Sunday School Lesson
October 24
Lesson 8 (KJV)
PRAISE GOD FOR HIS PRESENCE
DEVOTIONAL READING: Psalm 84
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: Psalm 84
PSALM 84 To the chief Musician upon Gittith,
A Psalm for the sons of Korah.
1 How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!
2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
3 Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.
4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
7 They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
9 Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed. 10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
KEY TEXT
Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.—Psalm 84:4
CELEBRATING GOD
Unit 2:
Called to Praise God
LESSONS 5–9
LESSON AIMS
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
1. Summarize the psalmist’s desire.
2. Compare and contrast factors that can weaken desire for God’s presence.
3. List ways that the Lord determines that a person does or does not desire His presence.
HOW TO SAY IT
Babylonian Bab-ih-low-nee-un.
Baca Bay-ka.
Kohath Ko-hath.
Korah Ko-rah.
Levi Lee-vye.
Psalter Saul-tur.
Reuben Roo-ben.
Selah (Hebrew) See-luh.
tabernacles tah-burr-nah-kuls.
Zion Zi-un.
Introduction
A. Longing for Home
One of my greatest earthly blessings is the home life that graced my upbringing. My family moved into a large house in the country in south-central Indiana when I was 4 (that was in 1957). I had no idea that this house would remain “home” until May 2018, when the house was sold about two and a half years after my mother’s passing.
Over the years after going away to college, I made many trips back home, always with a great sense of anticipation. Eventually I brought my bride-to-be there, where we announced our engagement to my parents. Over the course of the years that followed, we brought our three children there for visits.
Thus more memories of home were added to those that I amassed while growing up. The sense of stability and security made home a very special place to visit. The question “Are we there yet?” was one asked by me, not by our children. Of course, the key to home being the place that it became was the people who lived there. My father and mother were very caring, godly individuals.
In today’s text, the psalmist expresses his intense, fervent longing to be in a different kind of “home,” which becomes instructive for us.
B. Lesson Context
Psalm 84 is one of the 17 psalms that constitute Book III of the Psalter (see the Lesson Context of lesson 5 for explanation of the psalms’ arrangement in terms of five “books”). Expressions of praise characterize many of these psalms (see the visual for lesson 5). A total of 11 psalms are written “for the sons of Korah,” 4 of which are in Book III—namely, Psalms 84; 85; 87, and 88—according to their superscriptions (compare Lesson Context: Superscription in lesson 6). This could mean either that the songs were written by those descendants of Korah or that they were written for them to sing. In either case, the sons must have been musically gifted (2 Chronicles 20:19).
Regarding Korah himself, he was a descendant of Kohath, a son of Levi (Exodus 6:16–21). Korah, accompanied by members of the tribe of Reuben, had led a rebellion against the God-given authority of Moses and Aaron during the exodus. As a result, Korah was put to death along with 250 others (Numbers 16:1–2, 35).
Despite this blemish on the family line, Korah’s descendants (Numbers 26:58) became prominent in the temple worship that King David arranged before his death, toward the day his son Solomon would complete the building of the temple. The record of the service of Korah’s descendants as gatekeepers is found in 1 Chronicles 9:19; 26:1.
If Psalm 84 was written for rather than by the sons of Korah, one guess about its author is King David. This is based on the occurrence of the word translated “shield” in Psalm 84:9, 11 since this word occurs also in Psalms 3; 5; 144 and others—the superscriptions of which attribute them to David. This would date the psalm’s composition before David’s death in 970 BC. But other psalms that are not attributed to David also have that word, so the conclusion is not ironclad.
The occasion of the composition may have been that of a pilgrimage to the temple, perhaps for a new-year festival. This, though speculative, is as good a guess as any (see on Psalm 84:5, below).
Regarding the superscription’s “To the chief Musician,” see discussion in Lesson Context: Superscription in lesson 6. The meaning of the phrase “upon Gittith” is uncertain. The word Gittith is likely a musical term, perhaps a musical instrument or a reference to a certain type of celebratory melody (see also Psalms 8 and 81).
I. Opening Appeal (PSALM 84:1–3)
A. For God’s Presence (vv. 1–2)
1. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!
