In Scripture genuine believers have a wealth of good teaching, and some of that instruction tells us what to do about bad teaching. How should we respond to those who come to us with corrupt beliefs and false doctrine?
2nd John is a letter written to a local church by a concerned pastoral leader, probably the apostle John. In it he encourages believers to love one another in the Truth. He instructs them to remain loyal to all that Christ taught—and, of course, that would include all true teaching about Him.
It pleased him to know that “some” of those in the church were walking in the Truth, as God the Father had commanded them to do. But he also knew about those who had preferred false doctrine. These had chosen to go out into the world leaving behind the bond of love and sound teaching that was found only in true local churches.
Writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he goes on to tell his readers what these spiritually toxic deceivers specifically believed: they did not “acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh”. In other words, this false religious group denied Christ ever had a literal body.
This is an issue that is also mentioned in 1st John 4: “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist.”
True believers are instructed not to “believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1st John 4:1). When we walk daily in the Spirit, the more we know of Scripture and the mind of Christ the better we can “test the spirits”.
We know from 1st John 2 that there would be many anti-Christian groups at that time, and there are even more today. Here in 2nd John we learn the right way to respond to those who bring false teaching to us. Perhaps it’s significant that believers aren’t told to go out into the world to hunt down the spirit of anti-Christian doctrine. But we are clearly taught how to combat it when it comes to us—when we find it trying to invade our sanctified places.
What are our responsibilities when we are approached by those who deny the clear teaching of Christ? What should our response be when others attempt to influence us with an anti-Christian spirit? We are commanded to take a stand in two main ways. We must not allow deceivers into our local assemblies, and we must not encourage them by positively “greeting” them as if they were fellow believers in Christ. Such a greeting is as bad as wishing them success.
In the context of the early Church, believers would have often assembled in private homes. It was here that they instructed one another in the teachings of Christ and built up one another in Him. So it makes sense that every effort would be made to exclude those who wanted to join them and share the teachings of lying spirits.
Do we do the same? How do these instructions in 2nd John directly affect you? In what ways can you make sure you exclude deceptive views and religious opinions that oppose the balanced “teaching of Christ” (v.9)? If we are willing to follow Him faithfully we will recognise His teaching (consider John 7:17; 1st John 2:27).
There are various ways in which we have responsibilities in Christ. We may be pastors or God-gifted teachers and evangelists. We may be simple devoted believers who enjoy sitting down with others to discover more about the truth and to share what we ourselves have learned. We may be responsible for Christian pages and groups on social media sites, where we actively invite others to take part.
Whatever the context, we must be sure we don’t leave a door open to false teachers. We must allow them no space to spread anti-Christian unbiblical beliefs. (Consider Romans 16:17.) The more we absorb His truths in Scripture, and learn about His ways, the better equipped we will be to identify error, half-truths and the many deceptions of lying spirits.
It can be argued that occasionally, just like the elder in 2nd John, we too should draw attention to false teaching. If we do this in the right way, standing on Bible Truth, we will wisely show others how to avoid any falsehood. Properly equipped we will be able to block it whenever it comes to us, invading our private or public spaces.
Today, in the world outside, we are surrounded by bold cults and the damaging distortions of infallible Tradition. We are bombarded by deceptive teaching about Christ’s deity, the Person of the Holy Spirit, and the divine relationship that eternally binds together God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
In your Christian walk, leave no room for bad teaching.
2nd John is a letter written to a local church by a concerned pastoral leader, probably the apostle John. In it he encourages believers to love one another in the Truth. He instructs them to remain loyal to all that Christ taught—and, of course, that would include all true teaching about Him.
It pleased him to know that “some” of those in the church were walking in the Truth, as God the Father had commanded them to do. But he also knew about those who had preferred false doctrine. These had chosen to go out into the world leaving behind the bond of love and sound teaching that was found only in true local churches.
Writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he goes on to tell his readers what these spiritually toxic deceivers specifically believed: they did not “acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh”. In other words, this false religious group denied Christ ever had a literal body.
This is an issue that is also mentioned in 1st John 4: “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist.”
True believers are instructed not to “believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1st John 4:1). When we walk daily in the Spirit, the more we know of Scripture and the mind of Christ the better we can “test the spirits”.
We know from 1st John 2 that there would be many anti-Christian groups at that time, and there are even more today. Here in 2nd John we learn the right way to respond to those who bring false teaching to us. Perhaps it’s significant that believers aren’t told to go out into the world to hunt down the spirit of anti-Christian doctrine. But we are clearly taught how to combat it when it comes to us—when we find it trying to invade our sanctified places.
What are our responsibilities when we are approached by those who deny the clear teaching of Christ? What should our response be when others attempt to influence us with an anti-Christian spirit? We are commanded to take a stand in two main ways. We must not allow deceivers into our local assemblies, and we must not encourage them by positively “greeting” them as if they were fellow believers in Christ. Such a greeting is as bad as wishing them success.
In the context of the early Church, believers would have often assembled in private homes. It was here that they instructed one another in the teachings of Christ and built up one another in Him. So it makes sense that every effort would be made to exclude those who wanted to join them and share the teachings of lying spirits.
Do we do the same? How do these instructions in 2nd John directly affect you? In what ways can you make sure you exclude deceptive views and religious opinions that oppose the balanced “teaching of Christ” (v.9)? If we are willing to follow Him faithfully we will recognise His teaching (consider John 7:17; 1st John 2:27).
There are various ways in which we have responsibilities in Christ. We may be pastors or God-gifted teachers and evangelists. We may be simple devoted believers who enjoy sitting down with others to discover more about the truth and to share what we ourselves have learned. We may be responsible for Christian pages and groups on social media sites, where we actively invite others to take part.
Whatever the context, we must be sure we don’t leave a door open to false teachers. We must allow them no space to spread anti-Christian unbiblical beliefs. (Consider Romans 16:17.) The more we absorb His truths in Scripture, and learn about His ways, the better equipped we will be to identify error, half-truths and the many deceptions of lying spirits.
It can be argued that occasionally, just like the elder in 2nd John, we too should draw attention to false teaching. If we do this in the right way, standing on Bible Truth, we will wisely show others how to avoid any falsehood. Properly equipped we will be able to block it whenever it comes to us, invading our private or public spaces.
Today, in the world outside, we are surrounded by bold cults and the damaging distortions of infallible Tradition. We are bombarded by deceptive teaching about Christ’s deity, the Person of the Holy Spirit, and the divine relationship that eternally binds together God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
In your Christian walk, leave no room for bad teaching.