2 JOHN

In This Section

2 JOHN 1:8-9

2 JOHN 1:8-9

2 John is an epistle written by the apostle John. He is the same man who wrote the gospel of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Revelation.

Certain common Johannine characteristics among all of John's writings, are John's reference to "children" walking in truth (2 John 1:5). John uses the term children in his other writings to signify Christians; particularly as a reference to Christians of a church community. Further, John speaks of not writing a new commandment, but is referencing the one we have had from the beginning. John mentioned this commandment in his Gospel, and in this same descriptive manner in 1 John (ie. "from the beginning"). Also, John speaks here in 2 John of deceivers who do not acknowledge Christ as coming in the flesh in His return. John states something similar in 1 John, referring to Christ's original incarnation. When John mentions these people, he calls them antichrists, which is a term John used 4 times in 1 John.

With this brief introduction out of the way, the full text of this short epistle is as follows;

"1 The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth, 2 for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: 3 Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 4 I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father. 5 Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it. 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. 9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; 11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. 12 Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made full. 13 The children of your elect sister greet you." (2 John 1:1-13)

Those who believe in the NEST typically see verses 8 and 9 as suggesting that if saved people do not watch themselves, in the sense of applying effort to keep their salvation secure, then they may lose the salvation which had been previously accomplished. The way that the person loses the salvation, is by going too far, and ceasing to abide in the teaching of Christ. Consequently, to be saved, and then quit abiding in Christ's teaching, is paramount to losing salvation.

The NEST is wrong.

Taking into account some initial considerations, we must notice that John calls himself an elder. Though possible that John could be describing his age, John is more than likely identifying himself with the official title that God has ordained in respect to church leadership. In this respect, John writes to one of His church groups he nurtured in the tumultuous context of that time (He as the elder; they as the children; see "my little children" in 1 John 2:1, and "my children" in 3 John 1:4). The dangerous times were right for the practice of an apostolic elder to hide the identities of the recipients. For this reason, the elect lady is more than likely a metaphor for the church community intended to originally receive the letter. Such a metaphor is not unusual. We find a similar metaphor used by Paul in Ephesians 6 in a female reference to the broader church (as a bride). It should be mentioned that there are some interpreters who believe that John's reference could be to an actual lady who has some children who believe, and some who do not. There are also some interpreters who believe that John's reference could be to a lady who had a church gathering in her home, ie. children. Nevertheless, the "children" reference, is probably in respect to the people in the church community, as is John's practice in his parallel epistle;

"I have written to you, children" (1 John 2:13)

"Children, it is the last hour" (1 John 2:18)

"now we are children of God" (1 John 3:2)

For our analyzation, whether, or not, the actual recipient was a lady who had Christian children, or a regional church group, is of little consequence in understanding that John is not remotely suggesting that anyone can lose their salvation that they already have.

To recognize what John means, we need to go through the epistle in a verse to verse fashion. Breaking down the exegetical analyzation, we see that John starts out;

"1 The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth, 2 for the sake of the truth which abides in us, and will be with us forever: 3 Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 4 I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father." (2 John 1:1-4)

We notice that immediately after the address to the elect lady and her children, John states that he loves them, and also all who know the truth love them. This is probably a shrouded reference to the fact that John recognizes that only "some" of the children of the group are walking in the truth (cf. 2 John 1:4). In other words, those who do not walk in the truth are made manifest in various ways from what John says in this epistle. One way, is that they do not love the rest of the Christians. They hate the Christians, and in so doing, they do not have the truth which abides in us (cf. 2 John 1:2), thus rejecting the commandment (cf. 2 John 1:4). John makes this same kind of reference in his parallel epistle, saying,

"By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments." (1 John 5:2)

John goes on in 2 John;

"5 Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it. 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist." (2 John 1:5-7)

The great commandment comes in two statutes. It is that Christians love one another, and believe in God's true Son (cf. 1 John 3:23)--the true Son being the One "Who Came in the flesh." The problem is that many deceivers have evacuated the church community, and the true faith, for something else. They, as John says, "have gone out into the world." They apparently are following the emerging proto gnostic cult of that day that denies that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, and is coming again in the flesh. Further, they show that they hate the true church, which means that they hate true Christians. Such activity identifies them as deceivers, which means that they were fake children (liars) who were in and among the true children of God at one time. Remember, the true children were only "some" of the whole group that are walking according to the truth. John warned the church community in his first epistle of these same kinds of fake Christians.

