19

Living in the Truth
(2 John 1-4)

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, for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: 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. I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father. (1-4)

When Pilate asked cynically, “What is truth?” (John 18:38) he reflected the view of many today. Postmodernism views the concept of truth with skepticism. Many believe that there is no such thing as absolute truth or, if there is, that it cannot be known. Certainly, they argue, there is no religious truth; religion is merely a personal preference, like one’s taste in art, music, or literature.

But truth—absolute, divine truth—does exist, and it is the most important reality in the universe. When Martha complained that her sister was not helping her with the serving, Jesus replied, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42). There was no higher priority than for Mary to be “seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word” of truth (v. 39). Truth is a precious commodity, more valuable than any earthly riches (cf. Pss. 19:7-10; 119:72, 127); once found, it is to be held on to at all costs. Thus Proverbs 23:23 exhorts, “Buy truth, and do not sell it.”

The Bible, the Word of truth (Ps. 119:160; John 17:17; 2 Cor. 6:7; 2 Tim. 2:15; James 1:18), majors on the theme of truth. God is the “God of truth” (Ps. 31:5; Isa. 65:16), who abounds in truth (Ex. 34:6) and always speaks the truth (2 Sam. 7:28; cf. Num. 23:19; Titus 1:2); Christ is the truth (John 14:6; Eph. 4:21), is full of truth (John 1:14), revealed the truth (John 1:17), spoke the truth (John 8:45-46), and testified to the truth (John 18:37); the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; 1 John 5:6). God’s truth is eternal (Ps. 117:2), infinite (Pss. 57:10; 86:15; 108:4), and saving (Ps. 69:13). Salvation comes from faith in the truth (2 Thess. 2:13; cf. 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Tim. 2:25); believers are sanctified by the truth (John 17:17), love the truth (cf. 2 Thess. 2:10), are set free by the truth (John 8:32), worship in the truth (John 4:23-24), rejoice in the truth (1 Cor. 13:6), speak the truth (Eph. 4:15, 25), meditate on the truth (Phil. 4:8), manifest the truth (2 Cor. 4:2), obey the truth (1 Peter 1:22), are guided by the truth (Pss. 25:5; 43:3) and, most comprehensively, walk in the truth (1 Kings 2:4; 3:6; 2 Kings 20:3; Pss. 26:3; 86:11).

Believers must be committed to the truth, because we exist in the world, which is the realm of Satan (1 John 5:19), the “father of lies” (John 8:44). He strives to keep sinners from understanding and believing the truth; he is “the god of this world [who] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4). As a result, “Everyone deceives his neighbor and does not speak the truth, they have taught their tongue to speak lies” (Jer. 9:5). Unbelievers are “men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth” (1 Tim. 6:5), who “oppose the truth” (2 Tim. 3:8) and “turn away their ears from the truth” (2 Tim. 4:4) because “they exchanged the truth of God for a lie” (Rom. 1:25).

In a world of lies, the church is called to be the “pillar and support of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). Paul’s metaphor would have been readily understood by Timothy and his congregation at Ephesus. Located in that city was the temple of Diana (Artemis; Acts 19:23-28), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The temple’s immense roof was supported by 127 pillars, which rested on a massive foundation. Just as that temple was a monument to the lies of Satan, so the church is to be a monument to the truth of God. The church’s mission is to immovably, unshakably live, uphold, guard, and proclaim the truth of God’s Word. It is to proclaim the “whole purpose of God” (Acts 20:27), not merely that part of divine truth that is inoffensive to the surrounding culture. In the words of Martin Luther, a stalwart champion of necessary controversy,

Any so-called church that fails to exercise its stewardship of His truth faces God’s judgment—just as the Jews did for failing to uphold and live the Old Testament truth entrusted to them (cf. Rom. 2:23-24). But throughout its history, the true church has clung tenaciously to the truth, despite the storms of persecution, the sting of rejection, and the assaults of enemies both from inside and outside its ranks (cf. Acts 20:29-30). And countless thousands have suffered martyrdom rather than compromise or abandon the truth.

Strategically, the final epistles of the New Testament emphasize the priority of the truth (2 and 3 John), and the need to contend for it in the face of apostate liars (Jude).

