This week we are beginning a study I’m calling the “Tiny But Mighty,” an in-depth look at the books of the Bible with no more than three chapters. Because of their briefness, these books are sometimes treated as inconsequential or insignificant compared to their weightier counterparts. As a result, we often skim through them, use them as filler material, or skip them altogether.
Yet these books, while brief, often carry an extra punch due to their direct approach and singular focus, books that go straight for the jugular, if you will. Their precise treatment of one basic topic leaves no room for tangents to muddy the waters, and they provide us simple, undiluted truth. That makes the study of these books necessary to our spiritual lives and helpful in developing clear thinking as Christians.
Questions to ponder:
Why do we often equate short or small with insignificant?
How can we treat these short books of the Bible with the same high regard as the longer ones?
Ground Rules
Before we begin, I would like to make some recommendations concerning your use of this study:
- Use a literal/word-by-word translation Bible—for we will be studying the Bible. This will be easier to do if you have the text in front of you. And because we are studying the Bible, sometimes word by word, I ask that you use a word-by-word translation (sometimes also called literal) so that we might be generally on the same page. ESV, NASB, KJV/NKJ, and Amplified are all examples of literals. I personally use NASB for my English Bible, cross-referencing through others.
- Engage brain & participate—We learn best by doing. So my hope and goal is to encourage you to engage with the text. However, there’s only so much I can do. You also need to be willing to participate and to think, not merely read. So engage your brain and participate through pondering the questions and even finding someone to discuss them with you.
- Willingness to linger. While I tried to maintain a reasonable pace in this study and not get bogged down, I also sought to take the necessary time to grapple with every set of verses encountered and not shortchange any of them, even when difficult.
- Check pre-conceived notions. We will come to these books with some pre-conceived notions about them. While it is impossible to set everything aside, I ask that you set aside as much as possible. For I desire to focus on what the text says, not what others have said about the text.
- Pray. Handling the Word of God accurately and teaching it clearly is no small task. So I encourage you to take a few minutes to pray before reading these lessons, that your heart may be ready to hear, understand, and act upon God’s truth.
Likewise, there are a few things you should know about me, as it affects how I have written this study. I am…
- A Literalist—I take Scripture at face value and try to err on that side, even if hard to swallow or understand.
- A Spiritual Mutt—My beliefs tend to wander across established denominational lines. My foundation is the Word of God and sound logic.
- Fallible—I studied hard for these lessons, but I am human. I will err, so grant me grace, and if something seems off, please question me before making assumptions. Many church—and denominational—arguments come from misunderstandings or using identical terms in different ways. So ask for clarification. And remember I’m still learning too.
- A Preparer. Accordingly, I did my best to prepare thoroughly for each lesson, using a wide variety of resources in my study. For this study, my resources included a Greek New Testament, the BibleWorks software, Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary, Bauer’s Greek-English Lexicon, Wallace’s Greek Grammar: Beyond the Basics, the abridged Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, and commentaries by Charles Swindoll and William Barclay.
Now let us begin our study of Second John!
Intro to 2 John
Read Second John.
Before we dig into the specific details of this book, let’s set the stage for its teaching by laying the contextual foundation:
Book style (how): The type and style of book will often directly impact how we interpret a book—that is, we don’t interpret poetry the same way as a historical account. The book of Second John is classified as an epistle. That means it was a letter written by a person of authority to instruct a person or a group of people concerning a specific topic or concern that was too important to leave unaddressed until the author could visit in person. Therefore, the style will be didactic, with the purpose to teach, and the language will be specific, informative, and practical for the most part.
Author: The opening of this letter identifies the sender as “the Elder.” The church has always ascribed this book to the Apostle John, a claim that has never been seriously contested and is indeed upheld for a variety of textual reasons, including literary style and similarity of topic to the other books bearing his name.
The Apostle John was a fisherman by trade, the son of Zebedee, who spent time with John the Baptist and was first introduced to Jesus through the Baptizer, when he pointed out “The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” He was later called by Jesus to be part of the original twelve disciple, along with his older brother James, to spend time with Jesus and learn from Him during the three and a half years of public ministry. Some believe him to be the youngest of the Twelve, and he was so known for a fiery temper that he and James were nicknamed by Jesus as the “Sons of Thunder.” In addition to being part of the Twelve, John was also part of the inner circle of three, along with his brother James and with Peter, so that he witnessed additional miracles and events such as the Transfiguration.
In the gospel bearing his name, John refers to himself the disciple whom Jesus loved, sat beside Jesus at the Last Supper, and was entrusted with the care of Jesus’ mother Mary at the Crucifixion. According to tradition, John was the last of the Twelve to die and the only one of the Twelve to die a natural death. Five books of the New Testament are credited to John: the Gospel of John, the three general epistles bearing his name, and the book of Revelation.
Recipient: The exact recipient of Second John is unclear and unknown due to the rather unspecific address of “to a chosen lady and her children.” Some believe this refers to an unidentified woman and her family known personally by John. Others say that “the chosen lady” is a church (since the church is referred to as the bride of Christ) and that “her children” were the believers of that church. In the end, it makes little difference, as the instructions in this letter apply equally to the individual and the corporate.
When and Where:
Again, the precise location is unknown, but due to John’s leadership in
Themes and Purpose: Love is a common theme in both John’s gospel and his letters, and all three of his letters deal with the intersection of truth, love, and obedience.
This second letter specifically addresses the issue of keeping love within the riverbanks of truth. As a result, what is teaches us about God (its theological theme) is that He is a God of both truth and love. Its practical application for us as people (the anthropological theme) is how to walk in love according to the truth.
Outline of 2 John
In keeping with its brief nature, the book of Second John has a simple and straightforward structure:
· Greeting, v. 1-3
· Instruction on love, v. 4-6
· Warning against aiding false teachers—or loving without truth, v. 7-11
· Closing remarks, v. 12-13
So that’s the foundation for Second John. I hope you’ll consider joining me for the study of this small but mighty book!
Questions to ponder:
What do you hope to get out of this study?
What might you do to prepare yourself for this study?
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