 That's turning again. Okay, this time it's done. Good. Okay. Thank you so much for that of me. Yeah All right, we'll begin so we Finished first John last week. So this week we will look into second John and third John and be able to complete the portion So, you know, if we can turn in our Bibles to second John right now we'll Begin with the opening verse before we do that just to give an introduction This particular letter is written as a warning because there are traveling preachers going from church to church and They are teaching wrong doctrine and yeah, it's mainly doctrine, you know related to Gnosticism the false teachings which were coming in and so this is a warning not to entertain such people so it's a very brief letter and John is, you know asking the people to be careful whom they invite into the churches into their homes So that they will not be deceived. So that's the basic crux of this entire letter and we'll very briefly go through the verses. So The opening verse if we could have someone read out verse one. Yes second John chapter one verse one The elder to the elect lady and her children whom I love in truth and not only I But also all who know the truth Yes, so these are the opening lines and there's a lot of debate regarding this because Generally letters are not written like this or at least were not written like this in at that time So they wonder whether it's really being spoken to one specific person or whether it is just term that is being used for the church You know, so why is the church being referred to as a lady? They're not very sure so different commentaries have different views regarding this It could be that they're addressing the lady in whose home the house church is meeting Because at that time they didn't have you know institutionalized churches where you'd have it your own Campus and you're building and all of that the church basically were the people and so they would just meet in Whichever home has been opened up for them So they would meet in homes So is he addressing is John addressing the lady who runs this particular? House church or at least the house in which her home is you know the other house church Which is running in her home? We're not very sure Most commentaries will just say that The church is being Personalized as a woman and being addressed as a lady so It could either be the letter is being given to a specific woman who is Or who has opened up her home for the church or it can refer to all of the All of the people in a local church and the local church itself is being called a lady not very sure If we look at verse 4 in verse 4 it talks about a way He says it has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth The you're over there is singular as though he's addressing one single lady and You know her children But on the other hand when we look at the rest of the verses there, he's you know wherever he says you You know he's talking about the plural you As in as though he's addressing all of the believers meeting in that church So let's just leave it at that it's he's probably just referring to a house church and Maybe he's speaking to the in charge of the house the letter has been formally addressed to the lady in whose home that church meets But this letter is not basically to her. It's basically to the house church as such. So This letter would have been passed on from one house to the from one house church to the other because you know Generally in those times the Apostles would write to one church and then whatever information is over there would be passed on to the other house Churches as well so that everyone gets to learn whatever teaching is contained in that particular letter So in the same way, you know, this is a letter of warning and so after how it was You know read out in this particular house church I'm sure these this church would have passed it on to the other house churches as well So that they took you know can stand want and they took and take care so that they don't entertain the wrong kind of preaching traveling preachers in their homes So Yeah, it says over here To the lady chosen by God and to her children whom I love in the truth So he says that he loves these people this this church in the truth so he's basically referring to the believers who have chosen to stay true to the you know correct teaching of Jesus Christ and They genuinely believe that Jesus Christ came in the flesh So he's he affirms here that he is addressing such people and that he loves them in the truth and He's clearly, you know separating this congregation from the other false From from the other fake Christians who have now gone into Gnosticism so he says I love them in the truth and not only I but also all who know the truth So he's very very clearly referring to the wrong teachings which have crept in and he's saying that we who stand in the truth Are not like this. We are apart from the others So he segregates and makes it very clear that there's a distinction between the right teaching and the wrong teaching The followers of the right teaching and the followers of the wrong teaching And then in inverse to he goes on to say because of the truth which lives in us and will be with us forever So why do we have this love among us? It is because we are you know Based on the truth on the other hand if you look at the the you know the the fake Christians who have gone into Gnosticism They seem to have a superiority complex. They seem to be speaking to the as though they are superior to the others They they do not have the love and the and that feeling of fellowship which These people hold in their hearts. Why because they are not based on the truth So he makes that point. He says over here, you know, I love Your children in the truth and not only I but all who know the truth Why because the truth lives in us and will be with us forever So this is not just truth which they which you know, john and the other believers have just Learned at a