This is a personal letter written to a lady who was lacking discernment and not upholding the truth in regards to her hospitality.  

 

We don’t really know this lady, it seems that she was probably a widow, otherwise this letter would likely have been addressed to her husband.  Also, because there is no mention of him in the greeting.  

 

This makes her an easier target, but it does not give her an excuse.  

 

Itinerate preachers often passed through the towns during this time, and would stop and lodge at the houses of those they sought to minister to.  Likewise, false teachers and preachers also adopted this practice.  We know that “wherever the authentic is, the counterfeit is sure to appear.” The Evil One will not be outdone.  Wherever the truth goes, he is never far behind. Taking advantage of every opportunity to snatch away the seeds of truth. These men are crafty and deceptive, and not always easy to discern – and they had found their way into the home of this lady.

 

The exact date of this letter is unknown, although it is supposed that it is written shortly after his first letter around 90-95 AD.  This would be towards the end of John’s life.  

 

Two of John’s favorite concepts which are prevalent in his first epistle, are once again emphasized in this letter – 

 

Truth and Love – two inseparable concepts. They are united through our faith in Christ, and our relationship to one affects the other.

 

V. 1 -- “The elder to the chosen lady and her children, WHOM I LOVE IN THE TRUTH;”

 

“Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” – 1 John 3:18 

 

This letter is John living out his teaching – this is real love in action.  John was a lover of the truth.  He cared whether or not it was being upheld, and not just in his own life, but also in the lives of those he ministered to. A truth-lover will not be silent when God’s word is at stake.  He cannot be silent. It moves him to action. 

 

Is our love of the truth such that it moves us to take action?

 

How concerned are we to see it upheld in the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ?  

 

When someone who knows the truth and loves the truth sees it not being upheld and refuses to act, what does that make him?  

 

An accessory after the fact? A coward? A denier of the truth?  

 

Have we become hardened?  In a world where the truth is constantly maligned have we gotten so used to seeing it so that we don’t even realize we’re not standing for it as we should… until that cock crows and we run away in shame and tears?

 

The world calls for tolerance – it screams LOVE as the answer to controversy, but –  

 

Real love does not sideline the truth. 

 

That’s one of the things this lady was guilty of doing.  

 

We are to show love to one another, even to those who are not in Christ – but not at the expense of the truth, never that. We are not to give ear to falsehood. Not even with the hopes of winning them to Christ – “watch yourselves…”. 

 

Through his admonishment to this woman John provides an example of the perfect balance of truth and love – it’s a balance that the LORD impressed on John during His earthly ministry, even painfully at times, and one that he took to heart and sought to pass on to his children in the faith. 

 

This is not just an example to follow, but the responsibility of God’s people.  Truth must be upheld.  The church is its pillar and we are stewards of it -- It’s been revealed to us, given to us and we are responsible for cultivating it. And it’s through a faithfulness to the truth that our love for one another is displayed, just as John’s is here.

 

There is really no greater love that we can show one another than to be faithful to the truth.

 

I think one of the key verses in this book is –

 

V. 6 – “And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments.” 

 

Not just some of His commandments – not just the ones we like or the ones we find easier to follow – but ALL. 

 

If we desire to show a real love for one another and a real love for the truth, we need to be in complete submission to the totality of the word of God.

 

Or we could say it this way – if we are not walking in complete submission to God’s word then our love is sorely lacking or maybe even non-existent. 

 

And it’s going to affect how we handle the truth. How we respond to it and what we are willing to do to uphold it. 

 

Committing this study to the LORD and prayerfully asking Him to lead and guide and to guard from error. 

 

If you are following this study I hope you will be in prayer with me as well, and spend some time reading through this book.

 

 May the LORD continue to conform and sanctify us in truth and love.

 

Consider for next time:

 

how does the fact that we are chosen by God affect our relationship to the truth?

 

 

-Augusta