The Johannine Circle
Seeing and Believing
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The nature of Johannine language
S Double meaning
S Seeing and not seeing
S Play on words
S Born again/born from above
S Lifted up
The Johannine prologue
John 1
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Content of the Prologue
S Christology of the Word
S Creation theology
S Incarnation theology
The nature of light
S Greek dualism
S Jewish light/darkness
S John’s limited ethical dualism
Witness in the Johannine
prologue
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All the elements of the synoptic witness theme appear in John the Baptist
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John the Baptist functions in bearing witness
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He denies his own importance
He declares Jesus to be the Messiah
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There are two further witnesses in the prologue
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Later witnesses: woman in Samaria (Jn 4), Jesus’ works, the scriptures (Jn 5)
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Mission theme in the gospel
The book of signs
John 2 - 12
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The function of a sign
S Purpose = the manifestation of Jesus’ glory
S Through the signs Jesus’ true nature appears for those who
can see
S Result = people believe
Jesus and the temple
S In the temple cleansing and later in chapter 4 we discover
that Jesus himself replaces the temple. This is probably also
true of the “out of his belly” saying even later.
S Jesus takes messianic authority over the temple
S Jesus in his person fulfills Judaism by replacing it
S He becomes the temple where all nations (not just Jews) will
worship.
Rebirth through the Spirit
S Background in the expectation of the Spirit in the eschaton
S The new birth is defined as
S Mysterious
S Produces a spiritual nature
S Not that unlike Paul “flesh” is not viewed in this passage as evil,
but as weak, as insufficient
S Connected to baptism
S Jesus is the mediator of the new birth
The nature of Jesus
S There is a progressive revelation in John
S Statements about Jesus
S He works as God does (John 5)
S He is the living water
S He is the light of the world
S He is the true/good shepherd
S He existed before Abraham
S He is the resurrection in person
Belief-Unbelief
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Those who believe
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Disciples
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Woman in Samaria
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King’s officer (John 4)
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Thomas
Those who do not believe
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The leaders of the Jews
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The Jews
Those who waver
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Those who see signs, but do not really see
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Those who go back when the sayings become too hard
Reason for belief/unbelief = the Father’s calling
The book of glory
John 13-20
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Farewell discourses
S The footwashing: a prophetic action/acted parable of service
S The background in the teaching of Jesus: Luke 12:37
S The background in Jewish literature
S It could be viewed as an act of humility
S It could be viewed as an act of love
S The meaning given to the action by Jesus
S It is necessary for salvation
S It is an example for the disciples to follow
The betrayal contrasts with the
footwashing: apostasy
S It is within the context of self-
giving symbolized in the
footwashing that Jesus predicts the
betrayal.
S Even the inner group is not
immune to apostasy
Thematic continuity in the final
discourses.
S The final discourses also fit into a structure which is larger
than they are
S The beloved disciple: chs 13 . . . . . 19 20 21
S The love-service theme: 13 . . . . . . . 21
S The Holy Spirit: chs 14 15 . . . . 20
S The themes in the final discourses only make sense in the
light of the passion, so they are picked up in the passion
narrative.
The content of the final discourses
(13:31-17:)
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The footwashing has anticipated the following passion, so the moment of glorification is
present
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Glorification (17:1-5)
S There is a mutual glorification in this passage
S The future glorification is indeed present
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Love in the new community (13: ;15:11-17)
S Like Moses, Jesus leaves commands
S The content of the command is love
S Love mirrors the Father-Son relationship and Son-church relationship
S In loving one another the church enters into this relationship and makes it visible in the world.
