3rd JOHN at a glance

WHO WROTE IT?: The Apostle John 

WHY WAS IT WRITTEN?: This letter was written to commend a brother in Christ, who John knows, for his hospitality and to encourage him in his Christian life.

WHEN WAS IT WRITTEN?: This letter was written around AD 90 from Ephesus.

WHO WAS IT FOR?: Gaius, a prominent Christian who attended one of the churches known by John.

 

            Church leaders traveled from town to town working to establish new congregations. These leaders counted on the hospitality of fellow believers to provide housing, and meals. Gaius was one of the people who welcomed these leaders into his home. 

            How we treat others reflects our true values; in other words, what’s really important to us. We need to ask ourselves the following question: Do we see people as mere objects or inconveniences, or as unique creations of a loving God?

            For Gaius, hospitality was important to him. Because of his attitude toward the brethren, he had gained a solid reputation thanks to his personal lifestyle. John’s brief letter centers around three men; Diotrephes, who was a self-proclaimed church leader who did not reflect God’s values in any way. He was in it for personal gain and the accolades that come with being a leader. Then there was Demetrius, who followed God’s truth and the afore mentioned Gaius, who always did what was right as he walked in the truth.

            It is imperative that we determine to reflect Christ’s values in our relationships, opening up our homes for fellowship, prayer meetings or bible studies, with the purpose of touching others with God’s love.

 

DIOTREPHES - All we know about this man is that he wanted to control the church. John denounced 4 areas of his life: 1) his refusal to have anything to do with other spiritual leaders, 2) his slander of those leaders, 3) his bad example in refusing to welcome any teachers, and 4) his attempt to excommunicate those who opposed his leadership. Diotrephes was an example of a bad leader; full of pride, jealousy, and slander. 

 

            While 2^nd John emphasizes the need to refuse hospitality to false teachers, 3^rd John urges the brethren to continue offering hospitality to those who teach the truth. This is an important way for them to show support for these traveling teachers of the true Gospel. Today we can show hospitality to God’s workers in various ways. It could come in the form of a letter of encouragement, a gift, financial support, opening up your home or praying for them. 

            Next up we shall look at the Mega Themes found in John’s 3^rd letter. Until then walk with the King and be a blessing. “Peace be with you.” ^{(3 John 1:15a)}

 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: The Life Application Study Bible

2nd JOHN - The Mega Themes

TRUTH - Believing that God IS truth, it is imperative that we read and follow the teachings in His Word.  It ought to be a matter of fact that true followers of Christ consistently obey God’s truth found in scripture. 

            The only way to be loyal to Christ’s teachings is to study the bible. With our busy schedules we often have a hard time carving out a piece of uninterrupted time to read and pray. The enemy throws all sorts of distractions and time burners to disrupt our good intentions.  As the saying goes: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” ^[1] The only way to enhance our relationship with our Lord is to purposefully enter into scripture reading and even studying daily. I’d say it’s a pretty safe bet that those who don’t read the Bible, do so because they simply don’t want to. Spiritual laziness. Christ paid the price for our sin debt thru a brutal, bloody death and we can’t be bothered to pick of the book and dig into it. How do we ever expect to get to know Him? If you were dating a pretty girl and never spent any time with her how would you expect to get to know her. Catch my drift?

            Knowing God takes time and effort.  We don’t pick it up thru osmosis like plants. The Bible is spiritual food for our soul. You cannot find God’s truth anywhere else. With the widespread availability of the bible online and in bookstores throughout the globe, it would be totally our fault to remain ignorant of what scripture teaches. Without scriptural knowledge we become susceptible to the false teachers that litter the landscape. If we know the scriptures well we’d be able to spot a heretic when he spoke.  Asking them what they have to say about Jesus, as in, is he God’s son and/or is he both God and man? That would be because a lot of the false teachings revolve around Jesus and whether he is both divine and human? Christ is the linchpin of our faith, so we can identify heretics largely by the way they view Jesus.