The Hebrew adjective translated amiable is more commonly rendered “beloved” in the King James Version, and that is the sense here (see Deuteronomy 33:12; Psalms 60:5; 108:6; etc.). The term suggests that this poem will focus on love or attachment—in this case the high degree of fondness the writer has for the Lord’s tabernacles is due to the fact that that refers to the place where the Lord dwells (see Psalms 27:4; 43:3; 132:1–8). There is no place the psalmist would rather be!
The word tabernacles essentially means “tents” (see parallel between the words in Numbers 24:5). The Israelites had constructed a tabernacle to be the portable home of the Lord’s symbolic presence (Exodus 26). After the people had been established in the promised land for many generations, King David desired to build God a permanent dwelling in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 7:1–5). But the task fell instead to his son Solomon (2 Chronicles 3:1). It seems likely that the plural word tabernacles refers to courts or other divisions within the temple instead of multiple locations.
The designation Lord of hosts is used over 200 times as a title for God in the Old Testament. We may find it surprising that only nine of those occur in the Psalter, with three of those nine in this psalm alone (Psalm 84:1, 3, 12). This designation celebrates the Lord’s power in various contexts (examples: 1 Samuel 17:45; Isaiah 1:24). The word translated hosts may refer to angelic beings who serve the Lord as He directs (see Psalm 148:2; compare Hebrews 1:13–14). It also may refer to stars, planets, and other heavenly bodies that He had created (Nehemiah 9:6).
2a. My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD. The writer’s absence from the courts of the Lord (understood as the temple courts) could be explained in one of several ways. More important to this psalm, however, is not why he wasn’t there, but the effect the absence had on the man. Such was his fervent desire that, even though he may have had no specific call to be there (annual pilgrimage feast, etc.), he longeth and even fainteth to be in God’s presence nonetheless
YOUR FAINTING HEART
No one wants to faint on their wedding day! But the excitement of the big day can make the bride and groom light-headed. That’s why, as a minister who has presided at many weddings over the years, I give the excited couple and their attendants two pieces of advice at the wedding rehearsal. First, hunger makes you faint, so eat something prior to the ceremony. Second, rigidity makes you faint, so bend your knees slightly instead of standing ramrod straight while in front of the audience.
Have you ever yearned so deeply for the presence of God that you felt like you were going to faint? Consider again my two pieces of advice. If your soul feels faint, maybe you’re hungry and thirsty for righteousness (Matthew 5:6). Feast on God’s Word. Or maybe you need to bend your knees—physically or spiritually—before the Lord in prayer. What will it take to revive your fainting heart? —D. F.
2b. My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
We see parallelism here with the previous half-verse, with increasing intensity: heart and flesh are added to “soul” to indicate the man’s entire being. A similar piling up of terms occurs in Deuteronomy 6:5: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (compare Matthew 22:37).
The temple, with its surrounding courts, was understood to be the dwelling place of God’s glory (Psalm 26:8; compare 27:4). Thus to be able to be in those courts was to be as close to the living God as possible.
B. For a Place with God (v. 3)
3a. Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars.
We detect a note of jealousy for birds that were able to build nests within the Lord’s house. As in some public buildings today, this was probably confined to the rafters or other high structures. The altars themselves would be far too active for a bird nest. But the winged creatures could be present for every sacrifice without ever leaving home. The psalmist desired to be as intimately linked to the temple as the birds were.
3b. O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.
The psalmist described his committed relationship with his sovereign. Yes, He is Lord of hosts; but He is also my King, and my God. The possessive pronouns suggest closeness while the titles emphasize God’s greatness. This is the great paradox of faith: the Creator of everything, seen and unseen, desires undivided relationships with those created in His image. Jesus was the one who demonstrated how close God wants to be to us (Matthew 1:23), as well as the great depths of love He was willing to go to in order to heal our relationship with Him (John 3:16–17).
II. In God’s Presence (PSALM 84:4–7)
A. Constant Praise (v. 4)
4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.
Because of their duties at the temple, priests and Levites were privileged to spend much of their time in those sacred surroundings. Their tasks gave them ample reasons and opportunities to offer praise to the Lord. When they honored the Lord by faithfully carrying out His work, the house was indeed a blessed place to be.