S Thus they show themselves to be his disciples (13:35; 17:20-26)
S Love produces koinonia (fellowship/sharing/community)
Content of final discourses (pt
2)
S Departure of the Son of Man (13:33)
S The disciples cannot follow him (yet) in death
S The going of Jesus is for the benefit of the church
S He will prepare a place for them
S He will give the Spirit (16:5ff)
S The going of the apostles will be via Jesus
S The going and coming of Jesus will bring his
disciples to the Father (see next slide)
Content of final discourses (pt
3)
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The going and coming of Jesus will bring his disciples to the Father
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To do anything at all they must remain in him
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Jesus is with the Father, prayer is possible (16:25-27)
Jesus promises to do what is asked in his name
Therefore the church can multiply works, i.e. do greater works
To remain = to love Jesus (15:9-10)
To remain = to love Christians (15:12-17)
Apostasy is still possible and will be punished
Yet the disciples are chosen (15:15-16)
The going will cause sorrow, but the resurrection will cause joy (16:1-24)
Suffering Service (15:18-25; 16:1-4)
S The Christian differs radically from the world
S Therefore the world hates the Christian as it
did Jesus
S Jesus has conquered the world (16:33)
S Therefore the Christians will be protected
(17:6-19)
The gift of the Paraclete (14:15-31;
15:26-27; 16:5-15)
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Reasons for the paraklêtos teaching
S The church had to live without apostles
S The church had a long absence of Jesus to await
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The function of the paraklêtos teaching
S Spirit is the means by which Jesus and the Father will continue to be present
S Thus there is no ascension in John
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The Spirit is given to the church, to the group
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The Spirit is given before the ascension (which is never mentioned) (20:22)
The Johannine passion narrative
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The main theme is that Jesus is King
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Another major theme is that Jesus is victor
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He remains in control at all times and ends up with a cry of triumph
A third major theme is that Jesus is the sacrifice
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Jesus is sacrificed at the same time as the Passover lambs are being
sacrificed in Jerusalem
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Along with these themes goes the idea that God is in control
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With the resurrection comes the theme of believing without seeing
Johannine Letters
While not part of the teaching of the Johannine
Gospel, notes on the letters are left here in case
students wish to see on their own how the Gospel
works out in the letters.
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The Johannine epistles
S The problem of the epistles is to differentiate
the apostolic tradition from other versions of
Christianity that were beginning to appear.
S The evidence of life
S The evidence of belief about Jesus
S The evidence of the experience of the Spirit
First John
S Introduction
Structure
S Prologue (1:1-4)
S Light (1:5-2:29)
S Walking in the light (1:5-2:2)
S Loving fellow-Christians (2:3-11)
S Overcoming the world (2:12-17)
S The anti-Christ group (2:18-29)
Structure 2
S Love (3:1-5:6)
S Living in purity (3:1-10)
S Loving fellow Christians (3:11-24)
S The anti-Christ spirit (4:1-6)
S Loving fellow Christians (4:7-12)
S The Spirit of love (4:13-16a)
S Loving fellow Christians (4:16b-21)
S Overcoming the world (5:1-6)
S The testimony (5:7-12)
Structure 3
S Closing (5:13-21)
S Summary (5:13)
S Prayer for healing (5:14-17)
S Certainties (5:18-20)
S Purpose statement (5:21)
Content
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Prologue (1:1-4). The prologue itself falls into two parts, verses 1-2 and 3-4. Each begins with
an emphasis that the word of life (namely, Jesus) was fully experienced by the bearers of the
tradition (perhaps the same people as the source of the gospel of John). This experienced word
is identified as the source of (1) eternal life, (2) fellowship with the church, and (3) fellowship
with both the Father and the Son. This prologue, then, would strike a blow at those setting
aside the gospel traditions and particularly those denying that the Christ could be touched or
experienced.
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Light (1:5-2:29). The theme that binds the first section of the letter together is “light”. We
being with walking in the light (1:5-2:2), which is a triple statement. First, light is the nature
of God. Second, those who claim to know God must live according to light. Third, the way for
sinful human beings to come into this fellowship is through the death of Jesus. Since “light”
stands for holiness, such a statement flies in the face of anyone claiming either that God (e.g.
the creator god over against the ultimate god) is a mixture of good and evil or that one can
know God a still live an immoral life. Furthermore, the reference to “the blood of Jesus”
firmly asserts that the real, historical death of Jesus is the basis for salvation.
