Just to put a timeline to this writing, John wrote this letter about 30 years after Paul was killed. The other 11 apostles have no doubt also been killed by now.

Again, as in all the other letters, there are warnings about false teaching. Remember the Gentile church has a pagan influence background which has infiltrated all the churches. Not much has changed.  Churches today have also been infiltrated with pagan influences.

This first letter of John is all about contrasts; light and dark, good and evil, love and hate, truth and lies. John makes it clear that anyone who is against Jesus is an antichrist.

John mentions the devil has been sinning from the beginning and Jesus appeared to destroy the devil's work. Satan's sinning began in heaven and started on earth with Eve and of course continues today.

John warns about worldly doctrines. These had infiltrated the churches then as they have now. How often do we hear "powder puff" theologies that lean to the ways of the world and all the sinful desires associated with it?  'Cotton candy" preaching like carnival cotton candy looks good and tastes good but has no nourishment.  It leaves us satisfied for the moment but has no lasting nutritional value.

This letter ends with the assurance that we have security in Jesus Christ.

It seems that there is mixed interpretation from biblical scholars as to who the “chosen lady” is in 2 John. Some think it refers to the church as a whole. Others, such as John Wesley, believe it to be a specific person. The word "lady" is the Greek word "kuria" and means "a specific woman". Most likely a leader of a house church or a woman whose home was used as a house church. Contrast the word lady with the word sister at the end of the letter. "Sister" is the Greek word "adelphe" and means "one connected by tie of Christian religion".

II John 1:9
Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
Do we sometimes run ahead of God? Are we impatient? Do we try to put God on our timetable? Do we sometimes embrace teachings that are not biblical? Isn’t it hard to wait???

In 3 John we see a great contrast between two individuals. John is warning against being like Diotrephes and is encouraging being like Gaius. “…do not imitate what is evil but what is good.”
Attributes of Diothrephes:
1. Loves to be first
2. Gossips maliciously
3. Refuses to welcome the brothers
4. Stops those who want to welcome the brothers and puts them out of the church

Attributes of Gaius:
1. Faithful in doing for the brothers, showing hospitality
2. Loves the brothers
3. Sends the brothers on their way in a manner worthy of God

We end this blog entry the way John ends 3 John, Shalom Alechem “Peace to you.”