Though the temple of antiquity and church buildings today are very different in function and purpose, something similar can be said about our gathering places: when ministry through faithful preaching and teaching of God’s Word and serving one another in love are carried out within the walls of the building, it is a blessed place to be. Why then shouldn’t a person anticipate being in the place of worship as the psalmist did? If such good things are taking place, others will be attracted to what is happening.
Today, our bodies are temples of God’s Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Even so, we should view our church buildings as tools to be used for the Lord’s grace and glory. They are places to praise the Lord in corporate worship and where people should experience His love in the midst of His people.
What Do You Think?
What self-evaluation can you undertake to ensure that you are God’s “house”?
Digging Deeper
Considering 2 Corinthians 13:5, what priority will you establish for doing so?
The word Selah at the end of this verse occurs 71 times in the psalms. The meaning is unknown, but most believe it to be a musical notation. It may direct the instruments to play more loudly while the singers are silent, or it may mark a pause for reflection since it usually comes after a significant or challenging statement has been made.
B. Continuing Strength (vv. 5–7)
5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
The phrase in whose heart are the ways of them is vague, in part because of the difficulty of knowing what ways refers to. It may mean that all those individuals who find their strength in the Lord are focused on His ways, on doing what is right in His sight as they journey through life. If this is a psalm of pilgrimage (see Lesson Context), the word ways could also refer to roads that worshippers must travel on their journey to the temple. This view fits with the psalmist’s longing to be in the Lord’s house (compare Deuteronomy 16:16; Micah 4:2; etc.).
6. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
This verse goes well with the understanding that the “ways” of the preceding verse describe the pilgrimage to the place of worship. However, there is no place in recorded Scripture called the valley of Baca in Israel; elsewhere, the Hebrew word behind the translation Baca refers to a certain kind of tree (2 Samuel 5:24; 1 Chronicles 14:14–15). Some think the reference is to a narrow valley near Jerusalem. Another idea is that this is a figurative description of the spiritual dryness that is relieved by arriving at the Lord’s house.
7. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
The Hebrew word translated strength twice here is different from the one translated “strength” in Psalm 84:5, above. Thus the psalmist piles up terms for emphasis. No matter the challenges one confronts on this pilgrimage, the strength available in the Lord can never be exhausted! Paradoxically, the longer the travelers walk, the stronger they become, upheld by God (see Isaiah 40:31). Zion, another name for Jerusalem (see Psalms 51:18; 102:21; etc.), is the location of the temple (2 Kings 21:4).
For Christians, the word Zion represents the blessings and privileges of “a new covenant” in Christ (Hebrews 12:22–24). This blessing will culminate in a residence for eternity in the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1–5). Whatever “dry spells” are encountered along the way, the one who draws strength from the Lord will find relief.
III. Closing Appeal
(PSALM 84:8–12)
A. For Self (v. 8)
8. O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
This verse shows us parallelism in an X-shaped format this way: Recognizing the Lord … of hosts (see commentary on Psalm 84:3, above) to be the same as the God of Jacob reminded the original reader that the Lord God had exercised His power to choose the family of Jacob to be the covenant people (Psalm 105:10; Acts 7:8). And when God gives ear, that is the same as hearing the psalmist’s prayer. Taken together, these elements emphasize the full range of God’s power: His attending to an entire nation is set side by side with the psalmist’s conviction that God is willing and able to hear the prayer of an individual. Concerning the word Selah, see on Psalm 84:4, above.
What Do You Think?
What personal behaviors do you need to change to help ensure that God hears your prayers?
Digging Deeper
In what ways are Jeremiah 11:14; 14:12; and/or 1 Peter 3:7 relevant to your conclusion?
B. For the Lord’s Anointed (v. 9)
9. Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed. It is possible that God is the one being designated as our shield as in Psalm 84:11, below (compare 59:11). But the parallelism that often characterizes Hebrew poetry (see above) suggests that the anointed (that is, the king of Israel) is the shield—the one appointed by God to lead the people in faithfulness.
To look upon the face is similar to the “give ear” request in the previous verse. The psalmist desires God’s attention in certain ways.
C. Statement of Trust (vv. 10–12)
10. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
The psalmist now adds elements of time quantity (duration) and position status (role) to his preference for the courts of the Lord’s house. The contrast between a day and a thousand (duration) is quite sharp. To be a doorkeeper in the temple is the position of a low-level attendant (2 Kings 23:4). The contrast with the tents of the wicked is seen in Psalm 83:5–7, where high-level leadership is in view.
