By looking at both these letters, we gain significant insights into the responsibility all believers have as adult sons and daughters of the Father, and also into the role of church leaders. In these letters we see John—the disciple of Jesus according to church tradition—as an ‘elder’ in relation to two local fellowships that he has either recently visited or plans to visit. Further, he seems to be writing from the context of two other local groups of believers, and he appears closely connected to a group of believers who visit such local churches.

The first thing we note about all these groups is the intimate family terms John uses to describe relationships among the believers and between the churches. In the second of these letters John speaks of ‘brothers and sisters’ who are also ‘friends’ and ‘co-workers’ to each other. So these are adult relationships, including the mentoring relationships that the two ‘chosen’ women mentioned in the first letter have with their ‘sons and daughters’—and that John implies having with Gaius and some other ‘sons and daughters’. And since John seems to have a very close relationship with these two ‘sisters’, he may have been a spiritual ‘father’ to them as well.

Secondly, John emphasizes the adult responsibility of all believers in both letters. For in the main part of the first one he speaks to all the members of the local congregation (‘YOU’ plural), even though he starts and ends the letter addressing the ‘chosen’ woman (‘you’ singular) who seems to be their mentor and leader.[iii] The second letter he addresses only to a prominent church member named Gaius, though he has earlier sent a separate letter to Diotrephes, the man who appears to act as the primary leader in the church. Both of the above letters refer to a specific church problem; yet John doesn't begin either letter by bringing up the problem. In the first letter, he initially writes about what all believers (‘we’) receive, and are accountable to do, ‘alongside the Father’. Alongside the Father and alongside Jesus—‘the Son’, our Eldest Brother—we continue to receive grace, mercy and peace as we walk in both truth and love according to the commandments that the Father has given us through Jesus. In the second letter, even though John doesn't directly mention either the Father or Jesus, he still opens his letter using family terminology. He rejoices that his ‘sons and daughters’ in this church, including Gaius, are walking in truth and acting in love towards their ‘brothers and sisters’—including towards some who are ‘strangers’ to them. ‘We’ all ‘ought to receive such people’, John says, as ‘co-workers for the truth’.

While one of the responsibilities of the believers in this church involves receiving brothers and sisters whom they have not met before, the warning given to those in the other church, ironically, involves a responsibility to not receive certain former brothers and sisters who have ‘gone out into the world’ and who deceptively promote a purportedly more advanced version of Jesus' teaching—one that says the Messiah didn’t really come ‘in the flesh’. Because Jesus' incarnation and bodily resurrection are core elements of his teaching, John tells the believers: ‘YOU’ are responsible to make sure ‘YOU’ continue to ‘abide’ in the teaching and commands of Jesus that you received. Have nothing to do with these deceptive teachers, for their divisive ideas usually cover up ‘evil deeds’ as well (Rom.16:17-18, Med.#70; Tit.3:10, Med.#73). These former brothers and sisters, he says, have lost family fellowship with both the Father and the Son, and YOU might lose it too if YOU associate with them.

Thirdly, leaders and mentors—like John and the woman addressed in the first letter—still have an important role to play, especially when the truth of core teaching is being challenged. For this breeds insecurity in a community, and people can easily become fearful and judgmental towards each other. Mature leaders must counter this by reminding all believers of the fundamental nature of Jesus' command to love one another; for it is love that drives out fear (1 Jn.4:18, Med.#52). At the same time, according to John, love cannot be separated from core truths, since love includes walking in obedience to all the Father's commands. John, as ‘the elder’, models such love by not commanding his spiritual daughter to emphasize all this. Instead he entreats her to do so, thus making it clear to everyone that Jesus' commands come from the Father, not from a church hierarchy.

This, however, is not clear in the other church. For there, an immature leader, Diotrephes, has reacted to some visiting brothers and sisters out of fear. Though these ‘strangers’ come highly recommended by John and ‘everyone’ else in the region, he refuses to receive both them and a letter from John. He seems to have believed a rumor that they are compromised because they and John take financial support from believers who are too ‘conformed to the nations’. So he slanders them and forbids the members of his congregation, under threat of expulsion, to have anything to do with them. While thinking he is the one walking in truth, his fondness for being the one in charge is actually compromising his own ability to walk in love. So John tells Gaius that he will come ‘soon’ and personally confront Diotrephes. In the meantime, he encourages Gaius: Don't ‘go along’ with his evil behavior, and ‘you will do well if you send’ the visitors on their way with some financial ‘assistance’—whether Diotrephes approves or not!

Are you taking your responsibility as an adult son or daughter of the Father to walk faithfully in both love and truth, and to abide in Jesus' teaching even if leaders in your church are not doing so? Also when visiting teachers promote a more ‘advanced’ version of his teaching? And if you are a church leader or spiritual mentor, are you a domineering one?—or one who empowers your ‘sons and daughters’ to take responsibility as fellow adults?

Father, I receive your grace, mercy and peace, and I choose to walk alongside you today in truth and in love for my brothers and sisters and for all people, in obedience to the commandments that we received from you through the teaching of Jesus. Fill me with your Spirit that I may walk in line with your Spirit today and be mature and holy like you are. (2 Jn3-4,9; Eph.5:18; Gal.5:25; Mat.5:48; 1 Pet.1:16)

 [i] As with my ‘harmony’ of the gospels (GH) and of Paul (PH), I have made my own translation based on the Greek text and the KJV.

[ii] Since the singular form of this Greek word can be either male or female, and can refer to adults as well as to children, the plural form of it—when referring to adults— is more accurately rendered as ‘sons and daughters’.

[iii] Since John uses ‘YOU’ (plural) to address the whole church (2 Jn.6,8-12), it doesn't make a lot of sense that he would also have the whole church in mind when he uses ‘you’ (singular) to address the ‘chosen lady’ (vs.4-5,13). In an earlier meditation we saw that Paul speaks of how a woman ‘minister’ of a church, Phoebe, had also been a ‘mentor’ or ‘father’ to him, and to many others (Rom.16:1-2, Med.#71).