In examining the New Testament books of 2 John and 3 John in his message on Sunday, March 18, Pastor Troy Murphy found that John’s method of writing is littered in love. Even when John, the author of these books, offers correction to people he does it in love.
No matter what we are to do, it should be done in the grid of agape love, which is defined as God’s immeasurable, incomparable love for humankind. It is his ongoing, outgoing, self-sacrificing concern for all people. We’re never meant to hate or hurt or harm or destroy.
Here are other key points from Troy’s message:
*John is saying to Gaius in 3 John that he is doing a great job at loving strangers in their house church. That’s the mission of the church. God’s strategy wasn’t that churches grow because we have good teaching, worship, kids ministry, etc. His method for growth was that we love people.
*John calls out Diotrephes, who is doing anything but engaging in agape love. Diotrephes was all about himself and his ego. He wasn’t welcoming Christians and was kicking people out of the house church. When sin invades our lives, as it did for Diotrephes, we are protecting our ego and spirituality becomes our weapon to feel better about ourselves.
*One of the great expressions of love is correction, which is what John is doing to Diotrephes, who was out of control. Instead of turning Christ followers away, as Diotrephes was doing, we should never become weary of doing good, especially to believers (Galatians 6: 9-10).
*Our role as shepherds of the church is to continue to cultivate love. Paul’s language in the New Testament when he says to fight the good fight is often misinterpreted to say that we are to be at war with everyone else who doesn’t agree with us. The war is actually the battle inside the hearts of you and me. Our battle is to hold onto truth, agape love, and the fact God loved me first.
*When do we open doors to show love and hospitality? We do it for all believers. We have many factions and denominations and a lot of disunity in the church, but we are to love all believers and show them hospitality.
*We are to show all strangers hospitality as well, which is a great witness. Even as the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness they were mandated to love strangers. We are to open doors to all believers, all strangers and all differences. If someone disagrees with us but is open to dialog, we should keep the door open to them.
*Loving someone who differs with you doesn’t mean you’re condoning their beliefs. If we radically show people agape love, they will be curious and intrigued to know where that love is coming from and it will point them to God, the originator of agape love. We want people to know they are worthy of God’s love.
*The book of 2 John addresses when it’s appropriate to close a door on someone, and he’s speaking about church leadership. We should not let someone inside our body who is motivated to deceive or cause dissent. We are to close doors on those who distort the message of Jesus and who create dissent by trying to destroy the faith of others.
*John attempts to distinguish between those who have different beliefs but are open to dialog as opposed to those who want to trick or distort or destroy the body. He refers to those deceivers as anti-christs, meaning they go against the core belief that Jesus is the only way to the Father and eternal life.
*So when do we close a door on someone, according to 2 John? We are firm in our belief that salvation comes through Jesus Christ so we cannot tolerate a deceiver who attempts to distort that core truth. When someone disagrees on non-core issues such as particular convictions (baptism by immersion, women in ministry, etc.) or conveniences (type of music, style of worship, etc.), that is not a reason to close a door. It’s only when the core message of Jesus’ saving power is distorted that we should close a door on someone (Romans 16:17-18).
*We often create fortresses for all the wrong reasons that bring in ego and self-righteousness. We are not to close doors on people who are morally different from us. Our commitment to Jesus is a way to hold to a lighthouse, not a barbwire fence.
*Even when we close a door on a deceiver, it should be done in a spirit of peace and a hope for restoration.
Discussion questions
How are you loving strangers at Community Church?
Give an example of when you have disagreed with someone on non-core spiritual beliefs?
How do you keep ego and self-righteousness in check when assessing whether to open or close a door on someone?
What are some practical ways you can live your life in the grid of agape love?
What does it mean to you to open doors to all believers, all strangers and all differences?