Content 2
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The next theme to be covered is that of loving fellow-Christians (2:3-11). Community
solidarity was a major theme within the New Testament, for if the church was to stand in a
hostile world it had to stand together. This is expressed in terms of keeping the
commandments of Jesus. What is specifically denied is that one can hate or reject a fellowChristian while living in fellowship with Jesus, for the commandment comes down to loving
one another (as the farewell discourses of the Gospel present Jesus as repeatedly
commanding). In 3 John we read of just such a situation in which one group was rejecting
another group in the church.
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Obviously such a lifestyle of community solidarity means living differently than the world
around them. Thus overcoming the world (2:12-17) is the next logical theme. In a poetic
section our author addresses three groups: children, youths and fathers. The problem is in
identifying these three groups with specific groups in the church, especially given the unusual
order. At the least these three embody specific qualities that our author wants his readers to
have: awareness of the forgiveness of sin, personal knowledge of the Father and a conquest of
the devil (Evil One). It is no accident that he ends on this point of conquest, for he then
contrasts the love of God with the love of the world, the domain of the Evil One. The world is
driven by desire (cf. Jas 1:13-15; 4:1-4 and elsewhere in the New Testament). An attachment to
such things which are passing away is contradictory to an attachment to the Father.
Content 3
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Obviously not everyone accepted the teaching embodied in this letter. Now our author is ready to describe the antiChrist group (2:18-29). The doctrinal marker of this group is that they deny that Jesus is the Messiah or Christ. This
may mean that they distinguished between the Christ spirit and the human Jesus as some Gnostics did. Our author’s
point is that without Jesus they do not have the Father either, nor eternal life. The anti-Christ group has separated from
the orthodox group, but they are still in contact trying to deceive the orthodox. Yet our author is not concerned for he
trusts the presence of the Holy Spirit in the orthodox group, for this is the “anointing” which will keep them in the truth
(which is a function ascribed to the Spirit in the farewell discourses of the Gospel).
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Love (3:1-5:6). The next section of the letter revolves around the theme of love. Of course, love has already been
mentioned twice in the first part of the letter (2:5, 15), but now we connect each of the themes to love. In fact, after each
of his other themes our author will return to the love of fellow Christians, making it clear how central this theme is. The
first theme to be connected to love is that of living in purity (3:1-10). This is a parallel to the section on walking in the
light in the first part of the book. As is typical in the New Testament, our author moves from the indicative (we already
are children of God, having received the love of God) to the imperative (since God is pure, his true children will purify
themselves and live like him). The point is that those who think that they can ignore the character of God and live as
they will without reference to his purity reveal that far from God’s being their Father, the devil is. Children show the
“genes” of the one who is their father.
Content 4
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Our first return to the theme of loving fellow Christians (3:11-24) compares hatred of a fellow-Christian (including
rejection) to murder of one’s brother (like Cain). It then defines love in very practical terms: laying down one’s life for a
fellow-Christian, which means sharing with that person one’s “material possessions”. That, of course, is the true
meaning of family, for family is where people hold material goods in common. This characteristic of New Testament
Christianity to make strangers into family on the basis of a common commitment to Jesus Christ scandalized the pagans
while at the same time attracting them. Notice that unlike our age, love is not defined as a feeling; a person can act
lovingly even if they do not feel any attachment to the other person.
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The next theme taken up is that of the anti-Christ spirit (4:1-6), which parallels the anti-Christ group of 2:18-29. Those
whom our author opposes also have spiritual experiences and prophets. How can one tell which group is truly from
God? Their love for fellow-Christians is one way, but in this section our author deals with their orthodox teaching. The
Holy Spirit teaches that “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.” In other words, like John 1:14, it teaches a real incarnation.
