Introduction to 2, 3 John
2 and 3 John are clearly personal letters written to very close associates of the writer. The difference in tone and form in these letters has led some scholars to question their attribution to the Apostle John, however a logical evaluation will tell anyone that personal letters take on a different language that something like John’s Gospel or 1 John.
That being said, 2 and 3 John give us a clear glimpse into the world of first century Christianity as the Apostles and their first students wrestle to keep the Gospel pure and the saints from being led astray.
As with all Bible studies, commentaries or guided studies are useful resources to help keep the study on track. A good place to start is with the People’s Bible Commentary available from the Northwest Publishing House of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Here also is a link to the public domain commentary on 2 John and 3 John available at BibleGatway.com, the source of the Bible references used in these Bible studies.
This study is part of the three-year Bible study available from the WELS and begun on 1 January 2006 on this weblog.
Possibly our single greatest responsibility to our fellow Christians is to encourage each other to continue in our faith. This encouragement sometimes comes in the form of support during hard times, sometimes in the form of shared joy at the blessings God has given us, and sometimes in council and warning when someone has gone astray.
John’s two letters give us a glimpse into this responsibility as carried out by one of the Apostles. In these letters, John provides us a guide for our own dealings with our fellow Christians. He encourages, praises, and cautions the recipients of these letters in order to keep them in the faith.
Further, and perhaps more importantly, John promises to come to each of the addressees to share fellowship with them. That example, to meet with and celebrate our salvation with fellow believers for the benefit of all, is the way in which we are best able to fulfill our responsibility to our fellow Christians.
So, let us look out for one another, meeting together for regular worship, supporting, encouraging, and correcting as necessary so that we all reach the goal of Heaven together.
DLH
