21. 1, 2 & 3 john, part 1 - amazon web...

Lesson#21

1,2&3John

Part1

11,2&3John,Part1

John’sgospelendedwithchapter20,butoneissuelingered,unresolved:

Peter’sdenial.Thesynop>cgospelsdonotaddressit,butJohn’sdoes.

Peterwasleaderamongthetwelve,andwithJesus’resurrec>onand

ascensionheplaysakeyroleinthebirthandgrowthoftheChurch,

preachinghisfirstsermonwiththecomingoftheHolySpiritontheJewish

feastofPentecost,A.D.32(Acts2:14-41),atwhich3,000peopleare

“saved.”

WhenweleQPeter,however,hewasuRerlydevastatedbyhisdenialofChrist.JudashadbetrayedJesus,andhehangedhimselfasaresult,but

whatofPeter?Howdowegethimback?Johnofferedabrilliantnarra>ve

onPeter’s“reinstatement,”anarra>vesosubtleandpsychologically

insighUulthatitwasdazzlingtoread.

21,2&3John,Part1

AQerthearrivaloftheHolySpiritontheJewishfeastofPentecostinA.D.32,

thegospelmessagespreadthroughouttheRomanEmpirethroughthe

missionaryworkoftheApostlesandothers.Bytheendofthe1stcentury—

the>meoftheJohanninecomposi>ons(John’sgospel;1,2&3John;and

Revela>on)—hundredsof“church”communi>eshadtakenrootthroughout

theRomanEmpireintheveryfer>lesoilofthegospelmessage.Butthe

RomanEmpirewasanextraordinarilydiversepopula>on,incorpora>nga

mul>tudeofcultures,languages,customsandreligiousbeliefs.

Consequently,althoughthecoregospelmessagewasthesame,each

communityexperiencedandunderstoodthatmessagedifferently.

Dissen>onandconflictinevitablyemerged,asautonomouscommuni>escontrastedtheirunderstandingofthepersonandworkofChristwithother

autonomouscommuni>es.Indeed,conflicteruptedevenwithin

communi>es,fracturingthemintoopposingfac>ons,eachinsis>ngonthe

“truth”oftheirunderstanding.

31,2&3John,Part1

Preview,cont.EventheJohanninecommuni>es—

thosefoundedbyorinfluencedby

theApostleJohnandhisfollowers—

weresubjecttosuchdissension.

Tradi>onaRributes1,2&3Johnto

theApostleJohn,andinhis

correspondencehevehemently

defendshisunderstandingofChrist,

insis>nguponit,anddemanding

thatthosewhoteachotherwisebe

excludedfromthecommunityand

notpermiRedtoholdleadership

posi>onsinthechurchortoteach.

1,2&3John,Part1 4

PieterPaulRubens.St.John(oilonpanel),c,1611.PradoMuseum,Madrid.

Tounderstand1,2and3

Johnwemustiden>fythe

conflicttakingplacewithin

theJohanninecommunity,

theconflictthatcauses

Johntowritehis

correspondencetobegin

with.

1,2&3John,Part1 5

ProfessorLukeTimothyJohnson

correctlyobserves:

“Whatevertheprecisenatureofthedisputes[withintheJohanninecommunity],anysortofdivisionwouldbeaseverecrisisforachurchthatlivedwithinthesymbolicframeworkwehaveseenin[John’sgospel].ThefarewelldiscourseofJesus(John15:1–17:26)portraysacommunityoffriends.TheyshareinoneSpirit,beingjoinedtoJesusasJesusistotheFather,inafellowshipofunityandlove.Foracommunitywithsuchaself-understanding,anydissensionanddeviancewouldbedifficulttounderstandandassimilate.ButaclashovertherightunderstandingofJesus,andadivisionleadingtomutualexcommunicaTon,wouldchallengethiscommunity’sveryidenTtyandexistence.”

TheWriTngsoftheNewTestament,p.497.

61,2&3John,Part1

In1,2and3Johnwewitnessa

communityincrisis,acommunity

whosefounda>onalbeliefsarecalled

intoques>on;acommunitywhose

leadershipischallenged;acommunity

whoseresponseistocirclethewagons,

demonizethosewhodisagreeand

excludethemfromthefellowshipof

believers.