What Do You Think?
Gauging your personal dedication to the Lord’s “courts” on a scale of 1 to 10, what do you need to do to move one notch better?
Digging Deeper
Who could be a mentor to you in that regard?
CALLED TO COME “CHOME”
An acquaintance of mine purchased an old church building and transformed it into a private residence. Since it is a church/home, the owner nicknamed it his “chome.” Sometimes when loved ones die, friends say, “God called them home.” But we don’t have to wait till we die to be at home in the presence of God and His people. God calls us into community with Him in the here and now. Like a magnet, His grace pulls us toward Him and toward each other.
Come to think of it, the concept of “chome” is a good one in this regard. It starts with recognizing that people, not buildings, are the living church. Then when we add to that fact the practice of making our homes places where God is honored, prayers are common, worship is lifted up, and people are taught, we can say, “Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like ‘chome!’ ” —D. F.
11a. For the LORD God is a sun and shield.
Noteworthy here is the fact that the Hebrew noun being translated as a sun is not accompanied by a definite article, which, if present, would result in God’s being “the sun.” Thus there is no hint of sun worship here as was common in pagan practice at the time (Deuteronomy 4:19; 2 Kings 23:5, 11; Jeremiah 43:13; Ezekiel 8:16). Rather, the idea is one of spiritual light (Psalms 13:3; 18:28).
References to God as a shield and similar items of protection are common in the Old Testament (example: Psalm 18:2).
11b. The LORD will give grace and glory.
Other translations for grace and glory are “favour” and “honour” (examples: Genesis 18:3; Proverbs 22:4, respectively). These words together represent everything we should ultimately desire from the Lord. Echoing this is James 1:17: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
11c. No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
The idea of an upright walk is found several places in Scripture (see Genesis 6:9; 17:1; Psalms 15:2; 101:2, 6; 119:1; Proverbs 28:18). While God does indeed bless even those who do not do so (Matthew 5:45), special favor falls on those who seek His ways. Uprightly implies integrity or wholeness, found particularly in Psalm 18:20–25. Next to salvation itself, the ultimate good thing God gives to Christians while we are on earth is the gift of the Holy Spirit, conferred at baptism (Acts 2:38).
What Do You Think?
What “good thing” you have received from God can and should you share with others?
Digging Deeper
What Scripture passages convict you most to get started now in this regard?
12. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
The final reference to being blessed in this psalm (previous ones were in Psalm 84:4–5, above) again acknowledges God as the Lord of hosts who nonetheless is still concerned about the individual (the man). Anyone who trusteth in Him is blessed in the ways this psalm indicates and more.
This is heart of the psalm. While fervor for the Lord’s temple and the annual pilgrimage feasts can indicate that a person’s heart is yielded to God, such excitement itself is not enough. Yes, it is good to be in the house of the Lord, but that is not an end in itself. The key is trusting in the Lord of the house, living in daily fellowship with Him.
Conclusion
A. Longing for God
While the psalmist was quite passionate about being in the Lord’s house, readers today may wonder whether such passion is fitting for Christians. To this we can answer yes in terms of the need to gather with other Christians (Matthew 18:20; Hebrews 10:25) while at the same time remembering that church buildings of the New Testament era are not equivalent to the temple of the Old Testament era.
More than location, the psalmist’s heart was set on spending time with God. It was God’s presence that made the place of worship the sacred place that it was. While our houses of worship today bear little to no resemblance in form and function to the temple in Jerusalem, the psalmist’s longing to be in God’s presence still stands.
But how seriously do we take the truth that we are always in God’s presence, given that we are the new-covenant temple? See 1 Corinthians 3:16–17; 2 Corinthians 6:16; and Ephesians 2:19–22. Christians long to be with Jesus and in His presence for eternity, and that is a good thing. But as we anticipate that great day, what a tragedy it would be to not draw on the good thing we have now: the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
What Do You Think?
Which concept or imperative in today’s lesson do you have the most trouble coming to grips with? Why?
Digging Deeper
How will you resolve this problem?
