguard the church from further flse teachers, exposing and correcting their false doctrine (gnosticism / doceticism) and warning them not to extend hospitality to such.
- Reassure / encourage the church to abide in the truth they had, to reject that teacher’s influence and to live by God’s commandment to love.
Color coding advice
Color for the three persons of the Trinity (Father, Jesus, Spirit) separately. Watch especially for contrasts. Color for the following repeated themes:
- knowing / knowledge / truth <=> lies / liars / deception
- keep commandments, love, serve <=> sin, lawlessness, evil deeds
- abiding / walking
- teaching / writing
- joy
- fellowship, relationship, participation
2 JOHN TEXT
The happening
What is the story or happening that precipitated this letter? The immediate reason for John to write the letter is in 2 Jn 7-11: the church has been visited by a gnostic or docetist teacher.
How did he ever get to the place of influencing the church? 2 Jn 10 shows that the church has shown this teacher hospitality, which is a godly thing to do and a Christian value. In 2 Jn 7 John says “Many deceivers have gone out into the world.” This seems to indicate that the teacher was originally a believer that himself came under gnostic influence, or he was once at least part of the church, though never a full believer, and now teachers falsely.
This is probably how he got access in the first place: he might have been known from before, he have identified himself as a believer of x church, an elder, a teacher or whatever, he may have been recommended by a person the church trusted …
What is he teaching?
He does “not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh” (2 Jn 7). That means he is probably a docetist or gnostic teacher, saying that Jesus was only a Spirit, floating and appearing, or that the man Jesus was only for a time ‘possessed’ by the spirit Christ. John calls this “deceiver” or “antichrist” or “evil deed”, he is not exactly mincing words.
On a side note: in typical end time literature, the Antichrist is used as a singular and thought to be a specific evil person to arise in the last day. John here defines the word very differently: any one who teaches that Christ has not come in the flesh is the antichrist. Also in 1 Jn 2:18 the word antichrist is used as a plural “antichrists” and as ‘may have come’. So referring to John’s contemporary false teachers, not some end time figure.
But how long has this teacher been with this church? That is not completely clear, but it was long enough to influence the church in such a way that John finds it needed to write a letter. In 2 Jn 4 John says that ‘some of your children are walking in the truth’, meaning that some of the believers in the church have refused this teaching, but obviously not all. Quite a few have come under the sway of this false teacher and have left walking in the truth, meaning have accepted lies. This does not mean that they have lost their salvation, but that they are definitely going the wrong direction and need to change.
How much time passed with John hearing about this, and then writing a letter in response? Again not clear.
Is the teacher still there?
Not totally clear. The command “do not receive into the house or welcome anyone who comes and does not bring this teaching” (2 Jn 10) seems to indicate that the person is gone (otherwise the command might have been: ‘silence’ or ‘throw out’). But since the false teacher already has had an impact, the church may be further targeted by him or others like him.
Either way John finds this important and emergency enough to write about this immediately, even before eventually visiting “instead I hope to come yo you and talk with you face to face” (2 Jn 12).
How does John address the church within this problem?
John is crystal clear and outspoken in his assessment: this is deception, against Christ and evil. He gives the church a no-nonsense statement what is orthodox and what is not. John adds to his assessment the authority of time: “not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning” (2 Jn 5). “the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever” (2 Jn 2). This is the message that has been from the beginning, that has stood and conquered the world, not its docetist counter part.
A careful balance is needed here: On the one hand tradition is not more important than God, but we should have the humility to accept and learn from the centuries and believers that have gone before. Yet there is a need to listen to conscience even against age old tradition.
John adds to his assessment the authority of the wider Christian community: “whom I love in the truth, and not only I but also all who know the truth” (2 Jn 2). You are not alone. This teacher may make you feel like you are ‘the ones on the outside” but actually it’s the other way round: virtually all Christians in the world believe this, but now this teacher is pulling a different direction.
Again there is need for a careful balance here: On the one hand the word of a large majority is important. There is humility in assuming that most people are more likely to be right than me alone. Yet there is the need to listen to conscience even against majority pressure.
Repeated Theme: truth
In this little letter the issue of truth comes 5x, the opposite deception comes 3x … this is a very significant repetition:
- 2 Jn 1 believers … “whom I love in he truth”
- 2 Jn 1 “not only I but also all who know the truth”
- 2 Jn 2 “because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever”
- 2 Jn 3 “Grace, mercy and peace … from Jesus Christ … in truth and love”
- 2 Jn 4 “I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth”
- 2 Jn 7 “Many deceivers have gone out into the world, who don’t confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh”
- 2 Jn 7 “any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist”
- 2 Jn 9 “everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ but goes beyond it does not have God”
We need to love, appreciate, embrace, pursue truth … this is not optional, it is not ‘nice to have’ it is absolutely essential and crucial to survival, to change, to fruitfulness.
