This short letter, obviously penned by the elderly apostle John, was cryptically addressed to "the chosen lady and her children" (1:1), which was either a Christian woman and her spiritual children or more likely a church and its members. "Your chosen sister" (1:13), mentioned at the end of this letter, would then be the church in Ephesus where John was serving, and her "children" would be the individual members. It is thought that John may have written ambiguously for the safety of his letter's recipients if they were in danger of persecution.
The letter obviously carries the same themes as John's first epistle, as he mentions the importance of loving the brethren, obeying God's commandments, and he warns against false teachers who denied that Jesus came in the flesh. In apostolic times, Christian teachers who journeyed from church to church were always extended the Christian hospitality of food and lodging, as the inns of that day were notorious for being little more than brothels. Disguising themselves as Christian missionaries, however, false teachers were on their way to promote their heresies among John's readers, and he therefore warned against showing them hospitality or even giving them a greeting (1:10-11).
John's instructions challenge the common thought that, as Christians, we're always supposed to be kind and welcoming to everyone. Although that is generally true, it is not so in the case of false teachers. They are to be shunned. If John's instructions were fully obeyed, many churches would be empty this Sunday!
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David Servant ( - )
David Servant is the Founder of Heavens Family, helping the least of these world-wide. David Servant has been serving in ministry since 1979 as a church-planter, pastor, teacher and missionary. When David Servant read the results of his high-school vocational aptitude test, he laughed. The results told him that he was best suited for a career in ministry or in entertainment. At the time, David's future goal was to live in a log cabin in the wilderness and live off the land for the rest of his life. The Lord, however, had different plans for David Servant. God didn't intend for him to run away from the world, but rather to play a part in changing the world by building God's kingdom. David received his call to ministry during his (reluctant) freshman year at Penn State, and one year later was enrolled in Bible School.David Servant is the author of eight books, including Forever Rich, and the The Disciple-Making Minister, a 500-page equipping manual that has been translated into more than 20 languages and is being distributed to tens of thousands of pastors.