John wrote his two brief letters—more postcards than letters—to stress the importance of truth. Alōtfieia (“truth”) appears five times in this opening section of 2 John and six times in the more brief 3 John. Though each is a personal letter to an individual, John was writing the inspired revelation of God that was to God’s people throughout time. Recognizing that all the readers of his letter faced and always would face a world of lies and deceit, he wrote to call them to live in God’s truth, to love within the bounds of truth, and to be loyal to and look out for the truth. In the opening verses John reveals four features of living in the truth: the truth unites, indwells, blesses, and controls believers.

THE TRUTH UNITES BELIEVERS

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, (1)

By the time he wrote this epistle, John was a very old man, the last surviving apostle. Even so, his reference to himself as the elder (presbuteros with the definite article) stresses not so much his age as his position of spiritual oversight for the church. In the New Testament the term, borrowing from familiar Old Testament usage (cf. Lev. 4:15; Num. 11:25; Deut. 25:7-8, etc.), generally refers to the office of elder (the exception is in 1 Tim. 5:1, where it refers simply to an older man); the related term presbutēs (translated “old man” in Luke 1:18 and “aged” in Philem. 9) describes an older man without reference to a leadership role. John’s description of himself reinforces the truth that he wrote this epistle; someone impersonating him would likely have chosen the title “apostle,” while a writer not trying to impersonate him would not likely have called himself the elder (cf. Alfred Plummer, The Epistles of St. John, The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges [Cambridge: Cambridge Univ., 1911], 175). John did not need to refer to himself as an apostle because his readers knew and accepted him as such, though in the experience of the church, he served them as their pastor.

In the New Testament, churches were always taught and ruled by a plurality of elders (Acts 11:30; 14:23; 15:2, 4, 6, 22, 23; 16:4; 20:17; 21:18; 1 Tim. 5:17; Titus 1:5; James 5:14; 1 Peter 5:1, 5). But though there were other elders serving with John in Ephesus (cf. Acts 20:17; see the Introduction to 1 John in this volume for evidence that John wrote his epistles from that city), he was the patriarchal elder, whose authority and oversight extended well beyond Ephesus. Like Peter (1 Peter 5:1), John was both an elder and an apostle; as the last of the apostles, he was the elder, the most distinguished of all elders; the only living elder who was chosen to be an apostle by the Lord Jesus Christ and was a member of the innermost circle of the twelve apostles; the one self-confessed as the “disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 20:2; cf. 13:23; 19:26; 21:7, 20). In contrast to the false teachers, John was the torchbearer of apostolic tradition.

As noted in the Introduction to 2 John, the chosen lady to whom John addressed this letter was an actual woman, not a church. Lady translates the feminine form of the noun kurios (“lord,” “sir”). The husband is the “lord” of the household as its divinely ordained head (cf. 1 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 5:23), but the lady has her sphere of authority and responsibility as well (cf. Titus 2:3-5 and 1 Tim. 5:14, where “keep house” translates a Greek verb that literally means “to rule or manage a household”). That her husband is not mentioned may indicate that she was a widow. In any case, she was responsible for providing hospitality in the home, as is clear from 1 Timothy 5:9-10. Since John addressed her children too, they may still have been living at home with her. Families typically shared a common house, even after the children were married.

Chosen translates a form of the Greek word eklektos (“elect,” “chosen,” “choice”). The term describes those selected by God for eternal glory, whether Christ (Luke 23:35; 1 Peter 2:4, 6), the holy angels (1 Tim. 5:21), or the redeemed (Matt. 22:14; 24:22, 24, 31; Mark 13:20, 22, 27; Luke 18:7; Rom. 8:33; Col. 3:12; 2 Tim. 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1; 2:9; 2 John 13; Rev. 17:14). The only other time outside of this epistle that it is used of an individual is in Romans 16:13, where Paul described Rufus as a “choice [from eklektos] man in the Lord.”