Aswewitnessedtheintensean>pathybetweenthebelieversand“theJews”

inJohn’sgospelandtheclashof

opposites—above/below,light/dark,

truth/lies—sowillwewitnessan

intensean>pathyandclashof

oppositeswithintheJohannine

communityinJohn’scorrespondence.

1,2&3John,Part1 7

Scriptureposi>ons1,2&3Johnaccordingto

thelengthofthetexts,notaccordingtochronologyorcontent:1Johnconsistsof5

chapters(2,141wordsintheGreektext);2John,1chapter(245words);and3John,1

chapter(219words).

2&3JohnareleRersaddressedtospecific

people:2Johnisaddressedto“thechosenLady”(apersonifica>onofaspecific

community,whose“children”areitsmembers);

while3JohnisaddressedtoanindividualcommunitymembernamedGaius.

1JohnisnottechnicallyaleReroranepistle;

rather,itisatrea>sewriRenforgeneral

consump>onthatexploresandelaboratesupontheissuesraisedin2&3John.

Consequently,wewillstudy2&3Johnfirst,

andthenwewillfocuson1John.

81,2&3John,Part1

91,2&3John,Part1

So,let’shavea

lookatour

text!

2 John

“The Presbyter to the chosen Lady and to her children whom I love in truth—and not only I but also all who know the truth—because of the truth that dwells in us and will be with us forever. Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s son in truth and love.

I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth just as we were commanded by the Father. But now, Lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing a new commandment but the one we have had from the beginning: let us love one another. For this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, as you heard from the beginning, in which you should walk.

Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh; such is the deceitful one and the antichrist . . .

101,2&3John,Part1

“Look to yourselves that you do not lose what we worked for but may receive a full recompense. Anyone who is so ‘progressive’ as not to remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him in your house or even greet him; for whoever greets him shares in his evil works.

Although I have much to write to you, I do not intend to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and to speak face to face so that our joy may be complete. The children of your chosen sister send you greetings.”

111,2&3John,Part1

AlthoughPaulfoundedthechurchat

EphesusinA.D.54(themajordeep-water

portonthewestcoastofAsiaMinorand

the3rdlargestcityintheRomanEmpire),

tradi>onholdsthattheApostleJohnlater

becametheleaderofthechurchat

Ephesusandthathewrote1,2&3John

there.

Tradi>onalsoholdsthatintheearly90s

duringaneraofpersecu>on,theEmperor

Domi>anexiledJohntotheislandof

Patmos,wherehewrotethebookof

Revela>on.

1,2&3John,Part1 12

131,2&3John,Part1

EPHESUS!

PATMOS

SEVENCHURCHES

OFREVELATION

InRevela>ontherisenandglorified

ChristcommandsJohntowriteleRersto

the7churches,3ofwhicharechas>sed

forhavingteacherswhohaveledthem

astray:Pergamum,whohas“some

peoplewhoholdtotheteachingofthe

Nicolaitans”(2:15);Thya>ra,who

tolerates“thewomanJezebel,whocalls

herselfaprophetess,whoteachesand

misleadsmyservants”(2:20);andSardis,

whoisurgedto“remember[what]you

acceptedandheard;keepit,and

repent”(3:3).

Apparently,divergentteachingwas

endemicintheJohanninesphereof

influence!

141,2&3John,Part1

Notme.

1,2&3John,Part1

Ibetwe’llfindoutif

welookcloselyatthe

leRers!

Iwonderwhatthe

divergentteaching

was?

15

Johncomposeshis2nd

leRerina4-part,standard

epistolaryform:

1.   Addressandgree>ng(1-3)2.   Topic#1:

Livingintruthandlove(4-6)3. Topic#2:

Bewareoffalseteaching(7-11)

4. Finalwordsandgree>ngs(12-13)

161,2&3John,Part1


Livingintruthandlove(4-6)

3. Topic#2:



171,2&3John,Part1

2 John




181,2&3John,Part1

• Unlikeinmodern“snail-mail”leRers

wherethewritersignshisorhernameat

theend,thewriterinJohn’sdaybegins

bysayingwhoheis.Curiously,wehave

movedbacktothatcustominemails!

