Hospitality
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Complement to congregation - sense they are the people of God… how act towards other, what try to embody… ie if lived in host family for a year - customs, values of that family - adopt you - way of hospitality!
Complement to congregation - sense they are the people of God… how act towards other, what try to embody… ie if lived in host family for a year - customs, values of that family - adopt you - way of hospitality!
Those infleunce d by - show up in their lives, way of Christ in person - encouragement adn teadhing and living and lifestyle.
only way to abide in Christ “some” probably so many Xns and cong, John met some outside of whole church setting…
I am writing to remind you (singular) = degree of authority, deep concern, individual church loving one another = sign of accepting the truth and living by it. Seccessionists reject apostolic truths, and hate those who accept these truths… KEY - they go on ahead, beyond Christ and Fellowship, they don’t abide in teaching or fellowship it creates.. walk according to commandments/truth - false teachers not doing this, rejecting whole loving and truth, truthing in love community of aposltic fellowship - heard from beginning walk in it = teaching, didache encompasses ethics as much as doctrine… Deceivers - Jesus lingo and warning - Matthew 24:5 = historically Theudas, Judas the Galilean, one called the Egyptian, Jewish messianic pretender Bar Kochba led a 2nd Jewish revolt against Rome ended in AD135, all Jews banished from Rom… but now with antiChrist spirit, not final one of tribulation period, but clear at work and begin concern for every generation
Final Anitchrist embody all the evil of earlier anti-Christain systsems and teachers- strategy to deal with not rude, but context of 1st century - hospitality = give home base, fund with room and board, pray not for blessing or encourage them, pray for conversion… Cornerstone: you to we = labor that he the apostles and co-workers done for believers, raise up churches, and loss of the apostles’ work = we laborers proclaimed the truth defended against heresy - get off to good start, but now fear deceivers disrupt the community of faithful believers!NLT hold fast to truth known to be real and effective in their spiritual lives and not to give into deception that will rob of their reward.
“anyone who wanders away from this teaching” = everyone goigng beyond and not remaining in the teach ing of Christ = wander is to LEAD FORWARD = go before and run ahead …ie not shepherd driving or way ahead of sheep WITH THEM! so proud to be ahead go beyond bounds = sarcasm… v.10 not in house meeting of church… ie Colasse Phlm 2, … could be one in Laodicea
Truth 5x already in 4 verses… gnosticism threat = know truth in Jesus Christ and live in it! Many false teaching circulating about Jesus - true teaching orthodox apolstolic - believers called to adhere teachings = doct and practice… ie decide to love others .streengthen unity of church by loveCerinthus … went beyond Christ and apostles teaching,… but remain in teaching of Christ = a relationship with F and Son = v9b. = more subtle than apostasy since claim BEYOND X, F, NT ie. New Kind of Christian ie Wendy Gritter Sprit reveals new truth for each age, . set aside gospel with call to belief and repentance. .. bland mere tolerance acceptance! Christ says , will try to decive the elect, as to who Messiah really is: Matthew 24:4-5,24
Matthew 24:4–5 ESVAnd Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.
Matthew 24:24 ESVFor false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
Colosse = Col 2:8-10
Colossians 2:8–10 ESVSee to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
In Christ all the fulness in hujman body, so we also are complete through our union with Christ, who is head over every ruler and authroity = true wisdom and knowledge we need! = to be taken from Christ is to be robbed of our reward, also robs apostles of their reward, ie. Church meeting in house could be disrupted 2 Peter 2:1,13, Jude 12 = like Pentecostal testing of proph tongues - false teacher, prophet corrupt and spiritually determinental… therefore not accept into fellowship or help in any way - don’t be partners in evil deeds ie Polycarp heard Cerinthus was inside bath house, fall in ruins “the enemy of rtuth was there. Irenaeus!
miniature version of 1 John, extols those who live in love and truth and warns those who don’t teach and abide in truth and lvoe… 5 /13 right from 1 John, Truth and love two main postive features of John’s Christianity! KEY: window into early church = two kinds of leaders - one that serves the LORD and others by living in the truth and practicing love, the other refuses apostolic authroity and love himself more than the church! Truth lives/abides in us, reamins, a primary emphasis that believers remain in the truth and not stry from it=CF REVELATION!Tolkein - fellowship - club, faithfulness loyalty, truth - kind welcome, apsirations none else … care… docrine here and love here - Remove truth and the reason of community fails to exist, fades into world from which it emerged!IS COMMUNITY FADING IN YOUR LIFE IN THESE TIMES OF PANDEMIC, of empty nesting, singleness, of marriage… IS YOUR CARE OF ANOTHER DISAPPERING… G,M,P from F S, IN TRUTH AND LOVE! = proves John’s point . Redemption as Trinitarians project, plan, accomplish, applies in background… What we call the ‘doctrines of grace’ are essential. Grace, mercy and peace are from our Triune God, not from elsewhere. This may be a divisive thing to say and yet vital. Jesus is ‘the way, the truth and the life.’ 2 John 1:1 Seems intolerant insensitive and unloving proclaim unique Christ way… yet must be a church that never fails to abide in the truth So that it CREATES CAPACITY TO LOVE! G,M,P = unique constellation only time 3 used together in NT - grace only in John 1:16-17 = grace given in continual supply just when one measure is used up, another replaces it = wave after wave! FULL of God’s grace to us, never used up in Christ. peace as result cessation of turmoil and anxiety! gifts only come from God through Christ in this sense… so familiar to readers simply calls himself The Elder - you pl, and sister church gives greeting, both testaments personify covenant community as a woman Hosea 1-3, Eph 5:22-23 2 COr 11:2, Rev 19:7,-9, 21 But bigger cocern - ELECT lady cf. with 1 Peter 5:13 elect lady who is in Babylon! - we must chose Christ, but how able to ? Acts 13:48, appointed to eternal as many… Col 3:12 Xns are the elect of God!IE OT Israel not the nation that chose LORD, but nation which God chose Dt 7:6-8 Elect from every nation, yet one… UNITED BY TRUTH;fellowship must be based on shared view of the truth;. minor can disagree but majors no disagreement… Scripture, Christ, salvation by free grace, vs. doctrine divides, experience unites.. deeds not creeds contrary to Scripture… I LOVE YOUR KINGDOM LORDall who rely on these truths - deep affinity v.4 truth involves obedience vs yes but… CHURCH CHARACTERIZED BY LOVEright emotion of Bible - v.2,4 joy; but now 2, 5-6 when love and truth divorced, sentimentality or oppression - not a bit of love, and a bit of truth - fulness of both justified split with Presb, OPC, BPC attitude to true brethren … pride . turning inward, self-righteousness, a hardness… Gospel helps us define truth John 1:14 and John 14:6,7 Spirit of Truth… John 14:12 John 14:12 ESV“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.Truth is what followers of Jesus also do. indicating they obey Jesus teaching… truth connected to action, not just mind and heart.
