Punch Line
If any one comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting. 2 John 1:10 NASB
This teaching – The shortest letter in the New Testament packs a wallop. Basically, it is a warning to believers not to be deceived by false teachers; teachers who would pervert the truth of Yeshua’s human reality and the message of Yeshua’s commandments (the didache – teaching). In these few verses, John lays out the criteria. First, the truth is what unites John and the children of the elect lady.[1] Second, the proof of abiding in the truth is walking according to the commandment of the Father. Third, this is not a new commandment but one that believers have had from the beginning. “This teaching” is the instruction given by Yeshua, the elucidation of the instruction given to Moses by the Father Himself. In other words, John exhorts his readers to remain faithful to the instructions that have been passed down generation to generation, the same instructions that governed the life of Yeshua the Messiah.
What are believers to do about those who diverge from this clear path? They are to refuse them entrance into the community. John is even stronger in the next verse. To allow them to be part of the table fellowship is to participate in their evil deeds and potentially destroy all that we have gained.
There is hardly any disagreement about the seriousness of John’s statements, but what happens when we recognize that John is speaking about Torah consistency? John writes to a believing community in a Gentile environment. He reminds them that the way of life they have adopted is an ancient way, one that has shown itself fruitful and pleasing to God. Furthermore, this ancient way is the same path trod by the Messiah. It must not be altered. But two thousand years later, it is hard to find a single Christian church that follows John’s advice. In fact, if we measure Christian communities against the criteria of this short letter, we might have to conclude that those communities are precisely the ones who have embraced the false teaching and aligned themselves with a spirit in opposition to the Messiah. What else can we conclude once we recognize that John is Yochanan, a Torah-observant Jewish believer in Yeshua HaMashiach? How far has Christianity had to move in order to read these verses as if they applied to those who advocate the perfect fit of Torah and grace? It is Yochanan upside down and backwards! The foxes have taken over the hen house.
Is John’s letter true? Are those who open their doors to the false teaching about the commandment really participating in evil deeds? If they are, what does this mean for the millions who gather on Sunday to pay homage to a religion John would not have recognized?
Topical Index: teaching, didache, commandment, 2 John 1:10
[1] “elect lady” may refer to a church community, not to an individual person (F. F. Bruce).
Romans 6,7 and 8.
“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself. (Luke 24.27)
“bring him to me..” “come unto me” “It is the LORD..”
“Looking unto Yeshua, (His birth, His life, His death, His resurrection, His ascension, His soon return) the Author and Completer of our faith..”
The Bible is our “Him-book”. He (Himself) is our Master/Teacher. Christ is the center, Christ is the compass,Christ is the circumference.. “It is the LORD” He is the “I AM”. G-d incarnate. Listen to His words. Do as He says. Live as He lived. Love as He loved. “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest unto your souls..” Our focus is on the “good news” , the gospel of Jesus (who is the) Christ. The crucified, buried, resurrected, living, abiding, now reigning, Son of man and Son of G-d.
The tablets of stone were under the mercy-seat. The tablets of stone are now written on fleshy tablets of the heart. “I will give them a heart to know me, that I AM the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their G-d, for they will return to me with all their heart.” (Jeremiah 24:7) “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”
There was a man among the P’rushim, named Nakdimon, who was a ruler of the Judeans. This man came to Yeshua by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know it is from God that you have come as a teacher; for no one can do these miracles you perform unless God is with him.” “Yes, indeed,” Yeshua answered him, “I tell you that unless a person is born again from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” Nakdimon said to him, “How can a grown man be `born’? Can he go back into his mother’s womb and be born a second time?” Yeshua answered, “Yes, indeed, I tell you that unless a person is born from water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. What is born from the flesh is flesh, and what is born from the Spirit is spirit. Stop being amazed at my telling you that you must be born again from above! The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it’s going. That’s how it is with everyone who has been born from the Spirit.” Nakdimon replied, “How can this happen?” Yeshua answered him, “You hold the office of teacher in Isra’el, and you don’t know this? Yes, indeed! I tell you that what we speak about, we know; and what we give evidence of, we have seen; but you people don’t accept our evidence! If you people don’t believe me when I tell you about the things of the world, how will you believe me when I tell you about the things of heaven? No one has gone up into heaven; there is only