The Book of Second John
The Truth
John's second epistle is very much like his first epistle in that it is not an epistle given to the Body of Christ, as you shall soon see, for things are written in this letter that would contradict the teachings of Paul who writes 13 church age epistles that are for us today in the age of Grace.
John's epistles are a part of the Hebrew Epistles and they belong to the Kingdom Church that existed in the first century andthey also belong to those going through the tribulation period.
Ask yourself, were Peter, James and John all Apostles to the nation of Israel? Will they not sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel as Matthew 19:28 says? Yes, and Yes.
Was not Israel under the Law when Christ came, Galatians 4:4? Will they be under it again after we are raptured out of here? Yes and Yes again.
Read the Hebrew Epistles again and just consider if you do not see a special link to Israel under the Law. These books are even placed in an order that suggest exactly what I am talking about. They are all bunched together after Paul’s Church Age Epistles because they are for the Saints during the Time of Jacob’s Trouble.
The Tribulation Saints will need more than just the book of Revelations to get them through the Tribulation Period. While Paul's Epistles wouldbe a source of encouragement to anyone in any age they will not serve as doctrinal books for those in that new age to live under just as we are not under the law today.
I know that will be hard for some of you to swallow but read the Hebrew Epistles again and see if you don't see way too many contradictions with Paul's writings. All of these contradictions are explained when you learn how to rightly divide the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; 2 For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.
The elect lady is no doubt a reference to a messianic church and its members that in John's day was dispersed in the first century. John was letting this Jewish assembly know that he not only loved her but all the believers scattered about also loved her.
It isa natural thing for people who go through the same events that they develop a strong love towards oneanother. That love never ends regardless of the trials when it concerns the Lord and those that are his.
Again you see over and over again John referencing the truth. Of course God’s word is the truth but if you try to take truth for a different age and apply it your age then you will have something that is biblical because it comes from the bible but you will also have something that is not dispensationally correct for us today.
3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
John adds the words "be with you" and “mercy” to grace which immediately stands out as different from all of Paul's Church age epistles.
They remind us that the Church age is an age in which we were recipients of God's grace because of the work of Christ on the cross on our behalf and we are at peace with God because of his Son shedding his blood for us.
John is writing to a people going through thetribulation period that will need mercy to endure unto the end of God pouring out his wrath on this Christ rejecting world.
Just like he has with all his saints in any age he gives them the grace to get through the fire, but make no mistake, once the age of grace has passed at the rapture, God's enemieswill thenbe made his footstool. Psalm 110:1
4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
How did John know that the members of this Church were walking in truth? Because they were openly loving one another by telling them the truth that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us, in the flesh.
5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
It was John that wrote the words of Jesus as he said:
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Notice he calls this Messianic Congregation a lady which is consistent throughout scripture to assign a feminine case to something.
Notice that John says that he didn’t need to write anything different to the Tribulation Saints but what they had in the beginning. Paul wrote new things but they were not to Israel but to the Body of Christ. There is a big difference.
6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
Now John adds that they should walk after his(the Father's) commandments, which are of course the Law of Moses.This is not a directive for the Body of Christ which has never been under the Law of Moses but it has always been under Grace.
If you are to manifest your faith by your works in the Tribulation Period you will need to love your brethren and give a cup of cold water to someone in need or a place to sleep. If they are in Jail they should visit them. Just as Jesus taught them.
7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
Satan is the opposite of love and he has his deceivers gone out into the world to dilute and pollute the word of God.
Thosewho say Jesus is notthe Christ (God manifest in the flesh) that person or group are deceivers and are aligned with Satan and they will share his destiny in the Lake of fire.For a Jew to be saved in the Tribulation Period they will have to recognize Jesus is the Christ.
8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
Here we see John admonishing the hearers of this epistle to look to themselves so they do not lose their rewards that they have worked for.
We in the Body of Christ do not have works as a part of our salvation. Paul said in Romans 11:6 And ifbyGrace then is it no moreof works. No more of works implies thatworks accompanied salvation under the law.
9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
The doctrine of Christ is that Jesus who a man is also the anointed one, the Messiah, the Son of God, God come in the flesh (Immanuel: He is God with us).
10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
Here is a portion of scripture that is often used to say don't talk to the Mormon or Jehovah's Witness at your door. That is not what it is saying. We ought to try to persuade them with the truth.
