The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 John 8-11, “Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. 9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; 11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.”

No apostle of Jesus Christ speaks more about love than the Apostle John. Remember, John and his brother,

James, were called “the sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). In time, they mellowed, and John is enabled to write of love and faithfulness. He wants us to lay hold of love, too. It is more powerful for accomplishing the LORD’s purpose than intellect or status of any kind. In his later life, John has learned how to live and behave as the LORD desired.

John warns that there are teachers (pastors, missionaries, professors, et al) who become arrogant and go beyond what the Scriptures teach. Many so-called Christian books today go beyond what the Bible teaches; and seeking to be among the “elite,” readers absorb these ideas in preference to the Scriptures.

John’s warning is serious, practical advice: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching (i.e., the

pure unadulterated teaching of Scripture), do not receive him into your house.” The last bastion of security

each of us has is his own home. Where do we run when we have not place to hide? Home! So, don’t let anyone enter, who would invade your house with false teaching.

One commentator writes: “He who denies Christ’s coming in the flesh, denies the possibility of the incarnation; he who denies that He has come, denies its actuality. They denied the possibility of a Messiah’s appearing, or coming, in the flesh. I think the Greek present participle implies both the first and the second advent of Christ. He is often elsewhere called the Coming One (Greek), Matthew 11:3 ; Hebrews 10:37 manifestation in the flesh, at His first coming, and of His personal advent again, constitutes Antichrist. “The world turns away from God and Christ, busily intent upon its own husks; but to OPPOSE God and Christ is of the leaven of Satan.”

We are never to be obnoxious or hateful toward unbelievers; but we are to keep them out of our houses and,

by doing so, reject their false doctrine. We’re not even to say “Goodbye,” which means “God bless you.” For to say that aligns us with their evil doctrine. Remember this when they knock on your door.

Prayerfully loving you, as we await Jesus’ Return,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”