We need to love and desire conviction, conscience, correction … as essential to health. We don’t take medicines for fun, we don’t go to the dentist because we love to go, we do it because it is essential and to not go means much more trouble later.
How to fight lies? By replacing lies with truth. We cannot get rid of lies by replacing them with nothing. Careful with ‘negative words’, do not feed them in you, replace them with God’s words. This is what John replaces lies with: truth and its practical outworking in love.
To recognize wrong things, I need to know the right thing. Illustration: straight and crooked stick. The way to prove a stick is crooked is by putting a straight one alongside. Illustration: Fake money. Those receiving training to recognize fake money are blindfolded and do nothing for days except counting real money.
There is a command to actively refuse hospitality here, to not welcome, to not myself become a vehicle for deception, to not let myself become and unwitting support to a lie, there are moments where ‘to be nice’ is wrong and disastrous. There can come a moment where to do nothing, to not speak up becomes a sin, a sin of ommission.
Repeated Theme: love
- 2 Jn 3 “Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God … and Jesus … in truth and love”
- 2 Jn 4 “I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth”
- 2 Jn 5-6 “not a new commandment … but one we have had from the beginning: let us love one another”
- 2 Jn 6 “And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments …”
- 2 Jn 6 commandment … “as you have heard from the beginning … you must walk in it”
- 2 Jn 10 “do not receive into the house or welcome anyone”
Why the metaphor walking? Walking means a continual activity, daily activity, something that becomes so normal that I ‘just do it’, even not thinking about it anymore, it’s active, involved .. not just sit, doing nothing so I don’t make a mistake.
It’s by being faithful daily that I protect myself against deception, extreme stuff etc.
There is a link between truth and love. “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth.” (Jn 8:31-32). As in1 John to know God means to love God. You do not know someone whom you don’t love. You cannot love someone without being in relationship. Those who do my work will.
Main Theme: hospitality
- 2 Jn 10 “do not receive into the house or welcome anyone”
- Hospitality is a high value all throughout the Bible and also in general culture of that time and till now
- Ge 18:2-5 Abraham showing much honor and generous hospitality to the three strangers who appeared
- Jud 19:20-21 Even in (or precisely because of) a very immoral and ungodly setting in Gibeah some persons feel obliged to take in strangers (here the Levite and his concubine).
- 1 Ki 17:8-9 The widow of Zarephath being commanded to feed Elijah (on her last food, initially)
- 2 Ki 6:22-23 Elisha commands to make a big feast for the captured enemy soldiers
- Lu 8:1-3 Women traveling with Jesus, providing for them out of their means
- many Jesus repeatedly accepts hospitality (Peter’s mother-in-law, Matthew, Simon the Pharisee, Zaccheus, …)
- Ro 12:13 “Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers”
- He 13:2 “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it”
- 1 Pe 4:9 “Be hospitable to one another without complaining”
- 1 Ti 3:2, Ti 1:8 “A bishop must be hospitable”
What is the basic thought behind hospitality? > to not be fair and kind only to people I am related to or know well, but also to strangers (who may or may not be deserving). Maintenance of rights & safety for all, also strangers, and beyond that: kindness and covering for the weakness a stranger finds himself in (not knowing the place, maybe having money troubles, …). In that sense the law is similar to the ‘do not revile the death, do not trip the blind’ law (Le 19:14), to now abuse somebody’s weakness or vulnerability though you could.
Hospitality is a Christian value: the love of strangers, to protect, welcome, help strangers … to be open to people. Hospitality is a virtue of selflessness, its random, that person will not pay me back, I will probably never see them again, chances are very small I should ever ‘step into his backyard’. It’s a society value, to make sure people are okay, when they step into ‘my backyard’. Part of hospitality are the foreigner protection laws: do not cheat on a foreigner, do not use somebody’s weakness.
Hospitality with discernment: I need to make sure I don’t host, encourage, give a foothold to, support people who are doing evil, criminal acts, illegal business, but also spiritual abuse. Example: family guests. Right to say ‘no’, even sometimes need to say “no”. Proverb: guests are like fish, after 3 days they stink. Or maybe fifteen days. If you stay longer: become a contributing member, offsetting your cost, start doing chores, help, support. Do ask for permission, without pressuring. Make it easy for people to say “no” to you. “I fully understand that this is a pressure, and that you need to give priority to your family needs”. Affirm people’s rights to their property, their private sphere, their own decision.