v.12 Our joy, speaking to group of Christain, John’s joy fulfilled by the fellowship he had with other belivers - what Tolkein looking for! sister elect , 1 Peter 5:13 sister in Babylon… also chosen by God. Conclusion, letter, emojee smiley faces, not same as light of smile, hand on shoulder, visit personally and discuess the truths of gospel more fully! WHO WOULD DARE FIGHT FOR YOU - ie Cry the Beloved Country - John could have been retirement - fighting for basic truths concerning the person of Jesus Christ - house to house… Heretics prevalent and infectious… only antidote Apostle’s livng word, 2 JOhn condensed version of 1 JOhn = live in truth, love one another, gaurd vs. false teachers, adhere to apostlic teaching especially about Jesus in flesh! CHurch in Laodeciia met in lady’s house Nympha… Colossians 4
Welwyn #rd Millenium, gullible church, chasing latest fad, not fringe element of the Kingdom, but not everyone Lord Lord shall enter… does my willl… never knew lawless.. Matt 7:21-23 = these are them , in every age… especially last days itching ears… - anything is “eaiser than deny self find all in Christ - living union with Christ” health and wealth, exterme gifts of Spirit focus, gnostic cryptic mysteeriess.. BUT deceiever - replace and against Christ
Why? Not abiding in Jesus teaching, = not in unioin with Father and Christ - only one way to Father… see Table Talk… . Belief is often seen as something one does that is opposed to reason. the Opinion is seen as purely subjective — and having no binding force. Truth, if it is admitted to exist at all, is often relativized. In classic theological works, opinion, doubt, knowledge, and belief were all ways of respond¬ ing to a proposition. Opinion meant that you assented to the truth of the proposition while holding out the possibihty that it might be false. Doubt meant denying the truth of the propo¬ sition while holding out the possibility that it might be true. Knowledge meant assenting to the truth of the proposition on the basis of direct experience. Natural belief meant assenting to the ;ruth of the proposition on the basis of another person’s testimony. In this way of thinking, behef, by definition, is not the same as opinion, but both are addressing objective truth. Faith is similar to natural belief, but it is not something that fallen man can do. It is the gift of God. Jesus Christ claimed to be God incarnate and the only way of salvation (John 14:6). That proposition is either objectively true or it isn’t. Every religion in the world either affirms the truth of Christ’s claims or else denies it. This means that ultimately every religion is about objective truth. Every religious claim is either objectively true or objectively false based on where it stands in relation to the claims of Jesus Christ. Individuals may think that Christ’s claims are true while holding out the possibility that they are false. They may think His claims are false while holding out the possibility that they are true, il Neither opinion nor doubt, however, changes the fact that His claims are objectively true. * ABIDE IN THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST - not like Atheniains, do nothing all day but speak of novelities and new far reaching reinterpretations of Christain odcitine… = lost touch with god… since Christ is only mediator… WARNING a person soft on heresy will suffer spiritual harm! Like lung pictures on cigarrete carton… LISTEN TO BE GULLIBLE IS to be unfaithful to Christ, and lead others a stray, damning… We need a critical spirit which is informed by God’s Word and tempered by the Spirit’s gift of love = THE UNIQUE CHALLENGE OF SUCH TIMES - unpopular… yet with Subitionary atonment, gender identity… don’t fall for God’s spirit speak to our spirits not our minds… we need nothing but emotion speculation, eterainment and human mnaipulation, authentic meaning, not just honest with doubt, but celebrate ambiguity… Philippians 1:9
Philippians 1:9 ESVAnd it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,
To offer fellowship to heretics is to confirm them in their heresy! That kind of kindness does harm = enablers! Takes courage to know when in love to speak the truth! Key truth: Christians can’t pretend that heretics are fellow Christians! Tolerate error is to share in error = ie. Gnostic in 2 century Marcion, once asked Polycarp of Smyrna: Do you recog me? I recognize you are the first born of Satan. There is such a thing as error and truth… It’s not unloving to avoid heretics, it is faithful!
Say it face to face! He