asareos's Xanga

Monday, November 09, 2009

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:13:40 GMT

¹⁰If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 2 John 10

John decided to be assertive at this juncture. He was convinced that the threat of false teachers was becoming a problem for his community. One has to understand that there were many itinerant preachers at this time. These were people going from town to town proclaiming the message of God. Sometimes these individuals will come to the Christian community with letters of introduction from the elders in Jerusalem or from a known teacher. There were others who were free-lance and went about teaching any community that would give them audience.

These traveling teachers often needed accommodation and people in the churches took them into their homes and provided all that they needed. Now, John was warning his Christian community not to listen to the false teachings that denied the basic Christian teaching. John was advocating that the community should not offer these heretic teachers Christian hospitality. That showed how serious the apostle considered what was happening to these young Christian churches.

It had become apparent to the apostle John that these traveling teachers were taking advantage of the hospitality of their host and converting them to their false teachings. The strategy of the false teachers seemed to be working. So John had to come down with a heavy hand. He suggested that Christians should not accommodate false teachers. There comes a time when we should all be wise as serpents in our dealings with those who are out to destroy the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Be on the look out! And remember Jesus is Lord!

Be blessed

Brother Seth

Friday, November 06, 2009

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:38:20 GMT

⁹Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 2 John 9

What does it mean to run ahead? The author definitely had particular situations in mind. One can imagine scenarios where some believers reach a point that they think they know so much about Christ that they do not need further teaching. There could be other situations where people come to feel that they have so much of the Spirit that they put themselves and their teachings ahead of scripture.

Running ahead suggests that something is being left behind. Either Scripture or Jesus Christ becomes the casualty of such youthful exuberance. In a time when new Churches and teachings are springing up all over the place, the caution of the author of this epistle is something to be taken seriously.

Most of the time when people are running ahead of the teaching of Christ, they begin with a passage of scripture and over emphasize it or give it an unhealthy attention beyond the intention of the context. The result often is that the unity of the Word of God becomes compromised. I mean the interpretation that results from such “running ahead” brings about contradictions in Scripture.

I am not talking about natural tensions that we find in scripture because of our humanness in relation to God. There are passages that have to be held in tension and there is nothing that can be done to ease that tension. An example is a “Suffering Messiah”; “fully God and fully human”; and “power in weakness”. Any attempt to break the tension oversimplifies the message that is intended.

Just think about this: How can anyone have both the Father and the Son? Yes, except they continue in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Trust and obey for there is no other ay to be happy in Jesus.

The operative phrase is “continue in the teachings of Christ”

Stay blessed

Brother Seth

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:01:19 GMT

⁸Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 2 John 8

“Watch out!” This is a call for the community to be alert and pay careful attention to what is happening. The reference to people losing what they have worked for could be unsettling for some people. These people believe that since salvation is by grace there should not be any talk of good works. There is no doubt that salvation is by grace and it is a gift of God. None of us can merit it neither can we work for it.

Paul also talks about being saved by grace unto good works that God prepared before hand that we should walk in them. James puts it differently when he says faith without works is dead. All these go to show that while we do not work for our salvation, we live out our faith through Christian action. These demonstrate themselves in good works that are the result of our salvation.

What John is talking about in this context is not individuals losing their salvation but the rewards that they receive as a result of Christian action. Jesus said in Mark 9:41: “I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward”. Certainly, there are rewards that will be given to Christians depending on the structures that they build on the foundation (Christ).

It is for that reason that we are all encouraged to live out our salvation with alertness. Whatever we do for others and for our world in the name of Jesus Christ will count for something. It may be time to start giving out “cups of cold water” in the name of Jesus.

God will not overlook your labor of love for Jesus Christ and in the name of Christ.

I have got a crown and you have a crown and all of God’s children have crowns. One day God is going to reveal those crowns.

Be blessed

Brother Seth

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:04:38 GMT

⁷Many 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. 2 John 7

In the first letter John had differentiated the “Antichrist” from the many antichrists who will be coming in the world (1John 2:18). John called these folks deceivers who are opposed to Jesus Christ and what he stands for. They main purpose was to discredit the gospel and God’s revelation in Jesus Christ as preached by the early Church.

As indicated earlier these deceivers deny the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Secondly, they are out to negate the divinity of Jesus Christ. Their goal was to point out that Jesus could not be God and he was something less than God. This heretic view undermined our understanding of human sin and the fact that we are unable to save ourselves by human effort.

