Faithfulness (2 John)
Lesson 5
Faithfulness
(2 JOHN)
Before you begin …
• Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal truth and wisdom as you go through this lesson.
• Read 2 John. This lesson references chapter 8 in Be Alert. It will be helpful for you to have your Bible and a copy of the commentary available as you work through this lesson.
Getting Started
From the Commentary
The apostate teachers not only invaded the churches, but they also tried to influence Christian homes. Titus faced this problem in Crete (Titus 1:10–11) and Timothy faced it in Ephesus (2 Tim. 3:6). As goes the home, so goes the church and the nation; thus the family is an important target in Satan’s war against truth.
This brief letter was written to a godly mother and her children. Some Bible students have concluded that the “elect lady” refers to a local church and that “her children” are the believers fellowshipping in the church. “Thy elect sister” (2 John 13) would then refer to a sister church that was sending Christian greetings.
While it is true that John does address a group in this letter (note the plural in 2 John 6, 8, 10, 12), it is also true that he addresses an individual (vv. 1, 4–5, 13). Perhaps the solution is that a Christian assembly was meeting in this home, along with the family of the “elect lady,” so that John had both the family and the congregation in mind (see Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Philem. 2).
—Be Alert, page 123
1. What was the primary focus of the second letter of John? Why was he concerned that the woman not let anything false into her house or the church? What might those “false things” be? Why is this kind of diligence just as important today?
2. Choose one verse or phrase from 2 John that stands out to you. This could be something you’re intrigued by, something that makes you uncomfortable, something that puzzles you, something that resonates with you, or just something you want to examine further. Write that here.
Going Deeper
From the Commentary
John used the word truth four times in his salutation, so it is an important word. Basically, it means “reality” as opposed to mere appearance, the ultimate that is the basis for all that we see around us. Jesus Christ is “the truth” (John 14:6) and God’s Word is “truth” (17:17). God has revealed truth in the person of His Son and in the pages of His Word. He has given us “the Spirit of Truth” to teach us and to enable us to know truth (John 14:16–17; 16:13).
The truth is not only an objective revelation from the Father, but also a subjective experience in our personal lives. We cannot only know the truth, but we can “love in the truth” and live “for the truth’s sake.” The truth “lives in us, and shall be with us forever” (NASB). This means that “knowing the truth” is much more than giving assent to a body of doctrines, though that is important. It means that the believer’s life is controlled by a love for the truth and a desire to magnify the truth.
—Be Alert, page 124
3. How is the truth John referenced both an objective revelation of God the Father and a subjective experience? What does it mean to “know the truth”? In what ways is knowing the truth more than simple assent to doctrine?
More to Consider: Read Eph. 2:4, 7–9. What do these verses tell us about God’s grace? How does this apply to the woman and her children addressed in John’s letter (2 John 3)?
From the Commentary
When you receive grace and mercy from God, you experience His peace. “Therefore, being justified [declared righteous] by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). God is not at war with lost sinners; it is sinners who are at war with God (Rom. 5:10; 8:7). God has been reconciled to sinners because of Christ’s work on the cross. Now sinners must repent and be reconciled to God by faith in Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:14–21).
It is significant that at the very outset of his second letter, John affirmed the deity of Jesus Christ. He did so by joining “the Lord Jesus Christ” with “God the Father.” Suppose 2 John 3 read, “from God the Father, and from the prophet Amos.” You would immediately respond, “Amos must not be joined with the Father’s name in that fashion! It makes it appear that Amos is equal with God!”
—Be Alert, page 125
4. Why did John make a point to join the Son and the Father in this letter? What false doctrines might he have been targeting with that emphasis? What happens to our faith when we deny that Jesus is also God?
From Today’s World
The Internet has brought information to everyone’s fingertips, though much of it is suspect at best, and simply wrong at worst. This applies also to matters of the faith. While there certainly were plenty of false sources of truth before the Internet age, the accessibility of information (and ease of publishing it or altering it online) has made the pursuit of truth a much more difficult endeavor. Not only do curious seekers have to sort through loads of information to find what they’re looking for, they have to determine whether or not that information is true. This leads to all kinds of wrong thinking.
5. It doesn’t take much these days to collect data to support whatever views you want to have about matters of the faith. How could this lead to heresy? What are the dangers of searching for answers solely through our modern portals? How can the wisdom of others add depth to our search for truth? Ultimately, our source of truth is God’s Word. How can we reliably use the Internet to better understand God’s Word, rather than twist it into false truth?
From the Commentary
If our homes and churches are to be true to Christ and oppose the false teachers, we must know the truth. How do we learn the truth? By carefully studying God’s Word and allowing the Spirit to teach us; by listening to others who are true to the faith; and then by practicing what we learn. We must not only learn the truth with our minds, but we must also love the truth in our hearts and live the truth by our wills. Our total persons must be yielded to the truth.
—Be Alert, page 126
6. Why is the parents’ role so important in helping children and young adults know and love the truth? What practical implications does this have for families? What are some things churches can do to support the family’s role?
From the Commentary
To “walk in the truth” means to obey it, to permit it to control every area of our lives. This paragraph opens and closes with an emphasis on obedience, walking in the truth. It is much easier to study the truth, or even to argue about the truth, than it is to practice it! In fact, sometimes zealous Christians disobey the truth in the very way they try to defend it.
