Remaining True to the Teaching of Messiah (2 John 1: 7-11)

REMAINING TRUE TO THE TEACHING OF MESSIAH (2 JOHN 1: 7-11):

Apostle John continues to write about abiding in the teachings of Christ and avoiding the teachings that contradict the teachings of Christ. The author writes about it because many deceivers had gone out in the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh and such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. There were many false teachings and deceptions existent even in the first century, immediately after the life and ascension of Lord Jesus Christ. The false teachers and deceivers had not only present in the arena of Apostle John but they were spread all over the world. Apostle John conveys an identity of deceivers cautioning the believers that they do not proclaim and assure the redemption, reconciliation, and restoration of mankind through the arrival of Jesus Christ in flesh as man, who is all divine. Also, the deceivers deny the arrival of Jesus Christ as a righteous judge. The deceivers are against the teachings of Christ partly or wholly.

Apostle John further writes to watch the believers themselves so that they may not lose what they have worked for but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God whereas whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. The believers have to be careful by rechecking themselves and the principles of the scriptures, as well as their understanding, so that it is not contrary to the basic beliefs and teachings, in order to get the complete reward from God who has the complete picture of our life. The believing person who does not grow in the Lord and move ahead by keeping the commandments of God and following the footsteps of Lord Jesus Christ does not have God in their life in truth. But the person who follows and obeys the commandments of God has both God the Father and the Son.

Apostle John also writes that if anyone comes to the believers and does not bring the right teaching, the believer should not receive him into their house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. If any person does not confess to obey and follow the teachings from God as well as though Christ, but say to follow something else or their own teaching, the believers should be careful with discretion and should not receive their teaching by accepting them in to their province, because the person who welcomes them takes part in their ideas indirectly and when it is not according to God’s ideas and intentions, it would become wicked at some point.

Stimulations for Self-Reflection:           

1.      Who has gone out into the world?

2.      What the deceivers do and how we can identify them?

3.      What should believers do? Why?

4.      What the author means by full reward?

5.      Who does not have God? Why?

6.      Who has both the Father and the Son? How?

7.      Whom the believers should not receive or give greeting? Why?

8.      How one who greets or receives false teachers, partakes in his wicked works?

9.      How we can identify the deceivers and antichrist in our midst?

10.  How we can abide in the teachings of Christ?