John wrote his second letter out of concern for false teaching that was being promoted, and tolerated, within the Church.
He addressed the fact that believers are to function in a relationship of love to one another and in the context of the truth that God has given. One 'method' of false teachers is to deceitfully draw the attention of the Church away from the Word of God, and on to people. This love is in evidence by obedience to that truth, not by tolerating teaching contrary to the truth as given in the Word of God.
This continues to be an ongoing struggle in the church today - for love to be in the realm of the Truth. When it is, it will serve to unify, not divide genuine believers.
He gives a very serious warning about the danger of being deceived when false teachers are tolerated. He makes clear there are two realms of accountability before God. One, false teachers will be held accountable for what they have taught, and there are no excuses before God. And two, believers are without excuse when they are deceived by false teachers and their teaching they have exposed themselves to. Why? Because both have the Truth given to them.
The Church, different from the world, must be intolerant of anything that is not in conformity to the Word of God.
John did not hesitate to identify these false teachers as deceivers because of their methods and as 'antichrists' because of their blasphemous message openly denying the person of Jesus Christ.
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In the fall of 1969, Gil began a full-time teaching ministry as Senior Pastor of Indian Hills Community Church. He also earned his Ph.D. from the California Graduate School of Theology. The focus of Pastor Rugh’s ministry is systematic, verse-by-verse teaching of the Bible. As a...