Now this section does not mean that one calls for the spirit/ Spirit animating a prophet or teacher, asks it a question and
then makes a judgment upon its answer. Like Deut 13:1-5, which also deals with false prophets, it is the teaching of the
prophet which is being examined. No matter what signs a prophet may give or how spiritual he or she may sound, if
they do not teach that Jesus Christ was truly human, meaning that the divine Word came to be fully joined to humanity
by becoming a true human being, Jesus, the prophet is false. The spirit that animates them is not the Holy Spirit, but the
spirit of anti-Christ. This is no test that makes a prophet or teacher dot his or her doctrinal “i’s” and cross their “t’s”.
Instead this takes a single core doctrine and makes it the test of orthodoxy, for this was where the battles over orthodoxy
were being fought in that day.
Content 5
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Our author will not let us go on long without again mentioning loving fellow Christians (4:712). The point is simple: the one truly born of God (that is, born of the Spirit as in John 3:3,56) will show the loving character of God, which is the love which God showed in sending
Jesus as an atoning sacrifice. This is the model of how to love fellow-Christians.
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The reference to the Spirit which began chapter 4 and continued in the last section again
becomes quite explicit when our author discusses the Spirit of love (4:13-16a). There is an
experience of Spirit within the Christian that gives them an internal witness that they are truly
born of God.
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The Spirit will naturally also mediate the love of God to those he lives in. Thus, yet again,
loving fellow Christians (4:16b-21) is the mark that one loves God or abides in God or that
God abides in a person. A person cannot really love God and behave in a hateful manner
towards a fellow-believer.
Content 6
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Such love is not the way of the world. A brief summary makes the point that such faith as our
author has been describing results in overcoming the world (5:1-6). In other words,
overcoming the world is seen in believing in a real incarnation (which the Greek world found
repulsive) and showing practical loves towards one’s fellow believers, which opposes the selfish
materialistic spirit of the world.
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The testimony (5:7-12). The prologue referred to human testimony, the testimony of the
witnesses to Jesus which the community had obviously received. Now our author balances this
with a reference to the testimony of God through: (1) the Holy Spirit within the Christian, (2)
the water of baptism and (3) the blood or death of Christ, possibly referring to the experience
of that blood in the Lord’s Supper. The point here as in the prologue is that there is a unified
testimony. Eternal life is only to be found in Jesus, God’s Son.
Content 7
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Closing (5:13-21). Our author has made his points. He is ready for a summary (5:13). The
point of the book is that those who believe on “the Son of God” may know that they have
“eternal life,” whatever those who “went out from us” and have the “spirit of anti-Christ” may
say. The false prophets and teachers are not in the community so they will not read this letter;
the purpose of the letter is to reassure the faithful.
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It is customary in the end of the Greek letter to include a prayer for healing (5:14-17). Our
author does the same thing. He begins by noting that confidence in prayer results from praying
according to God’s will. Then he encourages prayer for those who do not commit a “sin that
leads to death.” By this he probably is indicating the apostates who “went out from us.” Those
who have turned their backs on the orthodox faith have rejected God’s way so there will be no
forgiveness of their sins through prayer. Only by turning back to the orthodox way will they
gain forgiveness. Yet for those who are still in the Christian community there is forgiveness of
sin through the prayers of others (presumably upon their confession). In this section, then, 1
John parallels Jas 5:14-18, although James is talking about physical disease and death (along
with the forgiveness of sin) and 1 John is talking about spiritual death.
Conent 8
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Another part of the closing of the Greek letter was often an oath. 1 John
has no oath and Jas 5:12 teaches against taking oaths. Instead John has
the certainties (5:18-20) upon which one can rely. There are three things
that “we know”: (1) God’s children do not practice sin (for they will live
like their Father), (2) “we” are God’s children in contrast to the world
which is ruled by Satan, and (3) Jesus Christ is the means of coming to
know God. These solemn affirmations substitute for an oath that what
our author says is true.