—Be Alert, page 127
7. What does it mean to be zealous? What are some ways that zealous Christians sometimes disobey the truth in how they defend it? Paul was zealous as a Jew, then equally zealous when he became a Christ follower. How can a zealous nature promote truth? How do we know what to be zealous about in matters of faith?
From the Commentary
John’s joy was that the elect lady’s children were walking in truth. John did not know all of them, however; the literal translation is “some of thy children.” Somewhere in his travels, John had met some of her children and learned of their obedient walk with the Lord. “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 4). We have no reason to believe that John was hinting that others of the children had gone astray after the false teachers. If by “children” John was including the members of the “house church,” then it is possible that some of them had left the fellowship and joined with the deceivers.
—Be Alert, page 127
8. How is God honored when people obey His Word? What are other ways we can honor God? What does it mean, in practical terms, to “walk in truth”?
From the Commentary
John argued that God has commanded us to walk in truth and love. The word commandment is used five times in these few verses. God’s commandments focus “the truth” on specific areas of life. “The truth” can be vague and general if we are not careful, but “the commandments” make that truth specific and binding.
—Be Alert, page 128
9. Underline every time John used a variation on the word “commandment.” Why is this significant in John’s letter? Where do the commandments come from? Just what are these commandments? What should our response be to these commandments (1 John 5:3)?
More to Consider: False teachers try to make God’s commandments appear harsh and difficult, and then they offer their converts “true” freedom (2 Peter 2:19). What makes this a false argument? Are God’s commandments harsh and unbearable to believers? Why not? What implications does this have for believers today who are confronted with promises of a better religion that’s based on similar lies?
From the Commentary
From encouraging truth, John turned to opposing error. He joined his voice with Peter’s to warn that there are deceivers in the world. The word deceiver implies much more than teaching false doctrine. It also includes leading people into wrong living. John has already made it clear that truth and life go together. What we believe determines how we behave. Wrong doctrine and wrong living always go together.
Where did these false teachers come from originally? “For many deceivers have gone out into the world” (literal translation). They went out from the church! At one time, they professed to believe “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3), but they turned from that faith and abandoned the truth and the church. “They went out from us, but they were not of us” (1 John 2:19). “Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:30).
It takes constant spiritual vigilance to protect a family or a local church from the insidious attacks of false teachers. One very successful pastor told me, “If I took my eyes off this work for twenty-four hours and stopped praying, it would be invaded before we knew it.” He was not emphasizing his own importance (though godly pastors are essential to spiritual churches) but the importance of diligence and vigilance.
—Be Alert, pages 130–31
10. Review 2 John 7–11. What does it mean to abide in truth? How is that different from simply knowing the truth? What does spiritual vigilance look like in practical terms?
Looking Inward
Take a moment to reflect on all that you’ve explored thus far in this study of 2 John. Review your notes and answers and think about how each of these things matters in your life today.
Tips for Small Groups: To get the most out of this section, form pairs or trios and have group members take turns answering these questions. Be honest and as open as you can in this discussion, but most of all, be encouraging and supportive of others. Be sensitive to those who are going through particularly difficult times and don’t press for people to speak if they’re uncomfortable doing so.
11. What are some of the lies you’ve let slip into your faith life? Why is it so easy to let lies infiltrate our lives? What can you do to prevent false doctrine from tainting the truth?
12. If you had a family that taught you about God’s love, how did that inform your faith today? If you’re a parent, how are you passing along the truth to your children?
13. What are some ways you obey God’s Word in your daily life? What does it mean to be diligent in your faith? What are the obstacles to maintaining a diligent faith?
Going Forward
14. Think of one or two things that you have learned that you’d like to work on in the coming week. Remember that this is all about quality, not quantity. It’s better to work on one specific area of life and do it well than to work on many and do poorly (or to be so overwhelmed that you simply don’t try).
Do you want to obey the truth in some area of your life? Be specific. Go back through 2 John and put a star next to the phrase or verse that is most encouraging to you. Consider memorizing this verse.
Real-Life Application Idea: One of the emphases in this short letter is the importance of teaching your children about God’s love. Take stock of the things you currently do to grow your children’s faith. Then come up with at least three new ideas for teaching them the truth of God’s Word. You could create a regular family prayer time, go on hikes and talk about God’s role in creation, or visit the elderly or underprivileged and practice the kind of servant nature Jesus exhibited when He walked the earth. Be as creative as you want, but make a point to teach your children well. If you don’t have children, consider using the time to share your faith in some other community—friends, coworkers, etc.
Seeking Help
15. Write a prayer below (or simply pray one in silence) inviting God to work on your mind and heart in those areas you’ve noted in the Going Forward section. Be honest about your desires and fears.
Notes for Small Groups:
• Look for ways to put into practice the things you wrote in the Going Forward section. Talk with other group members about your ideas and commit to being accountable to one another.
• During the coming week, ask the Holy Spirit to continue to reveal truth to you from what you’ve read and studied.
• Before you start the next lesson, read 3 John. For more in-depth lesson preparation, read chapter 9, “It’s the Truth,” in Be Alert.