{"id":57555,"date":"2015-05-17T12:07:15","date_gmt":"2015-05-17T19:07:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/?page_id=57555"},"modified":"2015-05-17T13:22:05","modified_gmt":"2015-05-17T20:22:05","slug":"chapter-1","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/commentary\/2-john\/chapter-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Salutation<\/span><\/h3>\n

1\u00a0<\/sup>The elder…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The author identifies himself. This is a term which is used to describe an old man, as well as a minister of the Church.<\/p>\n

…to the elect lady\u00a0and her children, …<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The author identifies the recipients. Some think that this is an actual person, but most conclude that John is using a rather poetic way of describing a sister church (“the elect lady”<\/span>) and the members of that congregation (“her children”<\/span>).<\/p>\n

…whom I love in the truth, and not only I but also all who know the truth, <\/span>2\u00a0<\/sup>because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us for ever:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

John speaks words of affection concerning the congregation.<\/p>\n

John Bingo: “love”<\/span>, “truth”<\/span> (x3) and “abide”<\/span>.<\/p>\n

3\u00a0<\/sup>Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father\u2019s Son, in truth and love.<\/span><\/p>\n

John expands upon the Pauline “grace and peace”<\/span> by including “mercy”<\/span>.<\/p>\n

John Bingo: “truth”<\/span> and “love”<\/span><\/p>\n

Truth and Love<\/span><\/h3>\n

4\u00a0<\/sup>I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children following the truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Paul commends the members of the congregation who faithfully follow the Faith. However, there is the implication here that not all members of the congregation are doing so well…<\/p>\n

5\u00a0<\/sup>And now I beg you, lady, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

John refers his readers to the fundamental commandment of Christ, to love one another, a commandment which itself is found in the Old Testament.<\/p>\n

John Bingo: “beginning”<\/span> and\u00a0“love”<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>6\u00a0<\/sup>And this is love, that we follow his commandments; this is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that you follow love.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

John now goes on to explain what love means – following the commandments of God.<\/p>\n

John Bingo: “beginning”<\/span> and “love”<\/span> (x2)<\/p>\n

<\/span>7\u00a0<\/sup>For many deceivers have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

John now turns to speak about the malicious element which has been making its way into the Church (“deceivers”<\/span>). As in 1 John, he calls them by the title of “antichrist”<\/span>. The charge he lays against them is that they deny “the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh”<\/span>. This is most likely a reference to proto-Gnostics. This group denied that Jesus came in the flesh because they held that all matter, including the body, is evil. “Spirit good, body bad” would be a good way of quickly summarizing their doctrine. In denying the bodily coming of Jesus they denied the incarnation, the passion, resurrection and ascension.<\/p>\n

<\/span>8\u00a0<\/sup>Look to yourselves, that you may not lose what you\u00a0have worked for, but may win a full reward.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

John warns his readers to not fall away from the Faith, but to run the race until the end.<\/p>\n

<\/span>9\u00a0<\/sup>Any one who goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God; he who abides in the doctrine has both the Father and the Son.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

John speaks of the consequences of denying the Son.<\/p>\n

John Bingo: “Father”<\/span> and “Son”<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>10\u00a0<\/sup>If any one comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into the house or give him any greeting; <\/span>11\u00a0<\/sup>for he who greets him shares his wicked work.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

John warns his readers to have nothing to do with these false teachers.<\/p>\n

Final Greetings<\/span><\/h3>\n

12\u00a0<\/sup>Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink, but I hope to come to see you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.<\/span><\/p>\n

This verse reminds us that the primary means of spreading Christianity in the Early Church, as well as dealing with issues within the Church, was oral communication rather\u00a0than written documents.<\/p>\n

13\u00a0<\/sup>The children\u00a0of your elect sister greet you.<\/span><\/p>\n

The members of John’s local congregation send their best wishes.<\/p>\n

Back to index<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Salutation 1\u00a0The elder… The author identifies himself. This is a term which is used to describe an old man, as well as a minister of the Church. …to the elect lady\u00a0and her children, … The author identifies the recipients. Some think that this is an actual person, but most conclude that John is using a rather poetic way of describing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":57550,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-57555","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/57555","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57555"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/57555\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57574,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/57555\/revisions\/57574"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/57550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}