the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. Just as Moshe lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in Him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through Him, the world might be saved. Those who trust in Him are not judged; those who do not trust have been judged already, in that they have not trusted in the One who is God’s only and unique Son. “Now this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the light. Why? Because their actions were wicked. For everyone who does evil things hates the light and avoids it, so that his actions won’t be exposed. But everyone who does what is true comes to the light, so that all may see that his actions are accomplished through God.” After this, Yeshua and his talmidim went out into the countryside of Y’hudah, where he stayed awhile with them and immersed people. Yochanan too was immersing at Einayim, near Shalem, because there was plenty of water there; and people kept coming to be immersed. (This was before Yochanan’s imprisonment.) A discussion arose between some of Yochanan’s talmidim and a Judean about ceremonial washing; and they came to Yochanan and said to him, “Rabbi, you know the man who was with you on the other side of the Yarden, the one you spoke about? Well, here he is, immersing; and everyone is going to him!” Yochanan answered, “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from Heaven. You yourselves can confirm that I did not say I was the Messiah, but that I have been sent ahead of him. The bridegroom is the one who has the bride; but the bridegroom’s friend, who stands and listens to Him, is overjoyed at the sound of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine is now complete. He must become more important, while I become less important. “He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the earth is from the earth and talks from an earthly point of view; He who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies about what he has actually seen and heard, yet no one accepts what he says! Whoever does accept what he says puts his seal on the fact that God is true, because the One whom God sent speaks God’s words. For God does not give him the Spirit in limited degree — the Father loves the Son and has put everything in His hands. Whoever trusts in the Son has eternal life. But whoever disobeys the Son will not see that life but remains subject to God’s wrath.”
We have received another invitation from our Master. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” This is the invitation (again, to “whosoever will”) to abide, to remain 24/7, “in Christ.” Location, location, location. “In Christ.” Again..”it is the LORD.” Him, not me. Him, not you. Him, not Moses. Him, not Paul. Listen to Him. Do what He says. He must increase, but “I” must decrease. “it is the LORD.”
If we abide in Him, we will have the Author and Completer of the Torah, (and the entire book!) living within us- to lead us, guide us, guard us, gladden us, empower us, embrace us, enable us to do what is pleasing in His sight. We have His written guarantee- “I will do this..” We (all) must come to Him through bent-knee and outstretched arms with the same cry as the beggar- “LORD, have mercy on me..” and the same desparate cry as Peter, “LORD, save me!”. He has promised, (and He is incapable of a lie) “if you seek me and search for me with all your heart, you will find me..” These are His words, “it is written:” “But from there you will seek the LORD your G-d, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 4.29).
Where will we find the LORD, our G-d? How will we find Him? Where do we look for Him? (the unseen ONE?) What has He said? “search the scriptures, for these are they which testify of me..” Look in the Book, -“it’s in there!”
And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Yeshua is the Messiah.” (Acts 5.42)
I found Today’s Word very disturbing ! More condemning, than convicting.
So that the righteousand just reguirementof he Law might be fully met in us’who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the wayss of the Spirit’ Rom 8:4
As Carl states, it’s ” IN HIM” alone that I abide.
Yeshua did not point a finger, except at the Pharisees, the law keepers. Go figure !
I think you missed the point here. Yeshua did in fact point the finger at all who determined not to follow. He made it very clear that devotion to Him and to His commandments was absolutely essential. He told us to live as He lived. So, why is it that we have decided we can alter the path? Who told us to do that? If we are condemned by the words, then we probably deserve it. Doesn’t it bother you that for centuries the Church taught women were second class believers? Don’t you despair over the Church’s history endorsing slavery, anti-Semitism, silence in face of Nazi exterminations, nationalism equated with the gospel? Does it bother you that there are still thousands of Christians who believe the Church has supplanted Israel? Do you worry over how much of our own culture has become part of the “salvation” message? Does it concern you that some church doctrines consider getting into heaven of more importance than living a righteous life?
Of course I don’t think most Christian believers are anything but God-fearing, truthful, devoted followers – to the best of their understanding. But somewhere along the way they were diverted. Those responsible (many now long dead) need to be held accountable – and corrected. Why continue on this path if it is not what God wants?