 

LOVE - A major point has been made in this letter and many others that God IS love. He defined it and exhibited it in the form of his Son, Jesus the Christ. Love is the main ingredient in true Christianity. 

            In John’s 1^st letter he states: “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment:...” “We love because he first loved us.” [vv. 4:16b & 19]

            As followers of Christ, we must embrace the meaning of the letters WWDJ not only regarding what he would do, but also what he would think and say in any and all situations.

It should be clear to us that we are not, nor shall we ever be perfect; we are too flawed for that, but with the Holy Spirit’s help we CAN become malleable clay in the potters hands. God knows all that we are capable of and if we allow it, we can achieve all that God has for us this side of heaven. 

            Love is the truest ingredient and being selfless makes the loving part much easier. All qualities that we’d have trouble manifesting in our lives ourselves. The Spirit can teach us how to love God and the brethren more. It comes out of giving, and meeting needs ... that’s putting love into action.

 

FALSE LEADERS - We’ve seen that false teachers are coming at believers full force in the 1^st Century, as well as now. We mustn’t allow them a toe hold ... a platform from which to spread their lies. We mustn’t encourage those who are opposed to Christ. Remove yourself from any association with false teachers / leaders. Always be aware of what is being taught in the church you attend. If it contradicts what scripture states, do a little research to prove things one way or another. If our church preaches or teaches something that is diametrically opposed to the solid, definitive truth found in the Bible, we should seriously pray and consider finding another church. No rationalization of falsehood is acceptable in God’s economy. 

 

            Next we shall take our first look at John’s 3^rd letter to another dear friend Gaius. 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

^[1] This expression is often attributed to the Cistercian abbot Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 – 1153).  It’s meaning is: “the intention to engage in good acts often fails. It points up the principle that there is no merit in good intentions unless they are acted on.”

2nd JOHN at a glance

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. 2^nd 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 1^st 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 2^nd 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

1st JOHN - Heresies Facing the Early Church

            The eyewitnesses to Jesus’ ministry had pretty much died off when John wrote this letter. 2^nd & 3^rdgeneration believers had begun to have doubts regarding that which they had been taught about Jesus. Those Christians with a Greek background struggled with the idea that Jesus was both human & divine. This was due to the Platonic thought that the ‘spirit’ was all-important. According to Plato, the human body was simply a prison that man wished to escape from. Heresies sprang forth from the mixing of this kind of Platonic thought with Christianity.

            One particular false teaching that was widespread held that Jesus actually was a spirit being who only appeared to have a human body. This teaching was referred to later as Docetism ... which is from the Greek word for “to seem”. Their claim was that Jesus cast no shadow and left no footprints; he was God, but not man.  Another false teaching was related to Gnosticism (from the Greek word meaning “knowledge”), which said that all physical matter was evil, the spirit was good, and only the intellectually enlightened could enjoy the benefits of religion. Both groups found it very hard to believe that a Savior could be fully human.

            John answers these false teachers as an eyewitness to Jesus’ life on earth. He saw Jesus, talked with him, touched him ... John knew Jesus as more than merely a spirit. In his very first statement of this letter John states emphatically that Jesus had been alive before the world began and also that he lived as a man among men and women. In other words, he was both divine AND human.

            Through the centuries that followed many heretics denied that Jesus was both God and man. In John’s day people had trouble believing he was actually human; today more people have problems seeing him as God. But Jesus’ divine-human nature happens to be a crucial issue of Christianity. Before you accept what any religious teacher says about a topic, listen carefully to what they believe about Jesus. To deny either his divinity or his humanity is to consider him less than Christ, our Savior and Lord.

            Next up is our first look at John’s 2^nd letter, written to certain woman from a non-specific church. 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.

1st JOHN - The Mega Themes (part 2)

TRUTH & ERROR - False teachers encouraged believers to remove moral restraints, saying the physical body doesn’t matter. These charlatans also said Jesus wasn’t really a man, and that salvation comes from having some mystical knowledge. The result of these bogus teachings was that people become detached from reality and indifferent to sin.