mind level intellectual level, but this is a truth which they are literally living out You know, it's been internalized absorbed inside them to such an extent that they are literally living out the truth So the question to us would be Uh, how do we approach our christian walk? Is it just a lot of information that we have gathered in our minds? Or have we internalized and absorbed this truth? Of scripture to such an extent that it is affecting the way we talk it affects the way we think It it influences our interactions. So it has it been internalized to that extent because over here He talks about a truth which is not just truth Which you know as information Which even the demons know even the demons are aware that you know of the truth at an intellectual level But these people know the truth in in an experiential way Where they are literally living it out in their everyday lives. Okay, so He's so he says that because of the truth which lives in us and will be with us forever So here there is also An implication towards jesus christ himself as the truth So he too lives in us and he too will be with us forever so Moving on to the third verse he is you know pronouncing a blessing upon them and He says grace mercy and peace from god the father and from jesus christ the father's son Will be with us in truth and love Now generally we have this kind of a statement at the beginning of most letters, right? where Some kind of blessing is spoken over the people who are you know receiving the letter But we see a difference over here If you were to compare it with the other letters where you have a you know A word of blessing being spoken there It's more like you know may the lord be with you You know or may his grace rest upon you, you know, it's more like a wish But over here It's not really so much a wish that john is expressing over here But rather it almost sounds like as if he's making a statement and he's making a Teaching over here. So it's not just a Wish that is being expressed, you know in the way that was customary in those letters But rather he's actually making a teaching statement over here So let's actually look at another you know a letter where and look at how this kind of wording would have been used over there And then compare it with the way it is used over here So that we can see that john is actually trying to bring out something in you know in making this statement over here So if someone could read out for us romans chapter one Verse seven where you have a similar kind of you know Um Introductory blessing being made by paul But then look at the wording over there and look at the wording over here So romans chapter one verse seven if someone could read out, please To all those in rome who are loved by god and called to be saints Grace and grace to you and peace from god our father and the lord jesus christ Okay, so it's like a wish that he's saying, you know May grace and peace be with you from god our father and from the lord jesus christ So it's a wish that he's expressing that this is what he desires for them that grace and peace from god The father and jesus christ would rest upon them But here if you look at the wording being used by john He says grace mercy and peace from god the father and jesus christ will be with us It's like a statement. Okay. There's no wishing may it rest upon you nothing of the kind He's making the statement and saying it will be with us And so if you actually take apart this um introductory blessing you see many many Points that he is making The first thing that we see is that uh, he says it will be with us He includes himself, you know in the statement. It's not he's not just saying may grace be upon you He's saying this grace this peace It's going to be with all of us and he includes himself as part of that And he also where he makes a point over here where he specifically says and from jesus christ the father's son Because um, you know of all this no stick teaching where different things were being said the the The truth of who exactly jesus is was not being clearly accepted. So he kind of um Re you know affirms here that jesus christ is the father's son. He's divine He you know points out that aspect and then he also says That he will be with us in truth and love so The lord is with us when we continue to hold on to the truth And we continue to practice the love that he has taught us to you know hold on to so All of these statements show that this is not just an introductory blessing that is being given It's more like a statement of doctrine Uh a statement of theology that is being made by john over here Okay, so those are your introductory verses and then he goes on into the main content And uh, so he talks about walking in the truth. Uh, if we can have someone read out verse four Second john verse four I rejoice greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth As we receive commandment from the father Verse five And now I plead with you lady not as though I wrote a new commandment to you But that which we had I've had from the beginning that we love one another Yes, so, you know again over here. He brings up that introductory, you know term Saying, you know lady So it does seem as though he is speaking to an actual person Um, you know, it it would be rather strange to say, you know, uh, dear lady all people's church We would really not use that kind of terminology even back then they did not use that kind of terminology So yes, it seems to be an actual person in whose home the house church is meeting. Uh, so He again brings up this term and now he uh, he says I'm not writing you a new command But one we have had from the beginning and he says, you know, love one another So he's basically saying I'm full of joy. I'm so happy to learn that, you know, many of your spiritual children All the you know people who are meeting in that local church all of you are walking in the truth and this brings me joy He says why because a lot of people have