He did not come to destroy the law,but to fulfill it, but He (alone) is able to fulfill the law. Apart from Christ we are unable to keep the law but through Him we are able to do all things. The problem with the Pharisees, (we used to call them “legalists”) was they did not recognize Yeshua for who He was. There attitude was one of superiority and when G-d revealed Himself to them as the son of a Jewish carpenter from the nowhere town of Nazareth, it was just too hard for them to believe, G-d would humble Himself to this extent. The glory of G-d may be found in His humility and in His humanity. We would do well also to remember that in Hebrew thinking (Jesus was/and is a Jew), to pray is to become fully human. Yeshua was the most fully human person ever to have lived. He was (both) the perfect male and at the same time the perfect female. He was (and is) compassionate, tender, thoughtful, courteous and kind. He loved little children and He loved people, all of them. We see, especially today, so many people are bothered by “religious” people and those who say one thing and live another. Not only hypocrisy, but partiality were rampant in the time of Christ and they still are today. Meanwhile, (back at the ranch..) “Nevertheless the foundation of G-d standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (2 Timothy 2.19)
I don’t know, I wasn’t there but maybe the Pharisees, (they, the “religious crowd” really were a source of trouble to Him, (can you imagine trying to “corner” G-d?).
We just looked at this very morning the witness of the woman at the well.. Was she well-known to the Pharisees? (I wonder how intimately..), but nonetheless she was publicly humiliated and shamed by the “finger-pointers” of the day- “this woman” has sinned and has been caught in the very act of adultery. I don’t think this just “happened” on this particular point in time, but it sure seemed handy enough to know where to go and find a “sinner” to bring to Jesus, not for their healing and restitution, but rather to “entrap” Him between Law and Compassion. Quite clever, except for one thing..- He, (Himself) is the Author of the Torah! And His amazing answer to “these” people? “Whichever one of you is without sin, let him throw the first stone.” Oh, the deep, deep, love of Jesus!! Compassionate, kind, tender Shepherd- this is our King! And then after the convicting conscience of each of her accusers “kicked in” and they each stood guilty before G-d, did Yeshua say to this (now) weeping one..- “woman, where are your accusers?” Who accuses you? (a great question BTW..) Neither do I condemn you- go and sin no more. Now people, in all fairness.. did He say go, and sin all you want? No, He did not.. Shall we continue in sin, that (His amazing) grace may abound? Paul’s answer (and our answer also?)-“G-d forbid.”
The law of the LORD endures forever. It was the Law that condemned me, and through the law I had (and have) knowledge (or revelation) of sin. I have broken every commandment of G-d, and even if I had only broken one or two, I still would be guilty before G-d. The law is perfect and is a bright shining light that reveals sin. Once sin is revealed, it needs to be dealt with. Like a cancer in the body, or a rot in the tooth, sin needs to be confessed and forsaken. Sin is nothing to play with, it is to be feared. Sin is what separates, sin is what divides, and sin is what corrupts and decays. Families, friendships, communities, businesses,nations – all are corrupted by and through sin. Iniquity and lawlessness abound today, just as they did in the time of Christ, right here on this green planet. Sin is nothing new, it’s been around since Adam.
We will never be able to deal with the sin question, until we answer the Son question- “Who is the LORD? If we can say it and know it- (with Peter)- “You are the Christ, the Son of the living G-d”, I believe Yeshua would be pleased with this answer, just as He was pleased with Peter.
Is the Law “relevant” today? Absolutely, positively. Now, we have an Advocate, a Helper, an Ezer sent from our Father, to help us, guide us, gladden us and even to give us the desire to want to live lives that are holy, and pleasing unto our Abba.
I wonder, did the concept of ever being able to say or to call G-d, “Father” ever enter the heart or mind of an old testament Jew? Or even in this age or dispensation, the Jews may know Elohim as Creator but are they able to say G-d is my Father? How does one enter into a relationship with G-d? How are we (finite, sinning creatures) able to know perfect, sinless, holy G-d? Through Yeshua the Son, and through the Lamb’s blood shed for us on the tslav of Calvary. Our Kinsman-Redeemer, our Boaz, has opened Paradise through the blood of His cross. His invitation? “Whosoever will, -may come..”
Dear Carl, really? REALLY?!?!?!?!?
I heard a lecture today by Dr. Greg Athnos about the importance in linking the Resurrection to the Cross. It was pointed out that Yeshua NEVER talked about his impending suffering and death without talking about about his resurrection, that would follow. The Resurrection is what it’s all about, what validates Yeshua’s death on the cross.
During this lecture, it was pointed out that Yeshua died on Sunday (the 8th day, Sunday to Sunday.) This explains why many baptismals have 8 sides. New information to me.
It was also explained that that’s why Sunday is the day of worship for Christians. Sunday is the resurrection day and it’s ALL about the Resurrection. The cross made cowards of the disciples…the Resurrection turned their cowardness into boldness…a willingness to die for their Savior. Worshiping on Sunday is a way of honoring the Resurrection under the New Covenant.