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The final purpose statement (5:21) is very short. The readers are the
children of God. Their only job is to keep themselves from “idols”, which
are the world and its desires and the false images of Christ the “antiChrist” group promotes, which together lead to a loveless lifestyle.
Issues in 1 John
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1. While 1 John is often presented a simple Greek, it is important for those who do not read it
in Greek to observe the details of its language through commentaries. For example, the
repeated assertion that those born of God do not sin in phrased in a tense which indicates
continuing or habitual action. As Paul was in Gal 5:19-21, our author is convinced that those
who live certain lifestyles do not know God. He is not talking about people who stumble and
slip into sin and then repent. This distinction is often not apparent in English translations.
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2. In 1 John we see a letter that at first seems to flow from topic to topic, but then reveals
through hook words sections are joined and through repetition the letter is structured. It is
important to look for these relationships if one is to understand the letter.
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3. Our letter reminds us again that Christian communities had already heard the story of Jesus.
They knew some version of the gospel. In this case it appears that the community knows the
Gospel of John (or perhaps the oral traditions that were later incorporated into the Gospel).
One must not read a letter without understanding that a version of the gospel stands behind it
as background.
Second - Third John
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Introduction
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This information leads us to the hypothesis that these two short letters are cover letters sent
along with 1 John. We have observed in the previous chapter that while 1 John does have some
parts of the letter form, it is not a normal letter. It is a very general document without specific
addressees. That being the case, is it not likely that when it was sent out to various churches it
would be accompanied by short notes which made it more personal. Thus here we have two
different church situations. In one we find a church threatened by “deceivers” who do not walk
“according to the truth.” This fact and how to deal with it is made clear in 2 John, but 1 John
would give a greater depth to the discussion. In the other we find a church in which there is a
power struggle with one group led by Diotrephes declaring its independence from the elder
and another led by Gaius still loyal. A group of missionaries appear to have brought the matter
to a head by whether or not a group received them (and thus supported them). In this case 3
John applies the teaching on love put in so much more detail in 1 John. In each case a short
scrap of parchment takes a general letter and makes it a letter to a particular community.
Structure
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Second John
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Salutation (1-3)
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Author and recipient identification
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Blessing
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Exhortation to love (4-6)
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Dealing with deceivers (7-11)
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Commendation
The love command
Their identification
Dealing with them
Closing (12-13)
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Apology
Greeting
Third John
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Salutation (1)
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Exhortation to hospitality (2-8)
S Commendation (2-4)
S Exhortation to hospitality (5-8)
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The problem of Diotrephes (9-12)
S The identification of the problem (9-10)
S How Gaius is to respond (11-12)
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Closing
S Apology (13-14)
S Greeting (15)
Content
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Second John
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Salutation (1-3). The author identifies himself as “the elder” and the recipient as “the chosen
lady,” It is probable that the “lady” is a church, although she could be a house church leader,
in which case her sister is a house church leader in another locality. The blessing is fairly
standard, except that it mentions both truth and love, which will be major themes in the letter.
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Exhortation to love (4-6). The exhortation to love comes in two parts. First is the
commendation that her “children” (either church members or literal children) are walking in
the truth (which is what the deceivers are not doing). This confirms to the elder that this
church is still orthodox. Next comes a standard exposition of the love command. This appears
to be a standard encouragement, not dealing with a deficiency in the community.
Second John (pt 2)
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Dealing with deceivers (7-11). The problem facing the community is that some “deceivers” are threatening it. Their
identification is the first order of business; they are defined as those who do not “confess that Jesus Christ is come in the
flesh,” or people who deny the full humanity of Jesus. As we have seen, the same deceivers are cited in 1 John. When it
comes to dealing with them the instruction is clear. The lady is to “be on her guard,” knowing that these people have
nothing to offer (she already has both the Father and the Son and they do not have God at all). When they come to her
she is not to receive them. How does this square with the love command? Here we must remember the context of the
house church. The “house” in question which the deceivers wish to visit is the house church (probably identical in
location with her personal residence if this is a particular woman who leads the church). Normally the church would
welcome traveling Christians and provide them with food for the next stage of their journey. Such a welcome would give
the deceivers a chance to infect the church in the relatively informal setting of the meeting (reclining around a table at a
mean which was the Lord’s Supper) and it would assist them in their mission. From deceivers such as these normal
Christian hospitality is to be withheld. This is not the same as inviting a person into one’s personal house for a
discussion. This is giving them a platform in the church and support in their deception.