now been influenced and have been led away by stray I know by by false teachers But these people have not strayed these people are holding on to the truth and this brings him joy And so he says it's very good that you are walking in the truth But also remember there's another part to it. You must also walk in love So, um, it's not enough to just simply Know the truth. Um, you must also express it In your actions and over here, you know, the grammar of this particular Phase where he says I asked that we love one another That's supposed to be in the present subjunctive form. It just basically means it's like a continuous thing You are supposed to continue walking in love. Okay is is the way you would word it So because you are walking in the truth and because you're saying that you have That you're holding on to the right doctrine The one which was originally imparted by jesus christ because you are making that claim now prove it through your actions Prove it by on in an ongoing manner You know walking in love and expressing this truth in actual action Because that's that's something which the fake christians were not doing So they were only they were they were big with words, but very poor in action But here he says we should not be like that. We should be able to express this truth in our actions all right Moving on into verse six and this is love That we walk in obedience to his commands as you have heard from the beginning his command is that you walk in love so, uh, he's just you know Confirming that that love and truth are connected Love in action and truth are connected moving into verse seven um Yeah, I someone could read out verse seven Someone could please read out verse seven second john So many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess this is christ as coming in the flesh This is a deceiver and antichrist Yes, uh, so here he says, um, many, um, okay who do not acknowledge have gone out into the world Uh in all the other places where they talk about deceivers and antichrists These are people who are outside the church and from the outside. They're attacking the church They're persecuting the church and in that sense they are antichrists. Uh, you know, they are Uh persecuting god's church Here you have antichrists being the term antichrists being used in a different sense These are people who have pretended to be part of the church They have pretended to be part of the flock and from inside the church. They have gone out into the world Okay, so that's the contrast that we see between the antichrist the kind of antichrist mentioned over here in john and the general antichrists who are mentioned in the other You know other new testament books so When it comes to the other antichrist figures, there's usually political connotations They are people who have established themselves in power You know, including the final antichrist who will come in the end So these are all more political figures And they use their political power to take a stand against god and his kingdom And so it's it's a different kind of antichrist the one that he this john is talking about is so subtle These are people who have pretended to be part of the flock. They're claiming to be the true church They are claiming that they know the truth about jesus christ And so this is a more dangerous kind of antichrist That john is referring to because these people are coming to their door steps and saying, you know, we've come with good teaching You know, can we stay in your home for a few days and you know meet with your church members and and you know, let's discuss these truths So they're being very very subtle about it. And so, um, you know, he's warning and saying this people who are coming Uh, they're actually Deceivers and antichrists. So, you know, they need to be very careful about such people So he that is why he says in verse eight watch out That you do not lose what we have worked for But that you may be rewarded fully What did john work for what did all the apostles work for? You know, they have put in so much effort So that one day the believers who have believed in the truth will be rewarded fully by the father You know, they have gone through a lot of Persecution the apostles and the other teachers. They've gone through a lot of persecution, uh, they've You know given up everything else in life to be able to do this ministry work They have invested everything All the work that they have put in It will be wasted if these believers are now led away by something that is false And so he says watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for we have worked so hard So that christ can be formed in you. We have worked so hard so that you know, you can get your full reward So do not lose out on what you can actually get By being led away at this late stage, you know by these false teachers who have now come on the scene So that's the point that he is Making over here. Uh, and then he says something very, you know, um important He says anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of christ Does not have god whoever continues in the teaching has both the father and the son So, uh, he says anyone who runs ahead And does not continue in the teaching of christ because that's exactly what the diagnostics were doing They were saying you see Jesus christ revealed some things But now we are running ahead beyond that we now have fresh new truths You know, we have one stage beyond what was spoken what jesus said was fine to an extent Uh, but now we have been given a full revelation by him So now they are adding new things to what has been taught and they are running ahead of what was already taught um I keep getting all these windows on my things screen Yo, yo, I mean everything is fine, right the video and the audio and all are fine. I'm assuming because um I don't know. I'm getting everything is fine today. There is a network issue. So we all are struggling getting in and out Out of okay. Okay. Okay