B. Prayer
Father, thank You for the presence of the Holy Spirit! We are humbled that You have promised to dwell with those who turn to You in simple trusting faith. We thank You for Your presence with Your people when we gather in worship. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
C. Thought to Remember
Remember the Lord’s presence and be blessed!
KID’S CORNER
Living Truthfully in Love
Sunday, October 24, 2021
2 John 1:1-13
2 John 1:1-13
(2 John 1:1) The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth,
John was the apostle and teacher in the Church who wrote the Gospel of John, the Book of Revelation, and three letters in the Bible. The “elect lady” was most probably a particular congregation or possibly “the Church,” which would have included many congregations such as those listed in the Book of Revelation. Her children are the individual members of the Church, not simply other Church leaders. All who know the truth love the Church and God’s children in the Church, just as John wrote that he did.
(2 John 1:2) for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:
Jesus declared that He was the truth (John 14:6). Jesus and His truth abides in or remains in the children of God and the Church that confesses Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God (1 John 4:15; 1 John 5:1). Jesus did not promise to be forever with the person or Church that refuses to believe or turns from believing and loving the truth that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God (see especially the Book of Revelation, chapters 1-3). In 1 John 2:18-22, 1 John 4:3, and 2 John 4:7, John wrote about antichrists who had been among them, but who left them because they were never really a part of Christ and the Church.
(2 John 1:3) Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
John declared specifically and repeatedly that God the Father and the Father’s Son, Jesus Christ, love us and have revealed the truth to us. God is love and Jesus demonstrated the love of God in truth as God’s Son. The love of the Father and the Son for us motivates them to extend grace, mercy, and peace to us as their children, and we are their children if we believe the truth about the Father and the Son, which inspires us to love them, because they first loved us. Because of the grace of God, Christians receive mercy from God and forgiveness of their sins through the atoning sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, which gives them peace with God and peace within themselves and others insofar as the possibility of peace with others resides with them: this is the truth about God’s love for us.
(2 John 1:4) I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father.
One important word in this verse is “some.” John was overjoyed to find “some” of those in the Church “walking” or “living” in the truth and according to the truth as revealed in Jesus Christ. “Walking” is a way of life, and John rejoiced that some in the Church maintained a way of life according to the Way of Jesus and they lived as the Father commanded. God’s children were living in both truth and love (truth and love cannot be separated, for learning the truth about God and reality should lead to love, and those who love should speak and live in the truth of God and reality).
(2 John 1:5) Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.
Because only “some” in the Church were walking in the truth, John went on emphasize a commandment that the Church had from the beginning. John wrote the Church, the “dear lady,” to remind her members to love one another. Those who walked in the truth loved others in the Church just as the Father commanded them. Some were members of the Church because at one time they had repented of their sins and professed a faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God as far as others could tell (they could not see into their hearts), but these members were not acting with love in truth toward others in the Church.
(2 John 1:6) And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.
Love is a way of life, not just a way of feeling. Love as a way of life is a commandment of God no matter how we feel. Love includes speaking the truth because we know and love the truth as revealed in Jesus Christ, who is the truth, and we can speak and teach the truth in love. Love includes how we treat others as a way of life (see 1 Corinthians 13). The fruit of the Spirit is or includes love for God and others, which promotes the well-being of others—a concern that they repent of their sins and follow Jesus and His teachings, a concern that they grow in faith, love, and holiness according to the Bible, the Word of God written.
(2 John 1:7) For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
What John saw as a problem of life and death in his day has continued throughout history and will remain a problem until Jesus Christ returns as John foretold in the Book of Revelation. Some refuse to confess that the Messiah has come. Some refuse to confess that Jesus is the Messiah and Jesus has come into the world and into the lives of God’s children as the Bible describes. Those who refuse to believe the truth, especially the truth about Jesus, are antichrist (against Christ), and they are unloving people who try to deceive others. They are deceivers who will try to lead the children of God and those who walk in love and light into hatred and darkness, into disbelief in the truth of God in Christ and into hatred for God and the children of God (which can be very subtle). John knew, just as the Church has known for centuries, that some will come into the Church and appear to be sincere Christians, and then they will go out into the world (morally and spiritually leave the Church, if not physically leave the Church) and try to deceive others inside and outside the Church by leading people away from trust in the Word of God in the flesh and the Word of God written.
(2 John 1:8) Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.