Something else that is important concerning this passage that must be recognized, but is only starkly apparent in the Greek, is what John says in 2 John 1:7; that

"... deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh." (2 John 1:7 emph. mine)

Apparently, and intentionally, John has slightly changed what he said in his earlier letter, in 1 John 4:2, where he said,

"2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;" (1 John 4:2 emph. mine)

This is a very important change that John has made, and we must pay special attention to it. What John has done is change from the past tense (perfect participle) in the Greek (eleluthota) for "has come" in the flesh in 1 John 4:2 to the future tense (present participle) in the Greek, (which is erchomenon) "as coming" in the flesh. Whereas John was referencing Christ's initial incarnation as man in the past in 1 John 4:2, John is referencing an eschatological coming of Christ in the flesh in 2 John 1:7 (a return). Actually, John also references Christ coming again in 1 John 2:28 and 3:2, but does not speak of Christ's flesh in those two verses. The main point for us to keep in mind at this time, is that John is referencing a future coming of Christ in the flesh in 2 John 1:7.

John continues to warn the whole group in a reference of yourselves, (which indicates that John has the whole true church community in mind), saying,

"8 Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. 9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son." (2 John 1:8-9)

As primary consideration, we do not accomplish salvation for someone else. In fact, no person accomplishes salvation for their own self. Christ, through His comprehensive work, is the one who accomplishes salvation for all who are truly saved. So, at this point, we already recognize that the accomplishment, and the full reward, can not be referring to salvation, but there are other considerations to examine.

To properly understand this passage, we must recognize that John the elder, is concerned with His church fellowship that He (and whoever else who is there as the church leadership ie., "we" v. 8) has accomplished foundational progress with in discipling in the truth. Primarily, this concern is for those left in the church to not get sidetracked by false doctrine, with an immediate emphasis upon the "some of your children" watching themselves. John does not want the church community he planted, to fall apart, but not merely for His own sake, but so that the remaining church will receive a full, rather than a partial reward. Accordingly, John's previous reference to the promise of the coming of the Lord in a parousia is probably in mind, where a full reward is in respect to being found by Him, blameless. This is indicative to John's similar eschatological urging in his parallel epistle, in 1 John 2:28, where he says,

"Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming." (1 John 2:28)

We find John writing the same kind of thing to the church at Philadelphia in Revelation 3:11, where He records the words of Jesus,

"I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown" (Revelation 3:11)

Receiving a full reward, "crown," instead of a partial reward is to be in a state of not shrinking back in shame at His coming. We see a similar reference made by Paul the apostle in 1 Thessalonians 2:19. It is also seen in 3:13, and 5:23, where Paul, in eschatological urging, speaks of being found without blame at Christ's coming;

"so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints." (1 Thessalonians 3:13)

"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

The apostle Peter says something similar in his eschatological urging in 2 Peter 3:14,

"14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless," (2 Peter 3:14)

What we have been seeing is that John has an eschatological concern in his second epistle concerning how Christ is going to find the true children of God acting in respect to love, and the doctrines of the faith, when He comes again. John goes on,

"10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; 11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. 12 Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made full. 13 The children of your elect sister greet you."

Apparently, John wants to get out a quick warning to completely separate from all the false Christians who are wanting to come to the house to spread their false doctrines, ("house" is probably a house church, or a reference to local church designation called "the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth" 1 Timothy 3:15). The teaching that will weed them out (if it is not brought), is that Christ is coming in the future in the flesh, and the love commandment that has been taught from the beginning, where true Christians will both teach love for, and actually love other true Christians. This is indicative of John's same warning in 1 John concerning those who are trying to come and teach their false doctrines, where he said,

"These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. 27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone [meaning those who are tying to deceive you] to teach you;" (1 John 2:26-27 emph. mine)

In summation, many deceivers, have "gone out into the world," (cf. 2 John 1:7). Such people do not love the true Christians, which is a point that John makes all throughout his first epistle. John has recognized that this type of thing is happening throughout various churches in Asia, so he says that anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. The primary teaching of Christ is that we are to obey God, which means we are to believe Him, and secondly we are to love others, which in context, is other Christians. Along with this teaching of Christ to obey, there is also the teaching of Christ in Matthew 23-24 that He is coming again in eschatological glory in the flesh.

Based upon all of the considerations above, we recognize that John does not remotely suggest that anyone can lose salvation, gain salvation by meritorious effort, or maintain keeping salvation secure by meritorious self effort.