The fact that there are many individuals who are on this deception path make them a threat to the young Christian community. John knew that some of the people who had become adherents to the teachings of the Gnostics used to be members of the Christian community. These were people who were friends of the current members but who had been deceived by these teachings and were now seeking to deceive others.

It is important that Christians know what they believe so that they are not tossed around by every wind of doctrine that comes along. Unfortunately, we still have many heretic views around in our day. There are those who will tell us that everything goes and one does not need the saving grace of Jesus Christ. But the word of God is clear about God’s love for the whole world. A love, that sent Jesus Christ to die in our place. If you or I were the only people on earth, God would still have sent Jesus to die for us.

Let us not be deceived by all the lies that are going around. The Word of God stands supreme. Let God be true and every human being be a liar.

Be blessed

Brother Seth

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:02:39 GMT

⁷Many 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.2John 7

“Many deceivers have gone out into the world”. Why would anyone opt to be a deceiver? Could it be that many of the people who are being referred to in this verse are very convinced of what they believe? Yes, their message may be leading some in John’s community astray but they are convinced of what they believe because it does make sense to them.

The basic Gnostic heresy is the topic of discussion here. John has already alluded to the teachings of this group in the first letter. This group comprised of Christians who refused to acknowledge that Jesus Christ came in the flesh into this world. The whole idea of God being born like humans and suffering on the cross even to the point of death did not fit with their understanding of God.

The Gnostics believed that the Son of God temporarily came upon the man Jesus at his baptism. Then God worked miracles through him throughout his ministry. But God left him at the crucifixion. This was a comfortable way for them to avoid the whole idea of God becoming human and God dying on the cross.

The early Church saw this type of teaching as dangerous because it circumvents the whole idea of the incarnation and the atonement not to talk about the first fruits of the resurrection. The church throughout the ages has been comfortable with mystery and miracle. Thus the coming of the Messiah in the flesh to be one of us did not bother the adherents of the good news of Jesus Christ in the Christian Church. On the hand it made the God who has become one of us more accessible and approachable. There was no need for the Christian Church to try and explain away the virgin birth or the incarnation.

There are people who are out to destroy the faith of those who believe that the Word became flesh and dwelt with us.

Stay blessed.

Brother Seth

Monday, November 02, 2009

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:52:20 GMT

⁶And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. 2John 6

We have been instructed that this command to love is not a new one. It is one that has been around from the beginning. So what is the author referring to when he talks about “from the beginning”? Yes, it could be referring to the beginning of time or the beginning of God’s salvation history. The two would not be different because God has always been in the business of rescuing humanity. The nature of God is to love and God is love so there is no way of separating God and love.

Could it be possible that in this particular context, John was thinking of his community? In that case the author would be referring to the beginning of the Christian experience for the community. When they received the gospel they were given the instruction to love. The messengers of the gospel decided not to define love in abstract terms. The placed love in the context of a relationship. The relationship was with God. Love became a response to the revelation of God and God’s initiative to love.

We love because God first loved us. We demonstrate our love for God by walking in obedience to God’s commands. We do not just talk about love we walk in the love of God as we trust and obey. We cannot say we love God whom we do not see when we fail to love our sisters and brothers around us.

His command is that we walk in love. There should be no “But’ or “if” his command is that we walk in love. What would that look like for us today?

Be blessed

Brother Seth

Friday, October 30, 2009

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:25:23 GMT

⁵And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another.2 John 5

“I am not writing you a new command” Why did John have to make the point that he was not giving a new command? Could it be that the children of the lady were conversant with the Ten Commandments? John had earlier described some in the community as walking in the truth. It seems more likely that John is carefully using words and phrases for emphasis.

The unity of scripture is brought forth here. It is not as if the old commands of God are obsolete and there is a need for new ones. If there is one God at work in history, then it makes sense that the salvation history of God would link together and make sense throughout the ages.

So, John is able to say that the command that he is writing about is in agreement with the one “we have had from the beginning”. We are talking about the God who is the same yesterday, today and forever. The constancy of the revelation of God makes God dependable. We know from history and from experience that God is able to do what God has promised.

The command that has been from the beginning is simply this: “ I ask that we should love one another”. That is a profound statement. The community of the chosen lady is in place because of their love of God. What had brought them from different backgrounds to congregate as a people of God was their love for God. Now John was placing love for neighbor on an equal footing with their love for God. The two would have to go together. I like John’s use of the word “we”. He did not exclude anyone in this business of brotherly and sisterly love. He included himself in this command.