fine. Maybe it's just that all right Yeah, so there are people who are you know running ahead of the truth adding to it And the danger with them is that even though they are running ahead and you know presenting new teachings on christ The sad thing is that they do not even have christ That's the danger. So if you say that you have coming up with, you know, new Fancy teachings and you say that you are receiving new revelations and it sounds very interesting and it sounds very creative, you know Gospel is so simple gospel is so basic and so you have teachers and preachers who come up with fancy teachings Which make it make this which take the simple gospel and try to make it more um more, you know, um intellectual and fancy and More pleasing and then people will say wow, what a sermon, you know I never even saw this passage from this angle Now were you actually meant at all to see that passage from that angle? Is it something that is part of scripture? Does it agree with the rest of scripture or is it something which is being added on? Which is not really gelling with the what the rest of the of scripture is saying So you see it may sound very interesting. It may sound very creative and original But what is creative and original, you know, um to our years may not really be What has been established from the foundation of the world because from the foundation of the world the lord has been teaching only one single um truth So whatever he says in any part of the old testament or any part of the new testament has to gel with the rest of the scripture And if it is not if it's not in line with the rest of scripture And it's something which is completely new and apart Then however creative it sounds it's just somebody who is running ahead of what has already been taught And the danger is that such people do not even have god. They're talking about god They're talking about new revelations from god, but they do not even have god. So that is a danger that we need to watch out John faced this you know dangerous issue back in his times and we still face that even now When people, you know are coming up with all kinds of new ideas, especially now with this whole New age philosophy that is coming in now people are trying to christianize some of it And they tend to bring in aspects of that new age teaching and attaching it to the teachings of the bible And that's so dangerous Because such people even though they talk about spirituality and whatnot They do not even have god and here it says in verse nine on the other hand Over continues in the teaching you know the simple teaching which which which is presented in the bible The very basic teaching which sounds foolish to the people of the world, you know So even though it is so simple even though say it is so basic This is the teaching which will help us to have both the father and the son And what exactly does this mean, you know having both the father and the son it reminds us of john 14 23, you know where the lord's You know says if anyone loves me he will obey my teaching not some other teaching my teaching He will obey my teaching and what would be a result of that My father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him So through the holy spirit, we not only just have the holy spirit in us We literally have even the father and the son in us, you know through the presence of the holy spirit We literally have the triune god in us And that's the privilege we have if we are holding on to that simple teaching Which is there in the bible, which does not sound very intellectual or clever or very Superior or mysterious, but it's the truth. It's the fact So we should hold on to that rather than being led away by all kinds of You know false doctrines, just because they sound pleasing to our ears. So this is the main thing Which is trying to bring out over here um Moving on from there to the next verse If someone could read out verse 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching Do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting Okay, there are two things mentioned here Uh, do not, you know invite him into your home. That is one thing and do not even give him a greeting You know, um, they're like presented as two separate things Let's talk about the greeting part, you know When someone comes to your home as a guest in the in those days in that culture um, you would speak a word of blessing upon them And uh, if you were to do that with a false teacher who has come to your doorstep It's like as if you are affirming what he is teaching It's like as if you are, you know, saying, you know, be blessed in this in this, um In this work, which you are doing of spreading false doctrine So do not even speak a word of blessing or a greeting, you know, uh upon that person And of course, most definitely do not allow him into your home. Okay, so, um Uh, to understand this better, we would have to have a, you know, better idea of the way hospitality functioned in those days. Uh, so, um When people would go from town to town as, you know preaching, you know as as traveling preachers They would generally not go and stay in a public inn because Even though public inns and lodging places were available. They were not very safe You could get, you know robbed over there, uh, and, um Each town would have its own, you know, local governing bodies You know, some some some governing body to look after the law and the order So they would be more interested in catering to the people of that town rather than to strangers So if a stranger comes into the town, they would in fact look up on that person with suspicion Because they don't know really why that person has come and for what he has come And uh, so even the the law the local law agency over there would not be very much in favor of a stranger So if you go place yourself in a inn or some lodging place, um, you're at risk You're not really safe over there And so mainly, you know, these traveling preachers