Fireinfolding
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- Dec 17, 2006
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Did you know that in the early church there were itinerant preachers who traveled around and would often be welcomed into the church communities. Since church communities met and gathered in private homes--and usually the homes of the more well-to-do members, very often wealthy widows), this would also be the place where such traveling preachers would preach. This was a perfectly acceptable thing in the ancient Christian world. But not every traveling preacher and teacher was up to scratch, and so early Christian writers such as St. Paul and the writers of St. John's letters (among others) were emphatic to talk about right teaching and wrong teaching; and if there were false teachers, false preachers (read: false prophets) to not accept their teaching. Don't accept them into your house and feed them and support their false "ministry" because their work was not benefiting the Christian Church but doing injuring by turning people away from true faith.
So with these things in mind, let's take a look at 2 John, yup, the whole thing--it's okay, it's short!
"The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not only I but also all who know the truth, because of the truth that 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 Father's Son, in truth and love.
I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father. But now, dear lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning, let us love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment just as you have heard it from the beginning—you must walk in it.
Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist! Be on your guard, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but may receive a full reward. Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. Do not receive into the house or welcome anyone who comes to you and does not bring this teaching; for to welcome is to participate in the evil deeds of such a person.
Although I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink; instead I hope to come to you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.
The children of your elect sister send you their greetings."
Based on the content of both 1 and 2 John the general understanding is that the false teachers--the antichrists in question--were an early sect of Gnostics or Proto-Gnostics, specifically Docetists.
What did the Docetists believe? Well their name comes from the Greek word dokeo, meaning "to seem"; for they taught that Jesus only seemed to be have flesh, but was in truth a divine specter, an apparition. Thus they rejected that Jesus was a human being, but was a divine apparition--this from the writer's viewpoint was clearly not acceptable, and so instructs the matron of the church not to invite such persons into her home--into the church--and give them a place to preach and teach their heretical doctrines.
Isn't learning fun?
-CryptoLutheran
What are you trying to teach me?
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