Between Sisters Blog | The Only Truth, Part Two

In the last post, we saw that believers are to know the truth and to walk in the truth. But these two alone are not enough. We must abide or remain in the truth to discern and avoid false teaching.

Abide in the Truth (2 John 7–13)

In this section, John lays out the importance of being rooted in Scripture in the face of false teaching. These deceivers around this church were denying the very fact that Jesus was God in human flesh. Although “Christian ethics called for Christians to show hospitality to traveling teachers and missionaries when they came to town,” John lays out a strong warning to not receive false teachers into your house or say any greetings to them. These teachers are deceivers and antichrists (those who are “against Christ”). In Matthew 24:23–27, Jesus warned that false teachers would come. Do not be deceived or act like this was just this church’s problem! Our world has its fair share of deceivers, false teachers, and antichrists and that will continue until the final Antichrist of the Great Tribulation in Revelation comes. Religious liberalism has grown to such immense extents in our postmodern age that the very nature of truth is up to each person to determine. Even within evangelical groups, the Bible’s inerrancy and authority is questioned and often denied. This is our modern spirit of the antichrist, and John warns us with brevity and urgency to be on guard around the clock in verse 8. “Complacency may lead us to a false sense of security, thinking we are beyond the seductive nature of false teachers and their teaching.” And what do we stand to lose? John Stott says, “The thought is not of their winning or losing their salvation (which is a free gift), but their reward for faithful service. The metaphor seems to be taken from the payment of labor, since reward (misthos) is a workman’s wage (as in Mt. 20:8; John 4:36; James 5:4).” Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:14 points to the fact that believers will be judged for what they lay upon the foundation laid by Jesus and it will be tested by fire. They will not lose their salvation, but the things they valued on this earth that did not support the gospel foundation Christ has laid will be destroyed. This is what we stand to lose. 

The key according to verse 9 is whether we abide in the teaching of Christ or we leave it for the deception of these false teachers. David Allen says, “The false teachers John is referring to considered themselves progressives, advanced thinkers. Progress in the Christian life is commendable. Growth in spiritual maturity is the order of the day. However, progressive thinking beyond gospel truth leads to untruth and is condemned for the error that it is.” Persevering in the doctrines that are grounded in the Word of God and the true gospel of Jesus Christ is overwhelming evidence of someone who is genuinely saved.