Interesting thought. I’d never heard that before.
The 8th Day stuff does not reflect history. The RC Church made a decision to change to Sunday without any relevance to the day of the crucifixion or the resurrection. Sorry, he is wrong about this.
Investigate the real historical documents and consider the fact that there were no “Christians” at the time of the resurrection, so it would have been completely out of character with the culture to switch to Sunday. In fact, years after the resurrection, the believing communities are still worshipping on the Sabbath (and still doing so until the 4th Century).
Actually we may worship on any day that ends in “Y!” Was the Sabbath made for man or was man made for the Sabbath? Our LORD did say “six days shalt thou labor” but He also knows we are not untiring machines, and need a day of rest. There is also a rest that remains for the people of G-d according to the scriptures.-It would be interesting to pursue this “rest that remains..” and seek to understand the fulness of what YHWH offers to those who are called by His name. We need to discern “the rest of the story” and enter in to this “rest that remains..”
Our focus need not be on Saturday or Sunday but rather on our Sovereign G-d and Savior whose very name is Salvation.
“What else can we conclude once we recognize that John is Yochanan, a Torah-observant Jewish believer in Yeshua HaMashiach?”
Consider Matthew 15:2 and you might have to ask just exactly what “torah” John was observing?
I kind of feel like Judith on this one. Disturbed because this sounds more condemning than convicting. To me, where I think the line is crossed into “falsehood” with the idea of deception (evil) and leading people astray, would have to center on presenting another Jesus, spirit or gospel (II Cor 11:3-4). This would have more to do with distorting salvation than it would sanctification. But if that is what is going on in Christianity today, then why pick on misled or misguided sheep (millions of church goers)…why not go after the real players? How about Christian publishers and authors? How about Christian seminaries, professors, and pastors who are taught and trained to lead their flocks? How about Christian mission agencies and the missionaries that they send to the far reaches of the globe? Keep in mind that if not teaching Torah-observance is falsehood to such a degree that it is equated with evil, then those living a salvation by grace through Christ alone (but not being Torah-observant) are doing so on a far far grander scale than just “millions” of church goers on Sunday who pay homage to a religion unrecognizable to John and the apostles.
You’re right, of course, that if Torah-obedience is what is intended in keeping faithful to the commandments, then there are (and have been) millions who missed the mark. Fortunately, it is not the mark of salvation since God gracefully provided that without us. But it does miss the mark of full usefulness and of unity. Just consider the history between the Church and the Jews and we can glimpse how much evil has been perpetrated by this false teaching. Do you suppose that John would ever have endorsed a religion that sought to kill the Jews?
You’re also right that much of this has been the fault of theologians and teachers, not even necessarily pastors (many of whom are students of mine) who know nothing more than doctrine. We have given up instructing people to THINK, INVESTIGATE and EXPLORE. Instead, we teach them to believe what we tell them. This approach is also not Scriptural. There is a reason why dissension is vital to spiritual life.
But what can we do? We can chip away at it by pointing toward the inconsistencies, the mistranslations, the theological propaganda. We can live as we are instructed to live and let that shine into our communities. We can pray that God will send workers into the harvest. We can study to show ourselves approved. And we can trust that God works in spite of our mistakes and failures.
Skip – I share your frustration because unlike so many in the faith today, very few ask and research the “why” questions (epistemology) but rather just sort of go along with the pack because this is what we have always believed. What frustrates me the most is the seemingly complete unawareness that something remains terribly wrong with the “Christian mainstream.” As Os says, in our attempt to be relevant we have become irrelevant and on one seems bothered by that fact. We speak of power, but I keep wondering, who turned the lights out? Our Christianity is largely no different (other than the way it seems to be clothed) than the secular culture. We are fish in a fish bowl attempting to define water. We are ALL so enculturated, not only by our me-centered secular culture but also by our me-centered Christianity, that to me, this is what is really false…..Anyhow, I could not agree more with your last reply. I love your edginess and desire to perhaps shock folks into really thinking about what it is they believe and why they believe what they believe and whether it is truly on the mark as being God-centered and Christ exalting. Your emphasis on going to the text and reading it for what it says within its historical and grammatical context is SOOOO welcome. Most Christians today are running to the local Christian bookstore to affirm what the Bible says (and is usually used to affirm their own particular interpretation) rather than going to the Bible itself and wrestling with the implications…even if it seems to stand in opposition to long held “doctrines.” Thank you, Skip for your words of clarification. Appreciate it.