I pray that we are all included in this command of loving God and loving one another. The one who lives in us wants to love through us. Let us make it happen unconditionally. Yes, no one said it would be easy but that is the road we have been called to walk in.

Stay blessed

Brother Seth

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:53:52 GMT

⁴It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 2 John 4

There is nothing rewarding and fulfilling for Christian leaders than to observe some of the fruits of their labor. John had worked hard to bring the good news to his community. He had admonished, challenged and encouraged them in the faith. Now, he is able to observe some of his children walking in the truth.

What does it mean for one to walk in the truth? We know what the truth is all about. It is about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To walk in the truth is to make a conscious decision to break with the temptation to conform. Then turning to follow the road that is less traveled. I mean the narrow and often despised road that leads to eternal life.

Note that John is overjoyed because some of the members of this congregation are walking in the truth. John had a realistic expectation of every congregation. He did not wait for all or most to walk in the truth before turning on the faucet for joy. John understood the dynamics of the human experience and he was willing to rejoice over a few who had turned to the Lord and decided to walk in the truth.

John was talking about something more than repenting or saying the sinner’s prayer. He had quite a few of those in his community. He was emphasizing, “walking the walk”. Some of the members of the chosen lady’s community were showing that they had understood what the Christian message was all about. Some have moved from lip service to walking in the truth. That was what brought joy to the apostle. The next step to believing in the Lord Jesus is “walking In Jesus”. Some will call this sanctification. This is a daily walk under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This is what happens when you do what “the one in you” is prompting you to do.

Honestly, that is the will of God for all of us. God wants us to walk in the truth and in so doing we will bring joy to many on earth and in heaven.

Walk in the Truth today.

Be blessed

Brother Seth

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:14:50 GMT

³Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love. 2 John 3

“Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father.” This was a common greeting in the secular world and it had been adapted in the Epistles as an opening greeting. There is no doubt that it carried a special meaning to the writers and the recipients of these letters. The words carried a spiritual dimension that was meaningful to the community of faith but would not be appreciated by the general society.

In this opening greeting, John prays the blessings of God on his readers. He asked for the favor of God in the form of “Grace, mercy and peace.” Grace is an undeserved favor and more so when it comes from God. The truth is that there is nothing that we can do to deserve the favor of God. So whatever we have is only by grace and we can only give thanks to God.

Had it not been for mercy of God some of us would be completely lost because of our sins and stubbornness. But God in his mercy has spared us and forgiven us our past and present sin. The longsuffering nature of God is a quality that is stressed in the Hebrew Bible and also in the New Testament. Had it not been for the longsuffering mercy of God where would we all be?

The author also wished for the peace from God upon his hearers. Nothing can be compared to the peace of God in a world that is making so many demands on the individual. John understood very well how much his readers needed the peace of God. Seeking this favor of God was the best thing that John could wish for his hearers.

These favors came from God and from Jesus Christ. Knowing the source of these gifts was of great comfort for the Christians. It may be true that the secular world had no regard for these Christians but the Christians knew that the God who had saved them had blessings for them.

Grace, mercy and peace are yours and mine now and forever. We may need a special favor from God today. I pray that we all receive it.

Be blessed

Brother Seth

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:15:37 GMT

To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth - ²because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever: 2John 2

What does it mean to love in the truth and to know the truth? There is no doubt that the author is referring to Jesus when he talked about love in “the truth”. Jesus said “I am the way the truth and the life.” Again He said “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free”. There is no doubt that “the truth” has been personified in this passage.

The author could have said simply: “Whom I love”. But he qualified his love with the truth. In other words loving in Jesus Christ is distinguished from ordinary love. The Holy Spirit inspires this type of love. John indicates that this love is not reserved for special people like the apostles. On the other hand all those who know the truth share in this love. All those who believe in the name of Jesus Christ, know that the have eternal life. One of the benefits of this new relationship with God is the experience of a love that is so high, so deep and so wide that none of us could understand it if we wanted to.

The love that John talks about is possible because the truth lives in us. That is what makes all the difference. The truth of God comes to abide in earthly vessels and in so doing transforms the ordinary into a crucible of love. Then we are able to love because God has first loved us. With all our imperfections we can say with the author that we are also agents of God’s love in the truth.

The truth in us is not a temporally measure, neither is it transient in nature. On the other hand it is eternal. So we know that the one who is in us will continue this process from now into eternity. I am assured by the fact that the truth that is in us will be in us forever.

Love in the “Truth”.

Stay blessed