Short, sharp counsel about truth and love.

Hospitality has boundaries.

When teachers deny Christ came in the flesh,

This is Seek Go Create.

You are listening to read the New Testament in 90 days, 27

books in order in context.

We're walking through the New Testament, the way it was written, so you can hear

it the way the first churches, the early churches, the first believers actually did

make sure I remind you of this every time.

Make sure you're going to K two M Foundation slash.

NT 90.

Make sure you can get the reading plan.

You could, uh, get all the links to previous episodes and after we

finish this up, it'll be a good resource to get access to the entire

plan and share it with others and all good resources and all there.

K two M Foundation slash NT 90.

We are getting.

Close to the letters and books of the New Testament.

Finishing up today, stop.

Second John.

Just 13 verses one urgent.

Very urgent message it seems when we really take it in context.

Here's some key facts.

John is the writer.

The date is 80 66, like these other letters That we're reading from

John and it's written the same year as one John and third John.

We believe during the early months of the Jewish revolt

that was going on in Jerusalem.

The audience, this is fascinating.

It is quote, the elect lady and her children.

Most likely a specific woman who led or hosted a house Church.

Not as, some have said a metaphor for a congregation.

It just really seems that this is addressed to an individual, some early.

Church fathers, like Clement of Alexandria believed that

she was actually a real person.

The personal tone and also the parallel with Third John that we will look at

next, which was addressed to gas support.

This, it just reads like a letter that's written to an individual,

and this is fascinating.

Shouldn't be controversial, but it could be.

She had authority over all of those who entered her home.

And in a world where churches met in homes, that meant authority

over who got a platform and who.

We would say, got the microphone in today's world, but who got

to speak in front of the group.

And this letter is addressing, being cautious about who you

allow to get up and speak in front of the, the group of people.

The setting.

It's 36 years post resurrection.

The resurrection is an important topic of this letter.

False teachers are traveling city to city, seeking hospitality and looking for

places that they can teach and preach.

This was in 66 a D. 2000 years later, that's still.

Applies.

So not funny, but, anyway, we're looking at it in context, but boy, we could

see how some of this applies today.

Historical context.

Rome Nero is still on the throne.

He doesn't have much time left persecution.

Massive persecution is continuing in Jerusalem.

The temple is intact.

There's four years before the destruction, and what we now know

is that the beginnings of the Jewish and Roman War have started.

So it has.

Begun the church.

False teachers are strategic.

They travel, seek hospitality, act real nice, probably drop some names, arrive

as brothers and once welcomed, they begin teaching that Jesus wasn't truly flesh.

They start sowing.

Doubt within the body.

The tension hospitality was sacred, but these teachers deny the

incarnation while speaking of Christ.

In elevated terms, they probably use scripture, they probably use terms, but at

its root, what they're teaching is false.

Now let's talk a little bit more about this.

Why being addressed to a woman house churches.

We mentioned this earlier, but let's mention it again.

House churches often met in the homes of wealthy or socially prominent women.

We see that throughout the Bible.

Lydia in Philippi, MFA in Kloe, Kloe, and Priscilla in Rome and Ephesus hosting.

Meant leading, or at least gatekeeping.

When John tells this woman not to welcome certain teachers, he's

addressing someone with real authority.

She's not just serving cake and cookies.

She has authority in this setting, and he's addressing.

This letter to her, her hospitality decisions shaped what her

congregation or that group heard.

Why now?

Why is John writing this now?

He writes a personal note to protect one specific house, church,

truth and love belong together.

Don't receive those who deny that Christ came in the flesh.

Here's what you're gonna encounter.

Second John is brief and protective.

Truth and love are inseparable.

You'll hear about truth and love.

Together, grace, mercy, and peace will be with us in truth and love the deceivers.

Many deceivers have gone out.

Into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.

In the previous letter one John, he called them anti Christ's, so he doesn't

use that wording here, but that's the same thing that he used in one John.

The instruction that he gives do not receive him or them into

your house or give them any.

Greeting you can turn them away.

The reason whoever greets him.

It takes part in his wicked works truth without love becomes harsh.

Love without truth becomes compromised.

The church needs both, and here's why the incarnation matters so much.

This is so important and foundational to the gospel.

If Christ didn't truly take flesh, he couldn't truly die.

And if he couldn't truly die, he couldn't truly rise from the dead.

The resurrection stands or falls with the incarnation.

John isn't guarding an abstract doctrine.

He's protecting the foundation of everything.

This is the foundation of the gospel, the resurrection, and

he is protecting it strongly.

Okay, the reading assignment, very short letter here.

You're gonna read Second John in one sitting.

Have fun with it.

After this, the next episode we look at Third John, leadership,

hospitality, and Everyday Faithfulness.

The contrast between D Atrophies and Demetrius will see that and uh, see

how it's playing out in this first.

Century again.

make sure that you continue following along at K2 Foundation slash NT 90.

That's the hub for all that we are doing here.

Okay, now.

Picture this before you read Second John.

It's AD 66.

John has just finished his general letter, but he has two more notes to

write personal letters to people he knows.

The first goes to a woman who leads a house church.

He calls her the elect.

Lady, she has authority.

Her home is where believers gather and her hospitality decisions will

determine whose voice gets heard.

The false teachers know this.

They travel city to city seeking welcome among believers.

Once inside, they begin to teach.

Slowly subtly that Jesus wasn't truly flesh.

John's instruction is simple.

Truth and love belong together.

do not receive those who deny the incarnate Christ.

Now, let's read.