If you're not familiar with 2 John I encourage you to take a look at it. In these short thirteen verses John reiterates the themes of 1 John, truth, love and obedience, but there's also a focus on what Christian hospitality is all about. The letter may seem like he is writing to an individual, but he is actually writing to a congregation as in 1 John. The congregation, like us, needed to remember the imperative command of loving one another. Love, if not real, is pretty hard to fake and it becomes obvious over time. The most interesting part of this letter is when John tells the "elect" how to deal with the deceivers. John tells them, "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him." What an odd statement for the "Apostle of Love." John was serious of how to deal with these heretics, and we should be too. Truthfully, false prophets, antichrists and deceivers are not to share in the provision of hospitality. We must guard our hearts, but we must be especially careful with new (less mature) Christians. The desire to learn about God's Word is in every believer, but discernment must be used when dealing with doctrine. At RVCC we take doctrine very seriously, and I would love for you to come see what I mean. We meet every Saturday at 6:00PM and dig into God's Word with great zeal. Please join us and learn about what John meant when he warned against false teachers.
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