1, 2, 3 John

John is the disciple whom Jesus loved (Jn 13:23), the writer of the Gospel and Revelation. Here he has to deal with false teachers who had passed through the Christian community. These false teachers were teaching Gnosticism, which taught that spirit is entirely good and matter entirely evil. Therefore, they denied that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God who came in the flesh and that salvation was made possible by his atoning sacrifice. John tells them that their fellowship must be with other believers and that they should love one another, living a holy life. This was probably written late in John’s life, just prior to Revelation. 

1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched-this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.”

Here John is denying any “hidden or secret knowledge” that the Gnostics claimed that we had to have for salvation. Everything that was being taught was out in the open.

1:8 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”

There are some who claim to have experienced a “second working of the Holy Spirit,” so that they do not sin. It’s like getting a dose of the Spirit on steroids. This passage suggests otherwise. Perhaps the one sin they are most likely to be guilty of is pride.

2:3 “We know that we have comet know him if we obey his commands.”

The Gnostics thought that they knew Jesus, but if they had, they would obey his command to love their neighbors as themselves.

2:9 “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.”

Some cults believe that they have the “key to understanding” that no one else has. Yet some of these same groups are very legalistic and critical of others. They think they have “light” but there is little love shown in these groups.

2:18, 19, 22 “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. . . It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist-he denies the Father and the Son.”

Can you recall another person who was “with” but not a “part” of a group? I’m thinking of Judas. The term “antichrist” is like the term “tribulation.” There are many antichrists (those who deny that Jesus is the Christ), but in the very end, there will be the ultimate antichrist. Likewise, there are many periods of tribulation, but in the end, there will be the Great Tribulation.

3:17-18 “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

I’m reminded of the pastor who visited a sick lady in the hospital. “I’ll pray for you,” he said. “I can pray for myself, go home and wash my dishes.” It’s very easy to express concern, a bit more difficult to do something about it.

3:23 “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”

This is the commandment that really counts: love one another.

4:1, 2 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. . . Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.”

Test the spirits. Test all things, hold fast to that which is good (I Thess 5:21), be a Berean, search the Scripture to see if what you are being told is true (Acts 17:11). Please, don’t sit there watching “Christian” television and accept everything that is broadcasted.

4:20 “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar.”

4:7 “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”

4:19 “We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brothers, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”

How many times have you heard this message in Scripture?

5:13 “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

This is a key verse in this epistle. If you believe, you have eternal life. There is no hidden knowledge to acquire. Jesus is the Son of God, he did come in the flesh, and he did die for our sins. Gnostics are antichrists, to be avoided.

2nd JOHN

Scripture tells us to practice hospitality, meaning to open your home to strangers. Many traveling teachers would be cared for in this way. In this short letter John is telling is to use discernment. The Gnostics were also being hosted; hence Christians were contributing to the propagation of their false teachings.

1:7 “Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.”

This passage sets the stage for what follows.

1:10 “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him.”

Now, this does not prohibit me from sitting down with members of other religious groups when they come door knocking. It simply means not to be a part of the propagation of their teachings. This passage also means that we should not be sending money to broadcasters who promote false teachings.

3rd JOHN

In his last letter John was concerned about false teachers being welcomed into the homes of Christians. In this letter we find true teachers of the Word sent out by John who were rejected by a dictatorial church leader. 

1:2 “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”

This passage has been twisted by health and wealth preachers to say that God intends for us to be healthy. It is a nice wish for someone to express to another, but it is not a guarantee from God that we all be in good health. 

Did you notice how many times the term, “dear friend” is used in this brief letter? This brief note has the warmth that Paul expressed in the letter to Philemon.

1:9 “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and put them out of the church.”

This is the issue here. Diotrephes won’t welcome emissaries from John and has excommunicated members who did. Diotrephes may have been a very insecure, egocentric personality. He may have been more concerned with own position than the furthering of the work of God.

1:13 “I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and will talk face to face.”

John concludes this letter with what sounds like a warning. I’m coming to see you about this issue. Hopefully, this issue will be resolved before John ever gets there.