Friday 13 November 2009
- Bible Book:
- 2 John
"And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; that is the commandment just as you have heard it from the beginning – you must walk in it. 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 the deceiver and the antichrist!" (v.6-7)
Background
2 John is one of the shortest books in the New Testament. Itspurpose was to deal with the problem of itinerant teachers, whoseteaching John judged to be false because they denied that JesusChrist had come in the flesh.
The congregation John is writing to is metaphorically called "theelect lady and her children". It is generally accepted that thismeans a church and its members. Regularly in the Scriptures, Israelor the Church is designated as a woman or the bride of God orChrist.
In John's first letter he referred to the Church as "my littlechildren" (1 John 2:1). The Church was, and is, the fellowship ofthose called together by Christ, and so family imagery isappropriate, suggesting the bonds of intimacy and love that bindthe family together. Today, Christians often refer to each other asbrother and sister.
John urged the Church to walk (live) in the commandment to love oneanother; in fact he said they must walkin it. He was anxious to stress the historical weight anddurability of the commandment by reminding them that it was made bythe Father from the beginning. John was overjoyed to find some inthe Church walking in the truth, but there were people at the timethis letter was written (c. AD 60-90) who denied that Jesus hadbeen born, lived and died. These were the deceivers that Johnwarned against. The Gnostics, as they came to be known, caused theearly Church around 100 years later to clarify its beliefs, and astatement of faith was formed, which is now known as
To Ponder
In what ways do you think that "walk[ing]according to his commandments" can help us recognise deceivers?
What would be your response if someone said toyou that Jesus never appeared on earth in the flesh?