2 John 1


Our heavenly Father has commanded us to walk in His truth

 

1 The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not only me, but also all those that have known the truth;  2 for the truth’s sake, which dwells in us, and will be with us forever.

 

  • Christ is the Living word (communication) in us.
  • The Bible is God’s written word that we take into our thoughts as mental food.
  • If we don’t love the written word, we don’t love the living word because the written word reveals to us the living word.
  • John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 3All things were made by him; and without him nothing was made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

 

3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 4 I rejoiced greatly that I found your children walking in truth, as we have received a command from the Father.  5 And now I ask you, lady, not as though I wrote a new command to you, what we had from the beginning, that we love one another.

 

  • The Ten Commandments define what the love for God and man looks like in action.
  • John 13:34 A new commandment I give you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

 

6 And this is love that we walk according to his commands. This is the command, That, as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. 7 For many deceivers have entered the world who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves so that we not lose those things we have gained/worked, but that we receive a full reward. 9 Whoever transgresses, and does not remain in the doctrine of Christ, does not have God. He that abides in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son.

 

  • John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, If a man loves me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our abode with him.

 

10 If any come to you and do not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house, or bid him God speed:  11 For he that bids him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. 12 Having many things to write to you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come to you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. 13 The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.

 

  • Psalm 16:11 in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

 

 

                                                 3 John

 

1 The elder to the well-beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. 3 For I greatly rejoiced when the brothers came and testified of the truth that is in you, even as you walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

 

  • John 17:17 … your word is truth.
  • John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father except by me.


5 Beloved, do faithfully whatever you do to brothers and to foreigners; 6 who have borne witness of your love before the church: you will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God: 7 because for his name’s/person sake they went out, taking nothing from the Gentiles. 8 We therefore ought to receive such ones so that we might be fellow-helpers to the truth.

 

  • The church is to send out the word of God in a manner worthy of God--well supplied, not shabbily and not ornate with wealth, but honorably.
  • The offerings of God’s people should support the messengers.
  • There should be no charge to the hearers.
  • Prayer is the first and greatest way to support. Then help as you can, but do not sell things at the church building.
  • In the Bible, no offering plate was ever passed during a worship service but rather: In two places a locked box was placed at the right side of the entrance to the temple for the placement of gifts upon entering the temple (2 Kings 12:9, 2 Chronicles 24:8). God will fully supply what He wants done through the gifts and offerings of His people.
  • John 2:16 And said to them that sold doves, Take these things here; do not make my Father’s house a house of merchandise.
  • Luke 19:46 Saying to them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer.

 


Jesus is preeminent

 

9 I wrote to the church: but Diotrephes, who loves to have preeminence among them, does not receive us. 10 Therefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds that he does, ranting against us with evil words: and not content with that, he does not receive the brothers, and forbids those that would, and casts them out of the church. 11 Beloved, do not imitate the bad, but the good. He that does good is from God: but he that does evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius has a good report from all men, and from the truth itself: yes, and we also bear record; and you know our record is true. 13 I had many things to write, but I will not write to you with ink and pen: 14 but I trust I will see you directly, and we will speak face to face. Peace be to you. Our friends salute you. Greet the friends by name.

 

  • Colossians 1:17-19 And he (Christ) is before all things, and by him all things consist (are held together). And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell.

 

                                                   Jude

 

The Lord has reserved the vengeance of eternal fire for those who do not believe

He has called us and preserves us

 

1  Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those that are sanctified/set apart by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: 2 Mercy to you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

 

  • Psalm 4:3 But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself…

 

He destroys those who will not believe

 

3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write to you of the common salvation, it was necessary for me to write to you and exhort you to earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints.  4 For certain men have crept in unawares, who were preordained in ancient times to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. 5 For this reason I will put you in remembrance, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those that did not believe.

 

  • God destroyed those who ‘didn’t believe.’
  • The word of God shows us that our best holiness falls short of the infinite holiness of God.
  • We can only fall before Him in gratitude and enjoy all the blessedness that He is.
  • We can only lean on His Holy Spirit to empower us to love God with all our hearts and do His will.
  • Romans 10:17 …faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 

He reserved the angels that fell in everlasting chains until judgment day

His eternal fire is vengeance because Jesus paid with His life

 

6 And the angels that did not keep their first estate, but left their own habitation, he has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness until the judgment of the great day. 7 Like Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in the same way, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after other flesh, are set as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil, he disputed about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke you.

 

  • Michael and the devil argued over the body of Moses.
  • The devil might have enshrined it and made it an object of false worship.
  • God Himself buried Moses.
  • He is the only One qualified to rebuke evil ones.
  • Genesis 6 tells of the angels that left their first estate.
  • Adam also left his first estate which was in Eden with God and Eve.
  • New age religion sells the same old evil, ‘ you will be as god.’
  • Being like God rather than being with God.
  • We don’t know all things, we cannot make and sustain a universe by just speaking.
  • Deuteronomy 34:5 Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 6 And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor: but no man knows of his tomb to this day.

 

10 But these speak evil of things that they do not know: but what they know naturally, in those things they corrupt themselves like brute beasts 11 Cries of grief to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah. 12 These are dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you in your feasts of love, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: they are clouds without water, carried about by winds; trees whose fruit withers, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

 

  • Cain used violence to solve his problem (Genesis 4).
  • Balaam tried to curse God’s people for money (Numbers 22).
  • Korah led a revolt against God’s appointed leader (Numbers 16).
  • (Violence, greed, and power)These men have despised their Maker. In pride, they fill their needs by the attention from others, having others gathered around them, listening to them, rather than filling their need with God’s love.

 

The Lord is coming with His saints to execute judgment upon all

 

14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints, 15 To execute judgment on all, and to fully convict all the ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouths speak great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. 17 But, beloved, remember the words that were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 How they told you there would be mockers in the last time, who would walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are those who separate themselves, sensual/natural, not having the Spirit.

 

  • These people follow their natural instincts, their five senses, their own ideas, and their sensual appetites rather than the leading of God the Holy Spirit.

 

The Lord is able to keep us from falling

He is the only wise God

 

20 But you, beloved, build up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And on some have compassion, making a difference:  23 and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. 24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

 

  • He is able to keep us from falling.
  • He will present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy
  • Romans 8:38 I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

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SUMMARY: 2 John - Jude

 

  • Our heavenly Father has commanded us to walk in His truth
  • The Lord has reserved the vengeance of eternal fire for those who do not believe
  • He has called us and preserves us
  • He destroys those who will not believe
  • He reserved the angels that fell in everlasting chains until judgment day
  • Jesus is preemminent
  • His eternal fire is vengeance
  • The Lord is coming with His saints to execute judgment upon all
  • The Lord is able to keep us from falling
  • He is the only wise God