Pastor Chris’ Corona Quarantine Epistles to the Flock of AIC Ngong Road, in Dispersion and Isolation. 102nd. Edition.
Dear Servants of the Most High,
Our passage today (2 John 4-6) gets right to the point that John wants to get across. The thought here is very similar to what we saw in 1 John. The two letters were written about the same time and the circumstances that prevailed were similar. It is most likely that the recipients of 2 John also got to read 1 John. While the former was a sort of circular to several churches, the latter is more personalised to a particular congregation.
Conduct (v. 4). John is in possession of information that gladdens his heart. Some of the members of the church have been “walking in the truth.” This is not to say that the rest have not, necessarily. John is commenting on what he knows. This is what gives joy to any true servant of God – that his charges will embrace the truth and live by it. The greatest pain for a servant of God is for people to ignore God and his word. This is why most of God’s prophets were unhappy and often depressed because people did not listen to them and the writing of God’s judgment was on the wall.
Command (v. 5). As we will remember, the idea of a new commandment is not itself new. In this context, John says the commandment is not new. Jesus told his disciples to love one another (John 13:34). John is only reiterating the words of Jesus. Mutual Christian love is fundamental to the expression of our faith. Jesus said it is the distinguishing mark of his disciples (John 13:35). The Christians were probably facing challenges as we are. Reaching out to the needy among them would have formed a major part of their demonstration of love, as it should ours.
Content (v. 6). In a sense, John is saying that obeying the commandments of Jesus and loving one another amount to the same thing. Paul expresses this clearly in Romans 13:8-40, concluding in verse 10 that “Love is the fulfillment of the law.”Another way of saying it would be that the test of our obedience to God is our love for others. Any indifference to the plight of others in their need or worse, hate, no matter what the object of our hate has done, is a definite call for self-examination (2 Corinthians 13:5).
How do you grade yourself when it comes to love? How would God grade you? That is your score for obedience!
Your Loving Pastor Chris.