WHO WROTE IT?: The Apostle John (“the elder”)
WHY WAS IT WRITTEN?: This letter was written to emphasize the basics of following Christ (with truth & love) and warn against false teachers, which was becoming a prevalent problem for the early church.
WHEN WAS IT WRITTEN?: This letter was written around the same time as his first letter ... roughly AD 90 from Ephesus.
WHO WAS IT FOR?: There are two widespread theories regarding the recipient of this letter. A common theory is that it is to a dear lady friend he knows from one of the churches John was overseeing. A second theory is that the “chosen lady” refers to a church, but he doesn’t say where and he seems to do that regularly as evidenced in Revelation. Regardless of which happens to be true, this brief letter has good information for all Christians.
False teachers were a dangerous problem for the early church. His warning was to be careful who you show hospitality to, making sure the one(s) you invite into your home are not heretical teachers. That may sound harsh and unchristian-like to us today, yet those who distort the truth could seriously harm many believers, drawing them away from their ultimate destination, namely, their eternal home.
Christ is the exact opposite of society’s prevailing values, that is, falsehood and self-centeredness. For Christ IS truth and love in person. Therefore, all who claim loyalty to him must be committed to these ideals. The ideals to follow are truth, itself and living the truth, reflecting the love of God, and acting with love toward one another.
“Truth and love are vital to the Christian and are inseparable in the Christian life. 2nd John, his brief letter to a dear friend, is no different. John says to live in the truth and obey God, watch out for deceivers, and love God and each other.”
We must assess our walk with God and recommit ourselves to being a person of truth, love, and obedience. Assessing where our relationship with the Lord stands at any point in time is incredibly important. As we strive to BE like Jesus in our daily lives, we must continuously rachet up our commitment, for Christ is the way to peace and harmony within the body of believers. Notice I didn’t say “a way”, but rather, THE WAY. For anyone who forgets what true love is, go back and reread 1st Corinthians 13. That is GOD’S definition of true love. We need to adhere to the principles laid out in the ‘Love Chapter’.
Next we’ll be taking a look at the Mega Themes presented in John’s 2nd letter. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In His Name & for His Glory,
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Source: The Life Application Study Bible
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