5/17/26 - The Books of 2nd & 3rd John - Pastor Josh Stelly
Part One: Guarding the Door (2 John)
2 John 1–3 NASB 2020The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth, because of the truth which remains in us and will be with us forever: Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
2 John 4–6 NASB 2020I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received a commandment to do from the Father. Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you are to walk in it.
2 John 7 NASB 2020For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
2 John 10–11 NASB 2020If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.
2 John 8–9 NASB 2020Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not remain in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who remains in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
Part Two: Opening the Door Wide (3 John)
3 John 1 NASB 2020The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.
3 John 2 NASB 2020Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.
3 John 3–4 NASB 2020For I was overjoyed when brothers came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.
3 John 5–7 NASB 2020Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brothers and sisters, and especially when they are strangers; and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.
3 John 8 NASB 2020Therefore we ought to support such people, so that we may prove to be fellow workers with the truth.
3 John 9 NASB 2020I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.
3 John 10 NASB 2020For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with malicious words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brothers either, and he forbids those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.
3 John 11 NASB 2020Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does what is good is of God; the one who does what is evil has not seen God.
1. Gaius: generous, truth-loving, open-handed.2. Diotrephes: self-serving, controlling, closed.3. Demetrius: a life so aligned with the gospel that the truth itself serves as his character reference.
Which portrait looks most like yours?
Bringing It Together
Guard the truth.Advance the truth.Resist the spirit of Diotrephes.Be a Demetrius.
John started as a Son of Thunder: impulsive, ambitious, ready to call down fire on his enemies. He ended as the Apostle of Love, still fierce in his devotion to truth, but entirely consumed by the love that had transformed him.
That same transformation is available to every one of us.
"Little children, keep yourselves from idols." — 1 John 5:21
Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)