            God is truth and light, so the more time we spend with him daily the better we will know him. That way we will be able to keep our focus on the truth. We must check the message for its validity; test the claims they’re making. Don’t allow yourself to be led astray by any teaching that denies Christ’s deity or humanity.

 

ASSURANCE - Our God is in complete and total control of both heaven & earth. Because God’s word is absolutely true we can have the assurance that eternal life shall become a reality and that we can be victorious over sin. By faith and trust in God we can be certain of our eternal destiny. 

            Assurance of our relationship with God is a promise; however, it is also a way of life. Our confidence is built by reading and trusting in God’s Word and in Christ’s permanent solution for our sin.

 

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John counters two major threads in the false teachings of the heretics in this 1^st letter. They denied the existence of sin. John says that if we continue to sin, we cannot claim to belong to God. If we say we have NO sin then we cannot claim to be a part of God’s family. If we say we have no sin, we only kidding ourselves and refusing to live according to God’s truth.

            The false teachers also denied that Jesus was the Messiah - God in the flesh. The apostle John said that if we believe that Jesus was God incarnate and trust him for our salvation, than we are children of God.

 

JOHN’S WRITING STYLE - One of the distinct features of his writing style was his habit of noting both sides of a conflict. He wrote to show the difference between real Christianity and anything else. Here are some of his favorite contrasts ... Light & darkness - The new commandment & the old commandment - Loving the Father & loving the world - Christ & Antichrist - Truth & lies - Children of God & children of the devil - Eternal life & eternal death - Love & hatred - True prophecy & false prophecy - Love & fear - Having life & NOT having life. You will find these throughout his letter.   

 

            Next we will take a quick look at the heresies that the early churches guarded against. 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

1st JOHN - The Mega Themes

SIN - Do Christians sin? Yes, at times the “old man” rises up and takes over. Along with the sin comes guilt and shame, but our advocate, Jesus Christ, will handle the case. Sin requires God’s forgiveness, and Christ’s death on the cross provides that forgiveness for us. Our responsibility as a believer in Christ is to determine to live according to the standards the Lord has laid out in scripture. Our choosing to live for the Lord will show that our life is in the process of being changed; transformed into the likeness of Christ. Those who believe but have yet to make that life altering transformation are wasting valuable time. It’s your choice ... choose wisely. Life without God is no life at all.

            While we can deny our continuous inclination to satisfy our sin nature, we’d be lying to ourselves. No one has remained sinless except Jesus. We must acknowledge our sinful inclinations, even as a Christian, and earnestly strive to live a life that pleases God. The Lord knows our inclinations and understands that we are but human, but we still need to confess whatever sin we commit and seek forgiveness. If there are any consequences that result from our sinning we will have to endure them, but in the end God’s love and grace cleanses us. The idea is that as we grow spiritually, our faith and trust in God blossoms bearing the fruit of the Spirit. We must resist the temptation to sin. We’re able to do that because the Lord provides for us spiritual armor that can defeat any temptation thrown our way.

 

LOVE - Jesus plainly told his disciples and the multitude of people who sought him out to love others just the same as Christ loves them. There are no restrictions on who we’re to love because we are to love any and all people we encounter each day ... saved or unsaved. Christianity isn’t an exclusive club; it’s open to everyone who seeks to become part of God’s family. The love we experience and begin to exhibit is evidence that we are truly followers of Christ. God is the Creator of love; he cares that his children love one another.

            Love is being selfless; putting others first. Treating others the way you’d like to be treated, regardless of the circumstances. Our job is not to retaliate or pass judgment on another; our job is to love them all the same way God has shown us compassion and mercy. Love is an ACTION word; which means giving sacrificially of our time and money to meet the needs of others, as in their needs supersede our own.

 

FAMILY OF GOD - When we became “saved” from our sins (and ourselves) we became a child of God. The Holy Spirit of God, the 3^rd person of the Holy Trinity, gives us the ability to love our brethren in the faith, among other things. How we treat others reveals to them just who our father is. We are to live as faithful, loving family members.