• Johnsimplybegins“Thepresbyter....”

TheGreekwordispresbuvteroß [pres-bu’-ter-os],literally,“theelder.”Thisismuch

liketheseniorpastoratyourchurch

wri>ngyoualeRerandsigningit“your

pastor.”Obviously,youknowwhoheis,

asdidthecommunitytowhomJohn

writesknowswhoheis.

191,2&3John,Part1

• Johnpersonifiesthecommunityandits

membersas“ThechosenLadyandher

children,”acharmingreference.TheGreek

wordtranslated“Lady”iskuriva [ku-ree’-a],afemininenounwhichcanalsobeagiven

name.Thecontextheresuggestsmetaphor,

however.

• AndJohn“lovesher”[ajgapavw ,ag-a-pa’-o]in“truth”[ajlhvqeia ,a-la’-tha-a].Ofcourse,wewouldexpectajgapavw,thelovethatJesuscommandsinJohn’sgospel,and“truth/

decep>on”introducestheabasicdichotomy

thatwefindinbothJohn’sgospelandinhis

correspondence.

• No>cehow“truth”and“love”runthroughthe1sthalfof2John,juxtaposedtotheir

oppositesinthe2ndhalf:

201,2&3John,Part1

2 John




211,2&3John,Part1



221,2&3John,Part1

• Aswenoted,JohnopenshisleRerwithanaddress,followedbyagree>ng,the

customarywayofopeningaGreekleRer:

“ThePresbytertothechosenLadyandtoherchildrenwhomIloveintruth—andnotonlyIbutalsoallwhoknowthetruth—becauseofthetruththatdwellsinusandwillbewithusforever.Grace,mercy,andpeacewillbewithusfromGodtheFatherandfromJesusChristtheFather’ssonintruthandlove.”

• Paulfollowsthisconven>onalformatin

mostofhisepistlesandleRers,aswell:

“Paul,calledtobeanapostleofChristJesusbythewillofGod,andSosthenesourbrother,tothechurchofGodthatisinCorinth...gracetoyouandpeacefromGodourFatherandtheLordJesusChrist.”

(1Corinthians1:1-3)

231,2&3John,Part1



3. Topic#2:



241,2&3John,Part1

2 John




251,2&3John,Part1

• Itwasconven>onalforawritertostartthebodyofaleRerwithanexpressionofjoyon

behalfofthereader,andJohndoesso,

emphasizinghisthemeof“truth”:

“IrejoicedgreatlytofindsomeofyourchildrenwalkinginthetruthjustaswewerecommandedbytheFather.”

• Again,Paulfollowsthisconven>onalformat

inmostofhisepistlesandleRers:

“IgivethankstomyGodateveryremembranceofyou,prayingalwayswithjoyinmyeveryprayerforallofyou,becauseofyourpartnershipforthegospelfromthefirstdayunTlnow.

(Philippians1:3-4)

261,2&3John,Part1

• Johnthengoesontheissuethe1stoftwoexhorta>ons,addressingthechurchasa

wholebyreferringtothemas“Lady,with

“you”acollec>vesingularpronoun:

“Butnow,Lady,Iaskyou,notasthoughIwerewriTnganewcommandmentbuttheonewehavehadfromthebeginning:letusloveoneanother.”

• Jesushadsaid,“Igiveyouanewcommandment:loveoneanother”(John13:34),butforthe“Lady”love[ajgapavw]isnotanewcommandment:itistheestablished

founda>onuponwhichtheJohannine

community’slifeinChristisbuilt.

271,2&3John,Part1

• Since“love”[ajgapavw]canbeexpressedandlivedoutinmanyways,JohnrecallsJesus

saying,“Ifyouloveme,youwillkeepmy

commandments”(John14:15),andhe

clarifieshisexhorta>onbyadding:

“Forthisislove,thatwewalkaccordingtohiscommandments;thisisthecommandment,asyouheardfromthebeginning,inwhichyoushouldwalk.”

