The Journal of Biblical Accuracy

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2 John 8-9 : to "everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ

Moving on to the second epistle of John, in verses 8 and 9 we read:

"Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son."

Again John uses the "abiding" as a measure. Abiding means staying. To abide in something you need, after you have started it, to make up your mind to continue in it, to stay in it. To have the Father and the Son, to have them coming and making their home with us, we have to abide in the teaching of Christ i.e. to abide in His Word. Indeed as the Lord said:

John 14:23-24
"Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me."

Again there is an "if" and there is an "and" (in fact three of them). If we love Christ then we will keep His Word, we will abide in His teaching. And, as a result, the Father will love us and He with His Son will come and make their home in us. But if we do not keep His Word, if we do not abide in the teaching of Christ, then this means that we do not love Him, and in turn it means that we have neither the Father nor the Son. Many may not like these words, but they are the plain truth of the Word of God.

Next section: 2 Peter 1:5-11 : "Make every effort to supplement your faith"

 

Author: Anastasios Kioulachoglou