            I know full well that your church may have a person who will talk your ear off after service, so much so that you think if they talk much longer your ear might melt off the side of your head. So what about those people? Love them. What about the nosey, gossipy older widow lady who never has a good thing to say about anyone? Love them. Real love, not fake. Interact with them on purpose to show them that they matter.  Don’t avoid them, befriend them; pray for them.

            Be Jesus to people. Show you care in verbal or tangible ways. We don’t know peoples “back story”. Be Jesus to them. Ask the Lord to use you to be a blessing to others. You know, I actually ask the Lord to bless me, not simply so I am blessed, but so I can “pay that blessing forward”. John preached that we as followers of Christ should treat others as more important than ourselves. God wishes to draw out of us the best version of ourselves for the purpose of showing the world what HE is all about. When people look at you do they see the light of Jesus in your eyes? Do they see that there is something different about you? Are they drawn to you? That is the Spirit working thru you. Rejoice my brothers, glorify God my sisters, because while God didn’t NEED any of us, HE CHOSE each one of us to share his message with our world. We are ambassadors of Christ from when we wake up in the morning till our heads hit the pillow at night. We must do all we do IN HIS NAME & FOR HIS GLORY!!

 

Next we will continue to look at 2 other Mega Themes, TRUTH & ERROR and ASSURANCE. 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.

            

1st JOHN at a glance

WHO WROTE IT?: The Apostle John ... at the time of this writing John was the only of the original disciples / apostles left alive. He was therefore considered the ‘elder statesmen’.

WHY WAS IT WRITTEN?: John’s 1^st letter was sent to reassure Christians in their faith & to counter false teachings.

WHEN WAS IT WRITTEN?: This correspondence was probably written sometime between AD 85-90 from Ephesus.

WHO WAS IT FOR?: This particular letter is untitled, so we can assume that it was not written to any particular person or church.  Apparently it was sent as a “pastoral” letter to several Gentile congregations.

 

                  The apostle John was an older man when he wrote this letter. He had not yet been banished to the isle of Patmos, where he would live in exile. As an eyewitness of Christ, he wrote with authority to give this new generation of believers assurance and confidence in God and in their faith.

                  John starts off his letter by listing his credentials as an eyewitness to the Incarnation & then revealed his reason for writing. He then presented God as “light”, which symbolizes absolute purity and holiness.  John then explains how believers can walk in the light and have intimate fellowship with the Lord. He lets them know that should they sin; Christ is their advocate. The way John puts it sounds like he’s our lawyer when he uses the words “pleads our case” before God in chapter 2 verse 1. That’s what an advocate does. He represents us before the Father. 

                  John then urges his readers to obey Christ without question and love all of God’s family. From all the Bible text is can see that being a Christian leaves no room for hate, resentment, bitterness, lying, arrogance and so on. Why is that? Because we’ve continuously been told to love one another and treat others the same way we’d like to be treated.  We must learn to see others, whether saved or not, as God sees them. John then gives his readers a warning regarding “antichrists” and THE Antichrist who will try to persuade them away from God’s truth.

                  In the section of the letter from 1^st John 3:1-4:21, John presents God as “love”. This is because of his giving, dying, forgiving, and blessing. He didn’t do it for himself, but for YOU!

God is the epitome of love; the only true and consistent example of perfect love in existence.

Perfect love is defined in the 13^th chapter of Paul 1^st letter to the Corinthian church. Because God loves us, he calls us his children and makes us like Christ thru the work of the Holy Spirit. 

                  John warns of the false teachers who are lurking around looking for any opportunity to lead believers away from the truth with faulty teaching. We must reject these purveyors of falsehood and stay as close to God as we can, living in his love.

                  In the final portion of his letter, John presents God as “life”. God’s life is in his Son. To have his Son is to have eternal life.

 

                  Next we’ll take a look at the Mega Themes found in John’s 1^st 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.