• No>cehowtheexhorta>on“loveoneanother”anditsclarifica>on“forthisislove”

followsthemannerof“stepped-up

parallelism”thatfeaturessoprominentlyin

thePsalms:astatementmadeandthen

restatedinthenextlineinanamplified

fashion,usuallyinanA/B/B’/A’orA/B/A’/B’

fashion.

281,2&3John,Part1

2 John

A I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth just as we were commanded by the Father. But now, Lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing a new commandment but the one we have had from the beginning:

B let us love one another. B’ For this is love, A’ that we walk according to his commandments; this is the

commandment, as you heard from the beginning, in which you should walk.

291,2&3John,Part1

Notme.

1,2&3John,Part1

Very!

Howcoolisthat!

30

Indeed!



3. Topic#2:



311,2&3John,Part1

“Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh; such is the deceitful one and the antichrist. Look to yourselves that you do not lose what we worked for but may receive a full recompense. Anyone who is so ‘progressive’ as not to remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him in your house or even greet him; for whoever greets him shares in his evil works.”

(7-11)

321,2&3John,Part1

• OurNABtransla>onofthissec>onbegins,“Manydeceivershavegoneoutintotheworld...,”buttheGreektextbeginswitho{ti [ha’-tee],“for”or“because,”givingthereasonforwhat

hasoccurredintheprevious

paragraph.Thatis,Johnisgladto

knowthatthechurchislivinginthetruthandheexhortsittoshowlove

becausethereisagravedangerofthe

churchbeingcorruptedby

“deceivers,”whichwouldleadtoa

lackoflove.

331,2&3John,Part1

• Jesushadwarnedaboutsuch“deceivers”and“falseprophets”intheOlivetDiscourse

(MaRhew24:4-5),andnowhiswarninghas

cometopass.“Manydeceivershavegoneoutintotheworld,”andtheyarespreadingtheirunderstandingofChrist,an

understandingthatisdiametricallyopposed

tothatoftheJohanninecommunity’s.

• Their“heresy”isthat“theydonotacknowledgeJesusChristascomingintheflesh”(7).Wemightthinkthattheysimply

deniedtheincarna>on.But“coming”is

e{rcomai [er’-kho-my]andwereaditinthe

presentcon>nuoustense,theac>on

ongoing;thatis,JesushadcomeandsTllexisted“intheflesh.”

341,2&3John,Part1

Andhereiswhereweiden>fythe

divergentthinking,the“heresy”ifyouwill.

Inthelate1stcenturyandonintothe2nd,

Gnos>cismenteredthethinkingofthe

earlychurch.Gnos>cism[fromtheGreek

gnwstikovß,gi-nos-Tk-os’,“havingknowledge”]shunnedthematerialworld

ofmaRer,fleshand>measflawed,

imperfectandevil,whileassocia>ngthe

spiritualworldwithGod,thesouland

perfec>on.Insuchaworldview,God

couldnot“becomeflesh”andliveamong

us.Rather,thoseinfluencedbyGnos>c

thinkingbelievedthatJesuswasbornlike

anyotherman,butathisbap>sm“Christ”

cameuponhimintheformofthe“Spirit”

anddepartedfromhimatthecrucifixion.

351,2&3John,Part1

Notme.

1,2&3John,Part1

Andalsowhyon

thecrossJesus

said,“MyGod,myGod,whyhaveyouforsakenme?”

Thatwouldmeanthattherewas

nolas>ngunionofthedivine

withthehumaninJesus;noreal,

las>ngincarna>onasJohn’s

gospelclearlystates!

36

AnotherlineofthoughtwithinGnos>cism,

Doce>sm[fromtheGreekdokei:n,“toseem”],wentevenfarther.Forthem,the

chasmbetweenthematerialworldandthe

spiritualworldwassogreatthatGodcould

notpossiblybecomeman.Consequently,

Christ’sbodycouldnothavebeenhuman

atall;rather,itwaseitherpureceles>al

substanceoranillusion,aphantasm.

Forthosewhofollowedthislineof

thinking,Jesusonlyappearedtobehuman;onlyappearedtobenailedtothecross;onlyappearedtosuffer.