would approach, uh, the homes of people and seek shelter over there Because then the people of that home, you know, can provide them with protection and and and you know, take care of them And uh, so over here, um If you are actually, uh welcoming someone into your home, you're You're in a way, uh, you know declaring and saying I trust this person. I vouch for this person And uh, you know, whatever happens, I will take care of this person. So you're actually taking on responsibility It's not that you're just giving a meal and you know a bed to sleep on you're actually vouching for that person So if you do that with false teachers That would be dangerous because it will send out the wrong message that this person is Correct in their doctrine and it's all right to welcome them and listen to them. So, uh, there are larger implications here Yeah, you're not just being nice to a person. You're actually, you know, um Approving of what they are doing and in fact, you're making an indirect declaration in front of everyone and saying I believe in what this person is saying by accepting them into my home So it would kind of make it, you know risky So he says if anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching of you know, Jesus Then do not take them into your house or even give them a greeting of affirmation Not even a give greeting of blessing um Yeah, asha we are doing second john second because we finished first john last time. We are now in second john Okay, um So uh over here when he says, um Do not take them into your house It could refer to an individual believer taking a traveling preacher into their house or it could also refer to um The house church accepting someone into their House church, you know to to be the preacher and bring the word and share with them The teachings so That would have even more serious implications Because it's not just one individual believer saying okay fine. I'm sheltering this person But rather the house church is affirming and saying see we approve of this person's teachings We have you know accepted this person uh into our group and now he's ministering to us He's imparting teaching to us and we are accepting it as the Truth so all these you know implications were involved and so John over here says you know do not do that and that is why he says in verse 11 Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work. So it's not just that you're being you know Kind and offering them shelter. What indirectly happens is that you actually become a participant in their wicked work of spreading false doctrine and um All these things are being told to these believers and it sounds very strange to us because we think yeah, of course in its common sense You don't really need a letter to be written for this. But you see these people were so um Young in the faith in those days, uh, the church was still new They had been taught about love. They had been taught about you know hospitality and kindness and uh, so They probably were thinking that it would be impolite You know to say no to someone who's coming turning up on their doorstep and saying you know, please You know, let us stay over here Because the church is supposed to be the church of love. It's supposed to be the church which accepts people and uh, so Maybe you know in their innocence in their naivety. They were Opening their homes up to people who are now bringing in wrong teachings and so john says Yes, we need to walk in love We need to walk in truth But make sure that your love and your truth are in sync So if you're showing love to someone who is not following the truth Then that kind of a love is not really love. It is just a risk a danger that you are That you're putting the entire church at you know So because of that wrong act of false love that you have shown The entire church is going to now get the wrong message. This person is alright and that his teachings are okay So he's addressing an issue which can be you know more easily understood uh by by you know, um People here in I know West Asia, you know in in our in our regions where you know, we have this hospitality thing It's considered rather rude rather impolite to say no when someone turns up at your doorstep It's it's part of our culture. We are supposed to open up our doors. We are supposed to welcome them in Uh And then once we welcome them in then how does the rest of the community look at that person now? They consider that person as part of our household, you know under our covering and uh, so they accept that person The same way they accept us So the same the same credibility which they give to us, you know, after all they've known us for so many years Uh, the rest of the community They start giving that same credibility to this person whom we have taken into our home So all of these social implications are involved and that is why he is saying be very careful about this Do not welcome them in because if you do that, it's like almost as if you're indirectly participating in their Wicked work um, okay Yeah, yes, brother go ahead. Yeah. Yes. Thank you pastor. I just wanted to understand with the relation to the you know dealing with the false false teachers and people who Do not follow uh, you know, there are the correct doctrine What comes to mind also is, you know, when Jesus encountered um, Pharisees for example, you know, he was He was quite strong. Uh, you know, the in the way he he dealt with them Uh, so I just wanted to understand, uh, you know in in the current context, you know, they are sometimes you know people who You know consider themselves pastors and you know, and they they also Uh, you know, uh, we know that, you know, they are they are not following the the right doctrine They're not even reaching the right doctrine. So should we as as believers? um You know just not you know Tolerate them at all and you know, just, you know You know be be as strong as you know, uh, you know against them Not not have anything to do