2 John Chapter 1 Verses 1 – 2
The writer of this very short letter which could have fit on only a piece
of a parchment simply identifies himself as “The Elder.” All the way
back to the second century there is evidence that the early Christian
church accepted this and the accompanying letter that we call Third
(3) John as the work of the John the Apostle. At the time of this letter
being written, John the Apostle would have been around 90 years
old… He was the only apostle of Jesus Christ who was allowed to
grow old and he was the only apostle of Jesus Christ who was allowed
to die a death of natural causes…
And this letter fits very well into the first letter thematically although
it is very much shorter and seems to center around one very strong
statement in verses 9 – 11 that isn’t covered in the first letter. Virtually
everything else is and it’s just to me like he had finished his first letter,
sent it off, and said, “Man, I wish I had just gone ahead and said
it…,” because what we read in this letter is very offensive, aggressive
and could even be taken as harsh by some…
He writes this short addendum to the “elect lady and her children.”
Never identified, the church has been left to discuss who this lady is…
Some say it is metaphorically referring to the church as a whole. The
bride of Christ and the members of the church. Completely appropriate
although it doesn’t fit really as John talks about “some” of the
children walking with God and some not and John speaks about the
“sister” of the elect lady in verse 13.
Some say that the “elect lady” is or could be an actual proper name.
“Ekiektos Kyria.” Others have their own ideas even some offering that
this was perhaps written to Mary, the mother of Jesus and the rest of
the family and extended family of Jesus. That’s interesting but not
supported explicitly by scripture. It really doesn’t matter who the
“lady” is, because I’m not a lady…, ha! But it is the Word of God and
therefore these 13 verses are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction and for instruction in righteousness…
John uses the word “truth,” three times in two verses and this word is
incredible in the Greek. It means what is true in any manner under
consideration. That is what really sets the Bible apart and the faith of
Christianity apart from every other offering of reality that is out there.
The Bible is exclusive. Faith in Jesus is exclusive. Christianity is
exclusive, you can’t pick and choose pieces of it…, its all or nothing.
Why? Because (and this is completely lost on so many today) because
that is how truth works.
Personal truth or “my truth” has not just become popular in our post-
modern western culture, it has become pervasive. And it’s powerful
because in a worldly sense, it’s completely legit! I can build my life,
who I am, what I want to be called, how I want to see the world and
even to a degree interact with the world, I can build my life into
whatever I want and I can create my own “truth.” Our capitalistic
dollar-dependent and developed society even promotes that because it
is lucrative to merchants! The issue is that “your truth” perishes with
you! And THE truth continues!
If truth is truth, then it must be true in all circumstances,
considerations and situations. So truly, there is no such thing as
“personal truth” that is truth at all. It’s just a cliché name for folks to
justify their resistance to seeing things in a different way… Resistance
to seeing a universal standard. And it’s sad. Even as Christians,
anchored to the Word of God and feet on the solid foundation of Jesus
Christ, I am able to allow myself to understand and see and visit the
perception of others even when it is adversarial to THE truth. That
doesn’t scare me. It doesn’t harm me. It doesn’t move me…
So, John is focused on getting this point across that there exists truth.
And that truth has been revealed to the world. Jesus said in John 14:6,
“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life…” And this is what binds
Christians together…, or it should! Not social or political
compatibility or class compatibility or personality compatibility or
denominational compatibility… what ought to bind us together no
matter what else is simply that we have the truth! We’re His bride!
And the truth contained in the Word of God does not change!
Ever notice that? Cultural fads change, science changes, markets
change, world sentiment changes, all things change. In fact, the only
constant in this life is change. Except for one thing. Truth… The Word
of God remains unchanged. Generation to generation. James 1:17
speaks of God as the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation
or shadow of turning. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday, today and forever.”
We know the truth, the truth abides in us, and the truth is with us…,
and this is our bond…
2 John Chapter 1 Verse 3
Grace, mercy and peace WILL be with you is the wonderful greeting
of John which is one word more expansive than the standard New
Testament greeting which was grace and peace, often used by Paul.
Grace and peace is also an awesome greeting as grace or “charis” in
the Greek was a standard greeting of the Greeks and peace or
“shalom” in the Hebrew was a standard greeting for the Jews. But
John goes all in here and he doesn’t just greet with this but he
admonishes his reader to remember that these three bestowals of God
WILL be with you!
Grace is getting what you don’t deserve. Mercy is not getting what
you do deserve. Grace has been described as an acronym, “God’s
Riches/Righteousness at Christ’s Expense.” I like that… It’s like this.
I owe the bank for my mortgage. Let’s say I owe the bank $500k. If
the bank were wanting to be merciful, that debt could be forgiven.
That’s mercy. I owe it, I now don’t have to pay it. AND, if the bank
was wanting to be graceful, they would then deposit an additional
$500k into my account! I owed $500k and now I owe nothing and
have $500k! That’s a picture of grace!
Now, check this out. This greeting is an awesome promise to us in the
Lord and it is all inclusive because it also covers the span of a life, of
a day, of a situation. We have, in Jesus, (be confident in this because
this is covenantal), in Jesus we have grace for the tomorrow. That
which we do not deserve on our own merit, by virtue of being a child
of God through the blood of Jesus Christ, we will receive…
We have mercy for yesterday…. Hebrews 8:12 says, “For I will be
merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless
deeds I will remember no more.” Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the
east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from
us.” Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “Through the Lord’s mercies we are
not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every
morning; Great is Your faithfulness!”
So, in this robust and all-in greeting, the great blessings of God, grace
for tomorrow, mercy for yesterday…, and those two things accepted
and embraced and processed grant to us peace for today. Peace with
God through the atonement of Jesus Christ and peace in our heart of
hearts as we don’t talk about grace, we walk in it. Trusting God for
the unknown of tomorrow and peace in our hearts as we don’t talk
about mercy, we walk in it. Receiving it for ourselves and without
discrimination lavishing it on others around us. Those two things will
calm the hypocritical, the critical, the troubled waters of any soul!
And if you don’t fully walk in those three things today…, you are
holding you back because these are yours to receive in Jesus Christ.
Grace, mercy and peace WILL be with you because you are doing
what is right… Oh man, we need to set you free…, John says FROM
God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the
Father, in TRUTH and LOVE.
If you have truth with no love, you are trapped in religion. Cruel and
unrelenting upon yourself and so that is how you come across to
others. And if you have love with no truth then what you cling to is
false… Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a
man but its end is the way of death.” Why? Because that way is not
grounded in truth…
AND, check this out…, Truth is not a why, the Truth is a Who! Not
only did Jesus say that He is the Way the Truth and the Life but John
writes in John 1:17, “The law was given through Moses, but grace
and truth came through Jesus Christ.” What’s all that mean… Jesus
is also peace. In fact, you could read verse 3 this way…, “Jesus will
be with you, sent from God the Father, in agreement and willingness
from Jesus Himself, submitting Himself for me and for you as the Son
to the Father, to reveal Himself fully and to transfer what He has
(grace and truth) to me.” THAT is awesome and that’s the gospel!
Truth, love, grace, mercy, peace… all of us want and need and all of
that is One Person!