Koinos with the Devil
for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds 2 John 11 NASB
Participates – We have koinonia fellowship with God’s chosen. That’s what it means to become a citizen of the Kingdom. But now John uses the same underlying verb to warn us of another kind of participation. By saying nothing about the disregard for the truth, we come into fellowship (koinonei) with the deceiver. If we don’t shut the door, we implicitly endorse. You see, for John there is no neutral ground. There is no place where we are merely spectators about life. We are in it! How we behave shows us how we are in it, but it never provides a way to be on the outside looking in. That is a purely Greek idea – Man as a neutral observer, detached from the world. John knows the world from a Hebrew point-of-view and in Hebrew you and I are always engaged. Even if we don’t say a word, we are still just like Adam, standing next to Havvah while she converses with the serpent. He discovered, much to his regret, that his silence involved him, right up to his eyeballs.
We share in each other. Who you associate with, who you endorse, who you allow to speak to you – all of these become your community, your koinonia, and you are not immune from their influence. You are who we are – and you decide the “we” in your life. Words derived from koinos include companion, participant, fellowship, partner, to share in, to make common. If you listen to a lie long enough, you will become that lie.
Greet the Devil and he will feel right at home. John tells his children to have nothing to do with this one. Shut the door. Turn off the television. Close the page. Allowing the lie to find a place to germinate means it will grow. And growth brings death – not life. We could make this into one of the great spiritual principles. It lends itself to such. But I don’t think John is being Greek even when it comes to the wider application of this truth. He is being very concrete and particular. If anyone comes to you with the claim that Yeshua is not entirely what He said He was in the accounts written by the eyewitnesses, reject them. Reject the universal Jesus. He is a fabrication of the universal Church. This man, Yeshua, was born a Jew, studied Hebrew Scripture, taught Torah and died for His obedience. His life was wrapped up in Hebraic thinking and action. He understood the Father’s will according to the Tanakh and it was the basis for all His teaching. If anyone comes to you with a Jesus from Northern Europe or Central America or the Indian sub-continent, graciously remind them that Yeshua spoke Hebrew and followed the customs of a people who lived in Israel in the first century. And close the door. God will not be offended.
Topical Index: participates, koinonia, 2 John 11
“died for His obedience.”
This is a phrase I do not quite understand. Yes, I understand He was totally obedient. I just need this explained in more detail. Can someone help out on that, please?
Jesus was obedient to the will of HiS FATHER GOD. God gave HIS Own Son to die for us on the cross. Jesus knew that and was willing to obey HIS FATHER all for our sake(sin).Thank you Jesus.
Skip, you write, “By saying nothing about the disregard for the truth, we come into fellowship (koinonei) with the deceiver”
In both secular and religious matters, you are saying silence is consent.
This is why I have a problem with those who preach ‘The Rapture.’ This is almost accepted as Christian doctrine. Christians are getting excited seeing Armageddon shaping up on the horizon of this world in the near Future. Even Atheists can see that.
It is unfathomable and so illogical to me, God will physically remove people to ascend into Heaven enmasse like Jesus, Muhammad and Elijah, just before all Hell breaks loose on earth for the unsaved sinners or Infidels left behind.
Thinking like that says don’t bother trying to do anything to prevent Armageddon by being a Peacemaker in this world. I don’t think God will be moved by praise without works.
Jesus puts this this way;
You hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
This people draws nigh unto me with their mouth, and honours me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Matthew 15.
To me this is very clear and explicit. If Armageddon comes, it is not the Will of God, but the deceiver you mention, putting some Christians to sleep as if they do not see what is written in Revelation 16, as the possibility of Armageddon is being Revealed Day by Day in the secular media.
And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
(false, hypocritical religion of the devil in Judaism, Christianity & Islam)
For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth (Pope, Presidents, Prime Ministers, CEOs, Super Rich, popular IDOLS of the people and others) and of the whole world, (the rest of us) to gather them to the Battle of that great day of God Almighty.
(Middle East-World War III-Armageddon)
Behold, I come as a thief.
(when you least expect it while texting and playing games)
Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
(derived from Har Mediggo, located in Roman occupied Palestine when the term was revealed, but now located in Israel)
Revelation 16 – Revealed 2000 years ago but seen developing in this real, material world Today!
