FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

Read 2 John 4-6 for background to this section.

On the night of his betrayal Jesus admonished the disciples saying, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” – John 13:34. “Love” (agapōmen in the Greek) is a present tense verb, so John calls for consistent active demonstration of the “love ethic” toward one another. Seeing that these words were voiced by our Savior the night before He died adds special weight to them. In using the word “ask,” John appeals to their heart. Genuine affection undergirds the request.

Verses 4 and 5 should be linked closely together. Walking in the truth (obedience) and love for one another go hand in hand. The absence of one will ensure the absence of the other. In addressing the issue of love Howard Marshall notes:

“Christians must love one another. This is the basis of Christian living to which all believers constantly need to be recalled. For the elder it meant practical, costly caring [emphasis mine] for the needy, even readiness to sacrifice oneself for the sake of others (1 John 3:16–18), but at the same time it included real affection for one’s fellow-believers.” ¹

John is rapidly approaching the main purpose of the epistle, and he gently, yet strategically, moves his readers forward. He (John himself) has great joy in them, and the command to love one another is one that is obligatory for himself as well.

Love is a multifaceted concept in John that receives different emphases depending upon the need of the audience. The initial phrase of verse 6 raises an important question: Who is the object of “this love”? Is it God, each other, or both God and fellow believers? If John is focusing upon the believer’s relationship to the Father, we prove our love by being obedient to Him (see 1 John 5:3). If our brothers and sisters in Christ are intended, we show our love for them by also keeping God’s commandments (see 1 John 5:2). It seems best to combine these two options and see the whole family of God as the object of love made evident by obedience to the commands of God. “Walk” is in the present tense and thus conveys the idea of consistency of life; again an action and not just emotion. Because we love God, we want to please Him. When we love others, we are obeying Him.

The alternate use of “commandment” (singular) and “commandments” (plural) has definitely caught the attention of numerous Bible scholars. The word commandment would seem to imply a specific significance in mind: “walk in truth,” “love one another.” Commandments represent the broader requirements and expectations of God overall.

Verse 6 ends slightly vague. The phrase “heard from the beginning” is clear enough. It most probably refers to the beginning of their Christian experience, an experience rooted in the gospel message itself. The Biblical text, however, ends not with the word “love” but the word “it.” A translation that reads “His commandment that you walk in it” is more true to the original text. The question then is to what does “it” refer? Three options have been given: (1) commandment, (2) love, and (3) truth. “Commandment” is the most logical since it is the nearest antecedent, but this creates a redundancy; for example, “This is the commandment . . . that you walk in the commandment.” Most commentators opt for “love,” when considering the “it” of the verse. Dr. Urban von Wahlde, a theologian, points out, however, that nowhere in the entire Johannine body of work is there an example of the phrase “to walk in love.” He proceeds to argue for “truth” as the antecedent of “it” in spite of the fact that “truth” appears earlier on. He notes that clearly the major theme of 2 John is truth and the true message about Jesus. Hence the idea of “it” referring to “truth” prepares the way for the heart of the epistle found in verses 7–11, and it allows John to conclude this section by returning it to the idea of walking in truth.

However, we need to understand that no matter the “letter” of the Word, the commandment by the Father, Himself is to “walk in it.” The “Spirit” of the Word is to be obedient to the whole Word, thus demonstrating our love for it in truth.

¹ Howard Marshall, The Epistles of John, The New International Commentary on the New Testament.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received a commandment from the Father. And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. – 2 John 4-6.

The elder, as John refers to himself, begins the heart of the epistle on a positive note, with a word of encouragement and an expression of personal joy. He wishes to continue the warm affection established with his readers in the opening verses, thereby preparing them for the harsh warnings that will follow. Many a minister would do well to follow the wise strategy we see here (note Paul’s similar approach concerning the “Onesimus affair” in his letter to Philemon).

John rejoices because of a good report he has received concerning these believers (see 3 John 3). There is a depth of intensity to the joy John has experienced upon discovering that members of this community are walking in truth. The phrase, “I have found,” suggests that the time of John’s discovery was in the past but also that he believes their walking in the truth continues.

How did John discover these things about the chosen lady’s children? The text does not say. Perhaps he had actually met some of them and discovered firsthand their commitment to obey the Father. News may have reached him by a report from visitors or traveling missionaries. Regardless of how the information arrived, this community had cultivated a reputation for devotion to the truth of God.

Some students of Scripture have emphasized the word “some” in the verse, and taken it to mean that certain children were walking in the truth but that others were not. John may only be referring to those children whom he had actually met, however, and that they constitute “some” of the total fellowship. Given the positive and encouraging thrust of verse 4, to read a negative judgment between the lines seems unnecessary and unwarranted.