with them. What what should be the way the current approach In the in the current context. Yeah, I just wanted to understand that Yeah, in our current context We would probably meet them in social settings I mean because I'm I'm just thinking, you know in terms of Just my own experiences, you know, you go to a Kind of a pastoral meeting where you know, we have people from different churches meeting together And then you know, there are some people over there who come for the occasion, you know And you know that the teachings which they have been spreading are not really in line with the gospel You stand over there and then you they come up to you and they talk to you So then, you know, we all just interact with one another Sometimes they do bring up their view and then we express our view and then there's a there's a hot Which takes place all of those interactions do happen. So we um We you know when someone like that walks up to us We don't you know turn our face away and say I refuse to talk to you because you know, you are holding onto a wrong doctrine In a very polite way we speak to them and we say, you know these things which you are saying Are they're not in line with scripture? So, you know, um, why why do you believe these things? So maybe we could start a discussion with them. We would talk to them In those social settings where we meet with them But it's quite another thing if you know, if I were to invite that person to my church and say, you know, I know Why don't you come and you know and attend one of our services? Then it becomes risky because immediately The congregation which is watching will think oh if this person has been invited to attend our church this week does that mean The pastor and the elders agree with what this person is teaching. It'll make them wonder it'll make them think twice so Inviting that person to my church To attend the service or in fact even maybe stand up and speak would be highly dangerous and highly foolish It would be what these people were doing over here, you know So where i'm sending out a wrong message to the entire church saying this is okay. These teachings are all right so We would never invite such a person Uh to the church and give them a speaking opportunity or invite them as a special guest Now if the person walks in on their own We would uh in our present context not say, you know, please, you know, leave That would probably be very very rude again. See it's all these social implications that are involved So we would not want to say, you know leave But at the same time we would definitely take a stand and say This is what we believe in brother what you are, you know, saying is something that we do not believe in We would have to kind of at least make that You know clear so that people are not led away so To what extent do you cut off a person like that? um It would be Good to be polite It would be good to you know, um Not be rude because that would be very un-christian As long as we make it very very clear that we do not believe in the teachings of this person and make it very clear to that person To saying that brother, we don't believe in what you are saying Uh, I we strongly believe that what you are saying is is not in line with what the bible is teaching So we would make that very very clear But at the same time, there's really no need to be outright rude and rough in our speech and in our conduct um I guess Does that help at all? Uh, because I mean there have been occasions when such things have happened. Yeah Does that help, uh, brother or would you like any other any follow-up questions? Yes, I think that that that definitely helped um I'm just thinking the in the in the In the occasion that you know a person like that, um You know comes to our comes to our APC church of his own accord um Not sure if they have been says, you know situations where that person has Not been encouraged to You know come again in case you know, he starts trying to you know talk to some of the other other parishioners who who are coming to the church um So I think you know something to something that probably what needs to be What carefully I'm sure you'll you'll must be doing that in some form or the other because You know it can it can create a lot of discord in the church also having someone like that come there Yeah, I mean Usually if someone comes in to the church, they there's usually no issue in the sense They just come sit there quietly and then they interact with a few people and they go away Uh, but if such people come into the you know, uh cell groups, uh, there you have discussion, right? Because then they bring up their views as well and over there. There's more, um, you know danger And so yes in such cases if that person is very Valuable and what they are saying and they are refusing to accept what we are presenting from the bible Then we would probably have to take a step and say, uh, you know, you really cannot attend our cell groups simply because Your doctrine is not matching with our doctrine and we need to you know, uh, teach our members What we believe is the truth. So yes, you know, please do not attend our cell group anymore We would actually have to take a stand and say that But generally in the church when they come it is usually not an issue because uh, they just simply have you know The tea and the biscuits and they just say a few sentences and they leave But if they're pulling people away, you know, you know, they come over there with the intention of you know influencing people and pulling them to their False groups which are meeting somewhere else now that of course would be risky And then of course we would have to take a stand and say, you know, you're not welcome in this church That would be in extreme cases that generally things. They generally don't go to that level. Uh, so yeah, yes all right, um Yes, so we will take our break now. Uh, so at 10 o'clock, uh, let's come back and we'll continue with this letter Thank you