If God answers Jesus’ prayer there will be no Rapture as I read John, but they who endure to the end shall be saved.
I pray not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil.
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
John 17: 15-16
I can see these things, but I don’t know what to do about it except talk to others who mostly don’t want to know.
I share in your frustration. I can feel frustrated because most of Christendom ‘just doesn’t get it’, but then I have the double frustration of knowing that I am not yet living a life that is ‘set apart’ enough for my words to have much weight. A man’s character gives his words meaning, significance, and power — so I must go back to first things first. Is my house in order? Have I tamed my tongue?
Sometimes I tell myself, “Until God tames my appetite with fasting, and sharpens my brain with prayer and solitude, and I can enjoy doing dishes or grading papers (in my case) as a form of orderly worship,… not until then, would I be called to tell someone else what true religion is.”
And Proverbs instructs us not to have anything to do with the third class of fool – the one who knows the truth, rejects the truth and teaches other to do the same. Does God know what He is saying or not? Do we do what he says or decide that God needs our help to deal with them?
I’m not sure I quite understand either. So, we are to not associate with people that we were once a part of? I don’t understand. There’s been a lot of Christians who came to the true knowledge of Yeshua from those following YHVH’s Ancient Ways. It was over meals and time spent together. Yeshua ate with people who didn’t believe He was the Messiah. Is there something I’m misunderstanding?
Obviously, I did not communicate clearly and obviously, a lot of people would like stronger borders. So, let me try once again. Giving fellowship is not the same as acting with civility nor assisting even an enemy nor showing mercy or charity. Giving fellowship is communing with the other person, inviting them into fellowship, endorsing their life and choices. It is extending the right hand, bringing them into the house, offering family associations. Remember that John is speaking from a middle Eastern opint of view. Hospitality was required even to enemies but that doesn’t mean I give consent to your actions.
The problem is that Christianity generally doesn’t stand for anything. Are Christians against abortion. Well, which ones? Are they against homosexuality as a life choice. Depends. Do they hold fast to Torah? Depends. Do they endorse a generosity toward others? Depends. On and on. Each line is crossed until there are no lines to cross. What is the difference between saying that I love God and follow His commandments but not all of them? All I wanted to do was to push you to ask, “What do I stand for? What will I not compromise? And are those the same things that God won’t compromise?”
The DIRECTION of a man’s life over a long period of time will tell me who shares the commitment to honor God’s instructions and who does not. Anyone open to discussion, investigation and exploration is welcome. Those who have chosen again and again to live in opposition to God are not welcome – into fellowship. That doesn’t mean I don’t talk to them (up to a point) but it does mean I don’t invite them to worship.
“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”
Hmmm
The statement above paraphrases a line from a story by Charles Baudelaire, the great French poet
As translated from the original French, it can also be found in one of my very favorite movies
The Usual Suspects
A film that consists mostly of flashbacks narrated by Roger “Verbal” Kint (Kevin Spacey)
Who plays a “con artist” with cerebral palsy
Verbal has been granted immunity from prosecution, provided he assists investigators
Including a customs agent named David Kujan (Chazz Palmineri)
While Kint is telling his story, agent Kujan learns the name Keyser Söze from an FBI agent
Agent Jack Baer (Giancarlo Esposito) then demands Kint tell him what he knows
Kint describes how he and his cohorts are blackmailed by Söze
And one of the greatest stories that has ever been told (IMO) unfolds
And ever since then, if I’m “down in the dumps” and need to “change my state”
I say to myself “the Devil made me do it”
And it never fails to make me “LOL”
Indeed it is true that we cannot condone false teaching. Nor wish anyone well as he spreads false doctrine. God forbid.
But I do not glean that what John says here means that we should deny such the common treatment of humanity, which is charity and mercy. No. In these things we are equally bound to all; even enemies. God is always kind to His enemies, teaches us to love, pray, and do good to them.
I’m so thankful He did not turn His back on me, and you, when we were aliens to Him and His righteousness.
Neither does this verse tell us we ought to persecute even our enemies because of their heretical leanings. No. This right God has given to no man, to no Church, no state, and to no community either. They who persecute others, even for the worst heretical opinions, may expect a heavy judgments from Almighty God.
He came to seek and save, not build an exclusive club. If you fence me out, I draw my circle bigger and fence you in. Lol.