But God does tell the recipients of this epistle that if they know them to be of this false teaching they are not to invite them in and don't tell them to have a good day when they are leaving.
12 Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. 13 The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.
John wanted to come and see this Church that had formed after the scattering at the persecution of Stephen in Acts 8. John ends this epistle to one elect lady (church) telling them that their sister church in Jerusalem salutes (says hello). Notice the word "elect" is used in this book twice.
The word elect is totally hijacked by the Calvinist that use it to teach their devilish doctrine that God elects people togo to Hell and they have to totally use the word devoid of its biblical definition to do so. If I have angered someone with this statement I hope you will search the scriptures to see if what I say is so.
The word elect is usedonly four times in the Old Testament and they are all found in the book ofIsaiah only: Isaiah 42:1, 45:4, 65:2 and 65:22.
In Isaiah 42:1 Isaiah calls the Messiah God's elect and also calls him God's servant. In Isaiah 45:4 Israel is called his elect as well as in both verses in chapter 65 and both passages refer to God's elect as being his servants.
From the whole Old Testament we learn from these four verses that both Israel and her Messiah are called God's elect and to be elect they must be God's servants also.
Now we look at the gospels which were all about Christ (God's Elect Servant) coming to Israel (also God's Elect Servant) while they were still under the Law of Moses to redeem them that were under the Law (Galatians 4:4).
Matthew uses the word "elect" three times as does Mark and each is a duplicate versefrom the other gospel telling us the same thing and they are all directed to Israel (God's Elect Servant) going through the Tribulation Period as you can see for yourself in Matthew 24:22,24, and 31.
Luke only uses the word "elect"once in chapter 18 and verse seven which is also talking about the judgment at the end of the Tribulation Period of those who had persecuted his "elect" (the believing remnant of Israel).
We now have gone through 11 of the 20 references in all the Bible where the word "elect" is used and in none of them is anything mentioned about some being elect and going to heaven while other are elect and on their way to hell.
Isaiah, Matthew, Markand Luke all talk about those elect (believing Israel) going into their Kingdom however. What about Paul's epistles since he was the Apostle of the Gentiles? I am glad you asked.
The word "elect" is used by Paul only fivetimes in his epistles Romans 8:33, a reference to God’s elect as being un-chargeable. Which means you cannot lay a charge against them because they are all under the blood.
Colossians 3:12 Paul is telling the Colossians to do as the "elect" do.
2Timothy 2:10 is a reference to Israel and the remnant according to the doctrine of Election.
2 Timothy 5:21 It says, Elect "Angels"
Titus 1:1 God's elect, is a reference to Church Age Saints.
The word "elect" is mentioned in 1st Peter as he writes to the Jews scattered in the first century from the Jerusalem Church at the persecution that arose surrounding Stephen. 1 Peter 1:2 and in 2:6 where it is referencing God's Son as in Isaiah 42:1.
Lastly it is mentioned in this epistle and it is a reference to two separate churches, one that John is writing to and the other that he is writing from in Jerusalem.
Nowhere in scripture is the word elect used to teach that God elects to send one group to heaven and the other groupto Hell all because God is sovereign and can do what he wants. Yes, God is sovereignbut he is also just and will not send anyone who will call upon his Son to a fiery Hell.
We could look up the word election, and elected and elects but you won't find Calvin's doctrine in those verses either. The only verse out of the 26 verses that you could use totally void of its context to teach that God elects some to go to heaven and some to go to hell is Romans 9:11. Which teaches something altogether different.
Context, context, context! Is Romans 9:12 in the Bible? It's in mine. Maybe the Calvinist cuts it out of his, he must because my Bible first of all tells me the context is “Israel" if you will read the chapter from the beginning.
All it says is "the elder (Esau) shall "SERVE" the younger (Jacob). There is that dirty word associating the Elect and Election to Servants and Service. Context, context, context. What ever happened to context?
When was the quotein Romans 9:13 said by God? Was it before the boys (Esau and Jacob were born? No!!!!!!!! It is in Malachi 3:2 almost 1,000 years after their death and the statement is made by God because one despised his birth rite.
It was way after the fact that he rejected his birth rite for some pottage that God said he hated one and loved the other one. One really wanted the birth right. Hmm, that sounds like whosoever wills to me.
The End