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Closing (12-13). The closing is very brief. It apologizes for the short letter and compensates by noting the travel plans of
the author. The greeting which comes is exclusively that of her “chosen sister’s children” (either her real nephews and
nieces or else, more likely, the members of the church where the elder is presently residing).
Third John
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Salutation (1). The salutation is very brief, identifying a man who is probably a house church
leader in an unknown locality.
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Exhortation to hospitality (2-8). The elder begins with a commendation (2-4) starting with a
health wish (customary in Greek letters), noting Gaius’ commitment to the truth (perhaps
Christological orthodoxy, as in 2 John). The exhortation to hospitality (5-8) which follows is
also in part a commendation for past actions, as well as an encouragement to continue them.
In 2 John one was not to welcome and supply deceivers so that one would not be implicated in
their deeds; here one is to welcome and supply true Christian missionaries so that one will be
implicated in their deeds. There was a significant need for discernment in the early church.
These particular missionaries are not accepting support literally “from the Gentiles” which
probably means from non-believers. This was often Paul’s policy so that his mission would not
be confused with the self-serving preaching of some of the traveling philosophers and religious
cultists of his day. Yet such a refusal to take up a collection for their preaching would make the
missionaries even more dependent upon the generosity of the Christians whom they met.
Third John (pt 2)
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The problem of Diotrephes (9-12). Unfortunately, the missionaries the elder is concerned about did not find hospitality
in an area around Gaius. The elder begins with the identification of the problem (9-10) The missionaries had come
well-identified with letters from the elder, but they were not received by the church because a certain leader named
Diotrephes had an issue with the elder and so would not recognize his authority. Diotrephes has managed to become the
leader or leaders in a group of house churches in his area, so the elder cannot ignore the rumors he is spreading as if they
came from a “nobody”. The elder considers the charges scandalous. Diotrephes has not only failed to receive the
missionaries, but he has also expelled from the church anyone who did receive them. It is not clear if Gaius’ own house
church has been cut off by Diotrephes or if Gaius is a leader in a nearby area, but not one under the control of
Diotrephes. In the latter case he may have been disturbed by the charges. The elder promises to deal with Diotrephes on
an upcoming visit. When it comes to Gaius himself, there are careful instructions on how Gaius is to respond (11-12).
He is to imitate the good (the reception of the missionaries, not their rejection), for by his actions Diotrephes has shown
that he does not know God. An example of good is Demetrius, who presumably has also received the missionaries and
who Gaius is expected to know well. His is an example to be imitated.
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Closing (13-15). Again our author closes the letter with an apology (13-14) for the brevity of the letter, promising to visit
in person and say more face to face. The greeting (15) is from the Christians wherever the elder is residing to the Gaius
and the members of his house church.
Issues in 2-3 John
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1. These two letters make it important to understand that the early church met in house
churches. Otherwise 2 John with its command not to accept a person into one’s house is not
understandable and 3 John with its roles for Gaius and Diotrephes is not clear.
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2. These letter also raise the issue of the relationship among New Testament letters. They are
clearly by the same author as 1 John and they supply an identification of the author as “the
elder” which is lacking in 1 John. If they are in fact cover letters, then they may help us in
identifying the issues being addressed in 1 John and 1 John may assist us in understanding why
these letters can be so brief.
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3. These letters show us the application of the love command in missionary support. The love
was extending very concrete hospitality and resupply. Love does not have to do with emotions
at all.