2–3 John
2 John: Walk in Love and Truth
3 John: Imitate What Is Good
Central Teaching
Christians should use discernment with regard to Christian missionaries by lovingly supporting those who are genuinely sent by God.
Memory Verse
Setting
In both 2 and 3 John, the author describes himself as “the elder,” a designation that also applies to the apostle John, who served as a respected leader in the early church. Early church traditions indicate that John moved to Ephesus in the latter part of the first century and served the churches in that region. Both letters were likely written from Ephesus about the same time as 1 John.
Second John is addressed to “the lady chosen by God and to her children” (v. 1), who could be either an individual Christian woman and her family or a figurative description of a local church. Because the “you” in 2 John 8, 10, and 12 is plural, because no family names are mentioned in 2 John 1 and 13, and because the “woman” is beloved by all who know the truth (v. 1), it seems that John is writing to a church. As for 3 John, the context seems to be a dispute between church members; an authoritarian leader in one of the churches has rejected traveling teachers sent out by John himself.
Message
In his first letter, John sets forth three marks of true Christianity: obedience to God, love for fellow believers, and a correct view of Jesus. These same truths are applied to specific situations in 2–3 John.
Second John may have been intended for a particular congregation. All three marks of the true believer are stressed again in 2 John, with special attention given to love and truth. John reminds the church of the love command they were given from the beginning and how love for one another is also connected to obedience to God. He insists that love and truth are not enemies but friends. John takes joy in the fact that his spiritual children are walking in truth even when tempted by false teachers, but he warns this congregation not to welcome the false teachers and give them a platform for their wicked work. He instructs the church to use discernment in welcoming and supporting traveling teachers.
Ancient Byzantine baptismal font at the Basilica of Saint John in Ephesus
In his final letter John seeks to correct the problem of churches that reject traveling teachers sent out by the apostle himself. He urges believers to imitate what is good rather than what is evil and commends Gaius not only as an example of faithfulness to truth but also for showing hospitality to reliable traveling teachers. He rebukes Diotrephes for rejecting John’s leadership and failing to show hospitality when needed.
Outline
Interesting Features
- Second John is the shortest book in the New Testament.
- When early Christians traveled, they relied on the hospitality of other believers for lodging and food. Third John speaks directly to the important practice of Christian hospitality.
This replica of a first-century house reminds us of how much John likes to compare the Christian community to a family and of the importance of hospitality.
Connections
Taken together, 2 and 3 John offer a balanced approach to supporting Christian ministries. Second John teaches us to use discernment and good judgment. Before investing in a particular Christian ministry, we should investigate its message. Third John teaches us not to allow our love to grow cold toward all ministries just because some of them are misleading and deceptive. We should have discerning hearts to separate the true from the false and loving hearts to support in practical ways those involved in genuine Christian ministry.