John and Jude Overview

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As I have explained in the past, one of the reasons I am doing this blog is I am curious to see what kind of messages one might get from reading the bible. What might one learn as a take-away. Here is my quick summary of the good and bad from 1, 2 & 3 John and Jude

I have been trying to categorize the various items so that similar items will be next to each other. I will start with the categories that have all good items, next show categories with some good and some bad items, then finish with categories with all bad items.

Good

--Mercy--

Jude 22 Help those who need it

"And have mercy on those who doubt"

--Selfishness--

1 John 1:3 You should share good things in life with other people

"that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ."

--Skepticism--

1 John 4:1 Don't believe everything you hear

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world."

Jude 4 Be aware of enemies in your midst

"For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."

Good and Bad

--Faith--

1 John 2:4 If you really have faith you will do works

"Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him"

1 John 3:22 God will give us whatever we ask for

"and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him"

1 John 4:12 No one has ever seen God

"No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us."

--Love--

1 John 3:17 Love each other and help those in need

"But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?"

1 John 3:18 Talk is cheap, show love with your actions

"Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth."

2 John 5,10-11 Love those who agree with you, hate those who don't

"love one another"

"If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works."

Bad

--Apocalypse--

1 John 2:18 It is the last hour

"Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour."

Jude 18-19 End times prediction

"They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions." It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit."

--Church Politics--

1 John 2:23 You can't worship God without Jesus

"No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also."

1 John 5:10 If you don't believe in Jesus you make God a liar

"...Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son."

3 John 9 Petty bickering between church leaders

"I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority."

--Evil--

1 John 1:8 We are all sinners

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

1 John 2:16 the world is evil, sex is bad

"For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions--is not from the Father but is from the world."

1 John 3:6 If you sin you can't be with God

"No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him."

--Fear--

Jude 23 Use fear tactics if necessary

"save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh."


1 John 4:18 Love casts out fear

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."

1 John 5:19 Satan has power over the whole world

"We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one."

--Justice--


1 John 3:15 Murder and hate are the same

"Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."

--Knowledge--


Jude 10 Punished for ignorance and following God given instincts

"But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively."

--Persecution--


1 John 3:13 Persecution complex

"Do not be surprised, brothers,that the world hates you."

--Sin--


1 John 5:18 Christians don't sin

"We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him."


Jude 8 Sex, disobedience, and blasphemy are the worst sins

"Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones."

--Teachers--


1 John 2:27 You don't need teachers, you get everything you need to know from Jesus

"But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie--just as it has taught you, abide in him."

2 John: Hate masquerading as love

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As usual, with a new book I start by looking at the wikipedia page. With respect to authorship, it says that the language is similar to 3 John so they are likely to have been written by the same person, and in fact the traditional view is that all 4 book supposedly written by John were in fact written by the same person.

The beginning and end of this book mention a lady, which are typically interpreted to mean the church. Another view is that it is addressed to a specific lady named Kyria, however that seems to not be terribly popular.

Greeting (v. 1-3)

Basically just a greeting to "the elect lady and her children", which again, according to the wikipedia page is about the church and the congregation.

Walking in Truth and Love (v. 4-11)

The most important commandment is to love one another and John is happy that he sees many people following this commandment.

This sounds pretty good. Also, from the language used here, I think it is pretty likely that the interpretation of the lady being the church and the children being the congregation makes the most sense.

Many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not preach that Christ has come in the flesh. Be careful listening to them so you don't lose your reward. Whoever is with God has both the father and the son, if anyone comes without this message, do not invite them into your house or give them any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in their wicked works.

So much for the message of spreading love. If someone disagrees with your religion, you are supposed to shun them. Terrible. It's really amazing to me that this is an obvious message of hate but it claims to be a message of love. It reminds me of people who want freedom of speech, but only for those who agree with them. We don't need to protect speech that is popular, in the same way you don't have to tell people to love those who they already love.

This should be fun, let's see how the Christian commentaries try to get out of this, obviously terrible, message. Let's start with Guzik. He starts by saying that it is not talking about shunning them altogether, but just having no religious connection to them. We should not let them speak in the church. On the other hand, he quotes Boice who points out that giving them hospitality is helping them spread their false words, and therefore we shouldn't do it. He also says that 

John means greets in a much more involved context than our own. In that culture, it meant to show hospitality and give aid.

 but then he follows it up with

Yet, for the weak or unskilled believer, it is best if they do not even greet (in the sense of speaking to) those who promote a false Jesus (like the Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses).

Seems that he is just trying to have it both ways.

Ray Steadman says that Christians are not supposed to simply slam the door in the face of any non-Christian, they should accept the strangers into their homes, but make the theological differences clear. This certainly sounds better, but it doesn't seem to mesh very well with the command to not even give them a greeting. He further says that if you continue to let them into your home you are endorsing their doctrine. So I guess in his mind you should help them out but only for a short time.

Gill doesn't even try to justify it. He says

their ministry should not be attended on in the church, or house of God; and they should not be entertained in private houses, and much less caressed

He goes on to say that you shouldn't even bid them God speed, going on to explain

The meaning is, that with such no familiar conversation should be had, lest any encouragement should be given them; or it should induce a suspicion in the minds of other saints, that they are in the same sentiments; or it should tend to make others think favourably of them, and be a snare and a stumbling block to weak Christians.

One more comment here, the bit about the reward. I have seen a lot of talk about morality lately, but if your entire reason for doing things is for personal reward then it isn't really about morality, just selfishness on a longer timescale.

Final Greetings (v. 12-13)

I have much to say but would rather do it in person.

Sounds good, doesn't help us though.

For the overview post (If you think I should add or remove stuff from this list please let me know, I think it would make good conversation)

Bad:

2 John 5,10-11 Love those who agree with you, hate those who don't

"love one another"

"If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works."