371,2&3John,Part1

This,ofcoursefliesinthefaceofJohn’s

gospel,inwhichhesays:

“InthebeginningwastheWord,andtheWordwaswithGod,andtheWordwasGod...andtheWordbecamefleshandmadehisdwellingamongus.”

(John1:1,14)

CerinthuswasamongtheDoce>stswho

opposedJohnatEphesus.InhisAgainstHeresiesSt.Irenaeusrecallsanencounterbetweenthem:

“John,thediscipleoftheLord,goingtobatheatEphesus,andperceivingCerinthuswithin,rushedoutofthebath-housewithoutbathing,exclaiming,‘Letusfly,lesteventhebath-housefalldown,becauseCerinthus,theenemyofthetruth,iswithin!’”

(iii,3,4)

381,2&3John,Part1

• JohninsiststhatsuchpeopleasCerinthus,arethe“an>christ,”the

deceiversparexcellence,theenemiesofChristandhischurch.TheGreek

wordisajntivcristoß [an-tek’-re-tos].Thewordonlyoccurs4>mesin

Scripture:1John2:18,22;4:3and

herein2John1:7.

• Anyonewhofollowssuchpeoplewilllikelyruntheshipoftheirfaith

ontotherockyshoalsoferror,destroyingwhattheyhadstruggledto

aRain.

Johncon>nues:

391,2&3John,Part1

“Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh; such is the deceitful one and the antichrist. Look to yourselves that you do not lose what we worked for but may receive a full recompense. Anyone who is so ‘progressive’ as not to remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him in your house or even greet him; for whoever greets him shares in his evil works.”

(7-11)

401,2&3John,Part1

• ForJohn,the“teachingofChrist”istheteachinghandeddownbytheApostles,of

whomJohnisthelast,andanyonewho

deviatesfromthisteachingisafalseteacher,

someonewhois“progressive.”TheGreek

wordisproavgw [pro-ah’-go],onewho“runsahead”or“goestoofar,”inthepejora>ve

sense.SuchapersonisanenemyofChrist.

• Conversely,onewhoremainsfaithfulto

“orthodox”Johannineteachinghasboththe

FatherandtheSon.

• Johntheninsiststhatifsucha“deviant”teacherarrives,the“Lady”(thatis,the

churchcommunity)shouldnotreceivethem

orevengreetthem,forbydoingsothe

churchwouldshareintheir“evilworks.”

411,2&3John,Part1

421,2&3John,Part1



3. Topic#2:



431,2&3John,Part1



441,2&3John,Part1

• AlthoughJohnhasmuchmoretosaytothe

“Lady”andher“children,”heisnotgoingto

usepaperandinktodoit;rather,hehopesto

visitsoonandspeaktothechurchinperson,

amuchmorecongenialandfriendlymeansof

communica>on.

• John’sfinalwordshereareratherformal,as

wemightexpectfromanoldermanina

posi>onofimportance.Hewillrepeatthem

almostword-for-wordin3John.

• Finally,Johnclosesbysendinggree>ngsfrom“thechildrenofyourchosensister,”that

is,John’scommunity,mostprobablythe

churchinEphesus.

451,2&3John,Part1

Notme.At’scertainly

1,2&3John,Part1

That’scertainly

verydifferentfrom

thewaythingsare

today!

Thethingthatstrikesmemost

about2JohnisJohn’s

unwillingnesstoallowthechurch

eventohearotherperspec>vesonimportanttheologicalissues,

nevermindtoconsiderthem.

46

1.   Attheendofthe1stcentury,whyweretheresomanydiverseopinionsaboutwhoChristisandwhathedid?

2.   WhywouldJohnaddressthechurchcommunityasthe“Lady”anditsmembersas“herchildren”?CouldJohnactuallybewri>ngtoaliteralwomanandherchildren?

3.   Canapersonteachsomethingotherthanwhatisconsidered“orthodox”andnotbea“deceiver”?

4.   TheJohannineworldconsistsofstartcontrasts:above/below,light/dark,truth/lies,authen>c/decep>ve.Isthisausefulapproachtoexaminingcomplexques>ons?

5.   In2John,whatisJohn’sprimarymeansofpersuasion?

471,2&3John,Part1

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481,2&3John,Part1

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