John’s description of this woman (and her sister; v. 13) as chosen reflects the biblical truth that God sovereignly chooses believers for salvation (in addition to the vv. cited above, see Mark 13:20; Acts 13:48; Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:4-5, 11; 2 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 1:9; James 2:5). Unlike those who hold a weak view of divine sovereignty, the New Testament writers did not hesitate to refer to believers as “the elect.” In fact, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself did so in Matthew 24:22: “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” The term is no less appropriate than the more popular terms “child of God,” “saved,” “born again,” “believer,” or “Christian.”

John’s statement whom I love in truth reveals his personal connection to this family (the relative pronoun hous [whom] is plural and encompasses both the lady and her children). Egē (I) is emphatic, stressing the apostle’s personal, ongoing (the verb is in the present tense) love for them. The love in view here is that willful, spiritual devotion and service conveyed by the familiar verb agapaō. The phrase in truth explains and qualifies the sphere of John’s love for them. It does not refer to his sincerity; he was not merely claiming to “truly” love them, though he obviously did. Rather, truth refers here to the embodiment of truth in the gospel. It is parallel to the frequent New Testament expression “the faith” (Acts 6:7; 13:8; 14:22; 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:13; 2 Cor. 13:5; Gal. 1:23; Eph. 4:13; Phil. 1:27; Col. 1:23; 1 Tim. 1:2; 3:9; 4:1; 5:8; 6:10, 21; 2 Tim. 3:8; Titus 1:13; Jude 3). John’s expression is similar to Paul’s exhortation to Titus, “Greet those who love us in the faith” (Titus 3:15); that is, in the objective truth of the gospel. It was the truth that bound not only John, but also all who knew the truth to this lady and her children. It is their common belief in the gospel truth that unites all believers.

John’s statement encapsulates the main theme of this brief epistle, that truth must always govern the exercise of love. Christians’ deep, mutual affection flows out of their shared commitment to the truth. In his first epistle John wrote, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him” (1 John 5:1). We can have no real communion with those who reject the truth of the gospel, since we share no common spiritual life with them. Such people are outside the fellowship of believers, because it is only those who “have in obedience to the truth purified [their] souls” who can have “a sincere love of the brethren” (1 Peter 1:22).

Because salvation requires belief in the truth, it is critically important for the church to proclaim the right message. A simple, accurate presentation of the gospel is sufficient, through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, to bring about salvation. On the other hand, the most carefully crafted, smoothly polished presentation of anything less than the gospel will not save.

John’s linking of love and truth shows that they are anything but incompatible, as some are always eager to suggest. Believers are to speak in love, but they are also to speak the truth (Eph. 4:15). To minimize the truth in the name of love is to abandon biblical love, which is based on the truth. God’s purposes will never be accomplished by compromising His truth; love for souls is never manifested by minimizing the truth.

THE TRUTH INDWELLS BELIEVERS

for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever (2)

In keeping with his passionate commitment to the truth, John wrote this epistle for the sake of the truth. His concern was that the Christian lady to whom he addressed it might compromise truth in the name of hospitality. Christian love, fellowship, and hospitality are vitally important, since they manifest the transforming power of the gospel (cf. Rom. 12:13; 1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:8; 1 Peter 4:9). Believers share a spiritual love that flows from their common eternal life in Christ. But they cannot genuinely manifest that love apart from an unswerving commitment to the truth of God’s Word. That truth permeates all aspects of the church’s individual and corporate life, underlying all of its preaching, evangelism, and fellowship.

In language reminiscent of Jesus’ promise concerning the Holy Spirit (John 14:17), John wrote that the truth … abides in us and will be with us forever. The parallel is appropriate, since the Holy Spirit is the “Spirit of truth” (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; 1 John 5:6). Though in a lifetime we cannot comprehend the vast depth of all biblical truth, all true Christians know the truth of the Scripture that saves. They know that they are sinners, facing God’s just judgment, and that forgiveness comes only by divine grace, apart from works, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice and resurrection. If they did not comprehend those facts, they would not be Christians since, as noted above, understanding the truth is necessary for salvation.