Members of the Church who had worked hard to learn, understand, and rightly apply the truth as embodied and revealed by Jesus Christ in love could be deceived by those who were against Christ and what the Bible taught about Christ. John warned everyone in the Church to be alert and on guard, so this did not happen to them. A full reward would include receiving fully and knowingly the loving presence of God in Christ and avoiding the discipline of God to lead them back into a walk of truth in love. We can work hard to learn and rightly apply the Scriptures victoriously in this life, and we do not want to fall back into practicing sin and lose the progress we have made in following Christ with the Holy Spirit’s help.
(2 John 1:9) Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.
The teaching of Christ is revealed clearly throughout the New Testament and the commands of Christ are completely consistent with the truth of God and the reality of existence. A person can “go beyond” Christ’s teachings by restricting the right application of them or by extending their application into areas that Christ never intended: to do either can be a sign that a person does not have God—some people will do this out of ignorance and not rebellion against God. The truth demands that a true child of God abide or remain true to the teachings of Christ and the Bible. We must remain true to the Bible. Both the Father and the Son abide in us and help walk in their way of love and truth. We must be careful that a theology of God, a theological system, or a Biblical interpretation made by fallible human beings (or even ourselves) does not replace a truly biblical faith and practice or replace God’s love and truth in our relationships with others.
(2 John 1:10) If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;
As a Church leader, the Holy Spirit inspired John to explicitly state how serious it is and can be when any child of God or Christian congregation admits into their lives someone who brings teaching that is contrary to or contradicts the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible—even a theology or interpretation of the Bible that might have been highly regarded in the past, but was more cultural than Biblical. To welcome them can lead to listening to them and to being misled by them which can lead to multitudes being misled away from truth and love for generations. Churches can decline morally and spiritually over many generations as they regress and lose the love and the truth of Christ and the Scriptures: John’s Book of Revelation warns about this possibility. Whereas adults and mature Christians might be wise enough not to be misled by someone who is teaching contrary to the Bible in the Church, their children can be more easily misled unknown to them until they fall away from following Christ and into moral and spiritual decline and death.
(2 John 1:11) for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.
It is an evil deed to deceive another. It is an evil deed to deceive another about the true teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible. When the child of God continues to love and obey God and the commandments of God in the Bible; when they pray for the Holy Spirit to help them discern the truth and walk in love, they are less likely to be deceived but not totally protected from ever being deceived if they become thoughtless and prayerless. To even welcome a deceiver into a person’s Church, home, or life is to participate in the deceiver’s evil efforts to deceive—and evil will result.
(2 John 1:12) Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made full.
John had much more to say about how a child of God can protect themselves from deceivers and being deceived. Every detail about how to remain mentally and spiritually united to Jesus Christ and the truth of Christ and the Bible needed to be discussed: questions asked could be explained and answered and John hoped to visit the Church that he wrote to and other congregations to have this joyful fellowship time of teaching.
(2 John 1:13) The children of your chosen sister greet you.
John participated fully in the life of the congregation where he lived and taught. The children of God in his congregation sent their greetings along with his to the Church and other congregations that would read his letter. This letter obviously meant a great deal to the Church, and it may have been copied and circulated among many Churches, because God providentially protected it so it could be saved in the Bible and read by the Church through the ages.
Living Truthfully in Love
Sunday, October 24, 2021
2 John 1:1-13
I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father (2 John 1:4—KJV).
I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father (2 John 1:4—NASB).
I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father (2 John 1:4—NRSV).
In John’s letter to an elect lady and her children (the church), he reminded Christians of two commands. First, the Father commands Christians to walk in the truth. Second, the Father commands Christians to walk in love. John wrote that the Father had always commanded people to love one another— this was no new command. Then, he explained that Christian love involved “walking” or “living according to” the truth and the Father’s commandments (which God revealed in the Bible). When Christians sincerely love God and one another by living according to the truth and commands of God, they treat others rightly. Like a good parent, John rejoiced greatly when he saw his spiritual children living truthfully in love. As their spiritual parent, John also expressed concern that though they were walking in truth and love, they might become misled. He wrote that many deceivers had gone out into the world. These deceivers taught false things about God and Christ; for example, some denied that Jesus had come into the world in the flesh as a real human being. John wanted Christians to abide in the teachings of Jesus and not add to or subtract from them or believe and trust anyone who misrepresented what the Bible taught. Indeed, John warned that if a believer greeted a false teacher or received him into their house, then they took part in his “wicked works.” Practicing obedience to the Bible’s teachings can help us avoid being misled and sinning; especially if we will remember that the Father will never command anyone to do anything contrary to His commands in the Bible.
