Bible Question:
The Second Epistle of John what does verse 3 mean. |
Bible Answer: Greetings, This is a standard greeting used by John, Jude, Paul, and Peter at the start of most of their writings. The promotion of Grace, Mercy, and Peace is unique in the New Testament, and it is a mainstay of Christian Theology. While the Old Testament does speak of a coming peace, most of the prophecies it contains are about judgment. So, this teaching that Grace, Mercy, and Peace comes from God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit was a radical teaching at the time. There's also something else to consider as well when it comes to John's addition of "in truth and love". Most of his writings, especially his epistles, was written to counter a heretical movement within the early church called Gnosticism. Gnosticism basically taught that Man's body was evil and that only the spirit is good. They also taught that salvation was in the form separation from the physical body. They also denied that Jesus the man was God and denied that God could come in the flesh. Rather, they believed that Jesus was a man who was possessed by the spirit of God. Because of their views on the body being evil, they treated the body harshly as well. When you read John's epistles in light of what Gnosticism taught, much of it makes a lot of sense. Jesus's teachings "I am the way, the truth, and the life ..." was directly opposite of gnostic teachings, as was his teachings on love. John, in his first epistle, places a heavy emphasis on Christian love. In fact, he goes so far to say that a person who does not love is not saved. Again, this counters how Gnosticism viewed the physical world. They didn't act out of love, but hatred because they viewed matter as evil and spirit as good. So, this message of grace, mercy, and peace is intended to remind people the basic beliefs and behavior of Christianity, and to remind people that it was brought to us in love and in truth by God and Jesus Christ. Jalek |
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Questions and/or Subjects for 2 John | Author | ||
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Makarios | ||
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Jesus_Keeps_Me | ||
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gtedb7697 | ||
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juliemaedan | ||
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azurelaw | ||
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azurelaw | ||
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azurelaw | ||
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Jalek |