In his first epistle, John taught that all believers are able to discern the truth from error:

Menō (abides) is one of John’s favorite terms, appearing more than sixty times in his writings. It is used in a theological sense to refer to the truth that resides in believers (1 John 2:14, 24-27; cf. John 5:38 where Jesus upbraids the unbelieving Jews for not having the Word abiding in them), to true believers abiding in the Word (John 8:31) and thus not being in spiritual darkness (John 12:46), to the Spirit abiding in believers (John 14:17; cf. 1 John 4:12, 15, 16) and, most significant, to believers abiding in Christ (John 6:56; 14:10; 15:4-7, 9-10; 1 John 2:6, 10, 28; 3:6, 24; 4:13). The truth of the Word, which abides in believers forever, gives them “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16).

THE TRUTH BLESSES BELIEVERS

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. (3)

Although they appear together only here and in Paul’s letters to Timothy (1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2), grace, mercy, and peace are familiar New Testament terms. They are often used in the salutations of the epistles. Grace combines with peace in Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, Philippians 1:2, Colossians 1:2, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 2 Thessalonians 1:2, Titus 1:4, Philemon 3, 1 Peter 1:2, 2 Peter 1:2, and Revelation 1:4; mercy with peace in Jude 2. The three terms summarize the progression of the plan of salvation: God’s grace caused Him to grant mercy, which results in peace. Grace views sinners as guilty and undeserving (Rom. 5:20; Eph. 1:7); mercy views them as needy and helpless (Matt. 5:3; Rom. 11:30-32; Eph. 2:4-5; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3); peace is the result of God’s outpouring of both (Acts 10:36; Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14; Col. 1:20). These divine blessings, like everything in the Christian life, come only from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father. From God, “the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” comes down “every good thing given and every perfect gift” (James 1:17). And through the Son, all “the promises of God … are yes” (2 Cor. 1:20). They are present when divine truth dominates the mind and heart, resulting in genuine love. The twofold repetition of para (from) stresses Jesus’ equality with the Father. John emphasized Christ’s identity as God’s Son because the false teachers were denying that truth (cf. the discussion of the false teachers and their heretical teaching in the Introduction to 1 John).

THE TRUTH CONTROLS BELIEVERS

I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father. (4)

In light of his commitment to the truth, it comes as no surprise that John was very glad to find some of this Christian lady’s children walking in truth. Surely the apostle was exuberant at the news of their obedience to divine revelation, which he may have heard from her sister or her sister’s children (cf. v. 13). That he mentions only some of her children does not necessarily mean that the others were not saved; John was referring only to those of whom he had personal knowledge.

The truth of God’s Word is to be lived as well as believed (cf. Matt. 7:21; 12:50; Luke 6:46-49; 1 l:28; John 13:17; Rom. 2:13; James 1:22; 1 John 2:3). The phrase walking in truth refers to moving through life controlled by the truth; it is the equivalent to walking in the light (1 John 1:7). Walking is a frequent New Testament metaphor for the Christian life. Believers “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4), “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7), “walk by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16, 25), “walk in good works” (Eph. 2:10), “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which [they] have been called” (Eph. 4:1), “walk in love” (Eph. 5:2), “walk as children of Light” (Eph. 5:8), “walk in wisdom” (Eph. 5:15), “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects” (Col. 1:10), “walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls [them] into His own kingdom and glory” (1 Thess. 2:12), “walk in the same manner as [Jesus] walked” (1 John 2:6), and “walk according to His commandments” (2 John 6).

John’s reference to the commandment believers have received from the Father to walk in the truth is not a reference to one particular command, but reflects the general and obvious mandate of Scripture to obey. Scripture is even called “the commandment of the Lord” (Ps. 19:8; cf. the similar use of “commandment” in 1 Tim. 6:14). Obedience to God’s truth is not optional. “God has not revealed His truth in such a way as to leave us free at our pleasure to believe or disbelieve it, to obey or disobey it. Revelation carries with it responsibility, and the clearer the revelation, the greater the responsibility to believe and obey it” (John R. W. Stott, The Epistles of John, The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964], 206).

This brief letter opens with a ringing call for Christians to live consistently with the truth they believe. The only true basis for unity in the church is the truth of God’s Word that indwells, blesses, and controls the lives of individual believers. And it is only those Christians and churches who are firmly planted on the solid foundation of the truth who will be able to withstand the storms of persecution, temptation, and false doctrine that constantly assail them.