Thinking Further
Living Truthfully in Love
Sunday, October 24, 2021
2 John 1:1-13
Name _______________________________
1. Who do you think is the elect lady and her children?
2. What abides in a true Christian forever according to 2 John 1:1-13?
3. How are Christians supposed to live (walk) and why should they live (walk) that way?
4. According to John, what are some characteristics of a deceiver?
5. What are some of the things people are doing when they welcome a deceiver into their home or church? What can happen to such a home or church?
Discussion and Thinking Further
1. Who do you think is the elect lady and her children?
The elect or chosen lady is the Church, the true Church according to the Bible’s teachings (with emphasis on John’s Gospel and Letters). Her children are those “born of God” (the members of the Church who are the true followers of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, their Lord and Savior).
2. What abides in a true Christian forever according to 2 John 1:1-13?
The truth and love. The teaching of Jesus Christ. Both the Father and the Son.
3. How are Christians supposed to live (walk) and why should they live (walk) that way?
Live (walk) in the truth and love one another because the Father has
commanded Christians to live (walk) in these ways and it is the right way for everyone to live.
4. According to John, what are some characteristics of a deceiver?
They have gone out into the world (from out of the circle Christian faith, love, and truth) and they do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. They are antichrist. They do not abide in the teaching of Christ. They do not have God.
5. What are some of the things people are doing when they welcome a deceiver into their home or church?
They are dropping their guard and they can be deceived. They are giving deceivers an opportunity to deceive others. They are participating in the evil deeds of the deceiver.
Word Search
Living Truthfully in Love
Sunday, October 24, 2021
2 John 1:1-13
Name _____________________________________
D T E Z J S N X U L H P C Z N
M G N D R A W E R S A Y F D R
N F P E A C E O P G F D N H M
P O B Q V H T U R T U T Y E R
H R U O W C R G U A R D R K F
N E T D G H V I D L Z C H R R
Y V S J E R C T E I Y G E E H
O E I N D I A R G O B D V C R
J R R C K S Q C T F L I H I T
S F H V N T R C E E E I E X U
H D C K C G E O Q C L P O Q W
K Q I M L L Z A E D H K Y T S
X R T W E A Y D R Q R N R D E
P Z N M R U W E F D H O X T R
N U A D I M N Z W Q Z W U O E
Elder
Elect
Lady
Children
Truth
Forever
Grace
Mercy
Peace
Walk
Christ
Deceiver
Antichrist
Guard
Reward
True and False Test
Living Truthfully in Love
Sunday, October 24, 2021
2 John 1:1-13
Name _________________________________
Circle the True or False answers. Correct the False statements by restating them.
1. All who know the truth should also love in the truth. True or False
2. The truth will live in true Christians forever. True or False
3. True Christians do not need grace because God has forgiven them.
True or False
4. The Father and Jesus Christ give grace, mercy, peace, truth, and love. True or False
5. The Father has commanded us to walk in the truth. True or False
6. If we love God, we do not need to love others. True or False
7. Love involves walking according to God’s commandments. True or False
8. Churches should not be concerned about deceivers. True or False
9. Everyone should abide in the teaching of Christ, especially Christians. True or False
10. It is okay to welcome a deceiver and an antichrist into your church. True or False
True and False Test Answers
1. True
2. True
3. False
4. True
5. True
6. False
7. True
8. False
9. True
10. False
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Word of truth and for the unalterable promises it contains. Thank You that we have the indwelling Spirit of truth Who has promised to guide us into all truth, as we abide in Him and He in us. Help me to walk in spirit and truth and I pray that You would protect all Your children, from the false teachers and doctrines of demons that have infiltrated the Church of God today, and who are distorting the truth of Your word.. and causing so many to go astray. Give us the spirit of discernment and wisdom so that we may recognize the one and only truth, which is found in Christ alone, in Whose name we pray, AMEN.