A Letter From John

By Kenneth Hendricks
Bible Book: 2 John 
Subject: Christian Living; the Church

I. The Identity of the Writer, Vs. 1

A. He Was An Elder, Vs. 1

"The elder..." vs. 1. John was a church leader. He identifies himself as The elder. The word elder here is also translated presbyter, which could identify an aged man but I don't believe the bible figures went around saying "Hey, this is from the old man". I believe the term was used to identify John's office in the church. Not only do we see John was an elder but also he was an apostle.

B. He Was An Apostle, Vs. 1

"The elder..." vs. 1. This word not only describes his relationship to his office in the church but also describes his relationship to Christ. John was an apostle. Peter also took this same stand, he calls himself an apostle in I Peter 1:1, "...an apostle of Jesus Christ." He also calls himself an elder in I Peter 5:1, "...who am also an elder." The apostles were men who'd walked with Christ. They were one of the twelve. Not only do we see the identity of the writer but also the identity of the woman.

II. The Identity Of The Woman, Vs. 1

A. She is the One John Loved, Vs. 1

"...unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love..." vs. 1. Listen! John loved the church! The church is the bride of Christ! She is the heart of God and now the heart of John! John knew that Judizers were lurking to sway the church into false doctrine. I believe John's love for the church compelled him        to write this urgent letter. Not only do we see that she is the one that John loved but also she is the one others loved.

B. She is the One Others Loved, Vs. 1

"...also all they that have known the truth," vs. 1. True believers have a passion for the inerrancy of the words of God. Sometimes it feels like we're all alone in our stand for God's truth but I believe there are others out there who stand with us. Our popularity will dwindle as we stand fast. John is about to tell his beloved church "Standfast!" Notice his words of encouragement "...all they..." (vs. 1). We're not alone, there are others out there standing with you. Why? Because they love the truth! God's word is truth! Jesus said ...I am the way, the truth, and the life... John 14:6. It pains us greatly to see churches fall into error. Not all churches stand on the truth, but we're not