“Walking in truth” indicates that truth is both what we believe and how we live. It is doctrine and duty, creed and conduct. As with so many spiritual characteristics, it denotes action; an active participation. The wonderful Baptist preacher Vance Havner used to say: “What we live is what we believe. Everything else is just religious talk.”

John notes that walking in the truth is a commandment we previously received from the Father. It may be that he is alluding to 1 John 3:23. Any other attempt to specify a canonical reference is difficult to support. However, it would support the precedence of the Epistle of 1 John. It may be that John’s intent is simply to stress the ultimate source (the Father) of the message (to love one another) and to remind us to whom we are ultimately accountable.

Continuing into verse 5, John utilizes a form of address. The word “dear” is not in the original text, although its addition captures the elder’s intent. Understanding “lady” as referring to a local congregation, as many scholars suggest, the words that follow are for the whole body of believers. The gentle and sensitive approach taken by John again ensures that he will gain a receptive hearing.

“And now” has a logical force flowing from the previous commendation of verse 4. Since they are walking in the truth, John is confident they will welcome his call to “love one another.” John does not have a new word for this congregation. This sets him apart from the “deceivers” found in verse 7 and those that “transgress” in verse 9, who boast of something more, something new. John is not one who believes old is always bad and new is always better. Truth is truth regardless of its age, for all truth ultimately finds its source in God.

“The commandment [we] have heard from the beginning” (a favorite and recurring phrase in the epistle of 1 John) is simple and worthy of being repeated: “We should love one another.” What John means by “from the beginning” may bear the same meaning in each instance, although each occurrence should be evaluated in context. Here John seems to be referring to the origin of the Christian faith itself embodied in the person of Jesus Christ.

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Acts 9:3-18

Utterly at God’s Disposal

The disciple God uses must be utterly at God’s disposal. Ananias was living in such close touch with the Lord that he could recognize Jesus speaking to him. The Lord said in a vision, “Ananias,” and he said, “Here I am, Lord.” – Acts 9:10.

Ananias was on speaking terms with the Lord. Are you? Acts 9:10–16 reveals the intimate conversation that went on between Ananias and Jesus. The Lord asked Ananias to go (verse 15) and Ananias went (verse 17). There was complete obedience.

A man once recorded his meeting with General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, with these words:

When I looked into his face and saw him brush back his hair from his brow, heard him speak of the trials and the conflicts and the victories, I said “General Booth, tell me what has been the secret of your success.” He hesitated a second, and I saw the tears come into his eyes and steal down his cheeks, and then he said, “I’ll tell you the secret. God has had all there was of me to have. There have been men with greater opportunities; but from the day I got the poor of London on my heart and a vision of what Jesus Christ could do, I made up my mind that God would have all there was of William Booth, and if there’s anything of power in the Salvation Army today, it is because God has had all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will, and all the influence of my life.”

The listener reported: “I learned from William Booth that the greatness of a man’s power was in the measure of his surrender.”

Leads Others to Blessing

The disciple God uses must be full of Christ-like love. When Ananias went to Saul he did not say, “You scoundrel, you persecutor of the church! You’ve done much evil!”

What did Ananias say? And what was his attitude? He laid his hands affectionately on Saul and said, “Brother Saul” (verse 17). There was great love and compassion in those words.

This is a test of our Christianity. When you are harmed and hurt by another Christian, are you able to go and say “Brother”?

Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” – Matthew 6:12 (NLT). The Bible admonishes us to be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven us. We need Christ’s love in our hearts.

Full of Christlike Love

The believer God uses should lead others into the blessings of Christianity. On the threshold of his new life, Ananias led Saul into the fullness of spiritual blessing, for he showed him how to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17).

Ananias knew how imperative it is for any disciple of Christ Jesus to be filled with the Holy Spirit if he or she is to live graciously and serve God effectively. At Pentecost the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is as essential to the disciple’s life as gasoline is to an automobile. God commands us to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).

A story is told of the great German composer, Mendelssohn:

It was said he once visited a cathedral containing one of the most priceless organs in Europe. He listened to the organist and then asked permission to play. “I don’t know you,” was the reply. “And we don’t allow any chance stranger to play upon this organ.”

At last, the great musician persuaded the organist to let him play. As Mendelssohn played, the great cathedral was filled with such music as the organist had never heard. With tears in his eyes, he laid his hand on Mendelssohn’s shoulder. “Who are you?” he asked. “Mendelssohn,” came the reply.

The old organist was dumbfounded. “To think,” he said, “the master was here, and I nearly forbade him to play upon my organ!”

If we only knew what wonderful, harmonious service the Holy Spirit can draw out of our lives, we would not be content until He has complete possession and is working in us and through us to do His will.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Where noted, Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation®, NLT © 2015 by Tyndale House.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.