Possibly,… but it seem undeniable that as Christianity has promoted inclusivity and tolerance — Christianity has simultaneously it’s vitality. Perhaps we have just been exposed to the wrong ways building fences for too long, but we should not be afraid ‘build up the walls’ — some things should be kept on the outside.
1 Corinthians 5:9-13
“9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people ; 10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. 11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler -not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders ? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES .
This is why I come here. These are the biblical teachings that are missing from every other place. These are the teachings that no one wants to expound – because they can sound bad. No one wants to risk all the negative characitures that come to mind in their hearers/readers. However, these principles (those of the Kingdom of Heave) MUST be included in our definition of “love” if we are truly to be disciples.
As long as we leave things like this unexplored – we will have entire sections of scripture that we will have to navigate around so don’t offend our sentiments. This is why the practicalities of 1 Timothy 5 are also not taught in church; we imagine these principles put in place in the most callous and malicious way. We imagine fallen humans, not humble disciples – deciding how to parcel out the churches resources.
This brings to mind-Psalms 1:
Blessed is the man who will not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
and shall not stand in the path of transgressors,
And shall not sit in the seat of scoffers…
Meaning- we are not to walk in their counsel, how not to, if we are communing with them, thus allowing their thoughts to enter our minds?
Meaning-we want to turn away from their path…
And, we decide not to sit down with them too…my thoughts 🙂
Amein!! “Reject the universal Jesus. He is a fabrication of the universal Church. This man, Yeshua, was born a Jew, studied Hebrew Scripture, taught Torah…” Amein, Skip!
Neither would I be known nor called by a foreign, alien name, that was not given by my parents.
So too, Yeshua/Yahshua/Yahushua, all bear the same meanings-Saviour/Salvation, YAH saves, YAH-He-Saves. Truly a Name above all names; a Name we should be excited about; a Name we should be so thrilled to relate to.
Should we be not welcome in their homes, we are to shake the dust off our feet too!
This meant we are to differentiate the clean and the unclean, and not be contaminated.
Sorry, precious brothers and sisters, though you all are well educated in Hebrew Scriptures, anyway WHY do you emphasizing Torah and some other rabbinic teachings above the New Testament writings? Or, it just seems to me? With all respect, the last will be the first (don`t get me wrong, I do not support Replacement herecy), and…. Jesus never represented Himself as a Jewish boy, since He knew, HE IS CHRIST (which means without nationality; despite His earthly facility and domain was a selective nation called Jews, His intention has always been to bring His Father` Kingdom, Heavenly domain down on earth, which is as not the same as Jewish Kingdom)….
Dear Crab Frank — I think you need to discover that the tree is Jewish (as is Yeshua). There is no other tree and no other savior. We are grafted in to that Jewish tree by God’s grace. The first church didn’t have the new testament writings on which to base their beliefs — the 3000 JEWISH men and perhaps some God-fearing gentiles, who came to believe after Peter preached on Shuvuot, arrived at their decision based on OT writings which Peter quoted. Seems to have worked for them, unless you are suggesting that they weren’t really “saved” because they didn’t have the NT? Yeshua will return as the JEWISH king of kings – and to deny that IS replacement theology.
Dear Crab Frank,
Suzanne is right about this. Yeshua is Jewish. He is the Jewish Messiah and he will return as the Jewish Messiah. There can hardly be any doubt about these claims since NOT ONE author of any of the apostolic writings ever suggests anything else. If you would like to understand the history of the idea that “Jesus” is a universal figure without nationality, perhaps you should listen to my lecture on the formation of the Christian Church. Or you could read any of a number of contemporary studies on the actual history of the period. Consider the work of Gager, Young, Eisenbaum, Soulen, Gorelik, Heschel, Gruber etc. who represent both Jewish and Christian scholarship. There is NO DOUBT WHATSOEVER that the Catholic Church rewrote the history to fit its theology. I hate to see you make the same mistake. I suggest that you read a few dozen more pages on subjects like this here on my web site, and then do your own research rather than listen to some preacher tell you what the text means. Let me know what you find out.
Skip
Mr. Crab, this understanding is absolutely not correct. All Yahshua himself quote Torah several times.
Luke 16: 27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
Yahshua told this story. They have Moshe and Prophets