Bolt Them Out

约翰二书
Introduction

During the mid 1980’s at Jubilee Church, there was a group of teenage girls who frequently talked about one particular person called “Diana.” “Diana” was their hot topic, and they discussed “Diana” openly. Even when there were other people around them, they just talked about Diana unreservedly – Diana did this, and Diana did that; Diana said this and Diana said that. Although at times, the parents and the Sunday School teachers wondered who that Diana was, and why was she so popular, they paid no serious attention to the Diana-talk among those girls.

Two years later, when the Diana-fever subsided, the group-leader of the girls revealed that Diana was not a girl. Those girls were “crazy” about a particular boy in the church. They made careful observation of the things he liked and the things he disliked. So, when they compared notes openly, they will use the name “Diana” to shield their parents’ radar from detecting their locked-on target. The day when “Diana” found a girlfriend for himself, and the girls were also quick to wind up their covert operation.

In the “2 John” epistle, the Apostle John addressed a lady by the name of “Lady Eclecta.” Many English versions translate the Greek name “Kyria Eclecta” as the “Chosen (Eclecta) Lady (Kyria).

Thus, many readers have the tendency to think that Lady Eclecta was an actual person.

The church has been referred to the “Elect,” or the Chosen people of God. Paul uses the metaphor of a bride to portray the Church’s relation to Christ. Thus, “Lady Eclecta” (The Chosen lady) is a fitting symbolic code that John used to address the Christian community at Ephesus.

The representation of Lady Eclecta is similar to that of the Statue of Liberty. The Lady Liberty symbolizes “Freedom from Oppression”; “ “Lady Eclecta” symbolizes the “Chosen People”. Both figures are not real women.

John wrote the 2John epistle between AD 80-90. In the 90’s John would be as old as Lee Kwan Yew today. So the people in the church called him “elder John”.

Table A
N.T. Books Date of Writing Roman Emperor
Gospel of John AD 70-80 Nero, AD 54-68
Vespasian, AD 69-79
I John; 2 John; & 3 John AD 70-90 Titus, AD 79-81
Domitian, AD 81-96

The Roman emperor during that time was Caesar Domitianus (AD 81-96). Yes, Nero (AD 54-68) was known to be an evil ruler, but Domitian was much more evil than Nero. The Apostle John refers to Emperor Domitian as the “Beast” in Revelation 13. Domitian decreed all people to worship him as God. Those who refused to comply were persecuted as enemies of the state. They lost their jobs, their properties were confiscated, and they were imprisoned. Hebrews 10:34-35 gives us a glimpse of the kind of persecution the early Christian faced. If you associate Domitian with the Star Wars’ character “Lord Darth Vader” His evil presence gave people the creep. When we compare Nero’s evil nature with that of Domitian’s, Nero would become a “Mother Teresa” standing next to Domitian.

At the time of writing 2 John, The Ephesus Christians met for fellowship and worship in the homes. Each house church nurtured about 25 believers. Persecution of the Christians was just starting. The crackdown on Christian activities was intermittent, on and off. To avoid courting unnecessary troubles, the churches had to lie low.

Before this period, the Apostles could address the Christians freely “To the church in Corinth; to the church in Philippi; to the church in Thessalonica. Now, the Apostle John would address the church using code-names,

“To lady Eclecta and her children, whom I love in the truth (v. 1),
and then concluded with “the children of your “chosen” sister send you their greetings” (v. 13).

The teaching of 2John applies Jesus’ teaching “Love one and another” to believers who were being deceived by false teaching. As the false teachers seek to mislead the church, the believers are to express Christian love by helping one another (fellow-believers) to walk in the truth. “To walk in the truth” means to learn the right doctrine concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ, then live it out and guard it.

The letter can be simply outlined this way:

I. (Verses 1-3) Introduction
II. (Verses 4-11) Warning against False Teaching about Christ
III. (Verses 12-13) Conclusion
As we zoom-in the center section verses 4-11, we see more details:

Note that 2 John has only one chapter, so when you hear “Let us read verse 10, do not ask your neighbor, chapter what?” If you annoy your neighbor, you might be told, “Verse 10 is after verse 9”.

Warning against False Teaching

1. The focus of the false teaching: Jesus Christ did not have a human nature (7a)
2. The true nature of the false teachers: They are “deceivers and antichrists” (7b)
3. The consequences of believing the false teaching: You cannot relate to the Father [if Jesus were not human]. (9)
4. How to treat false teacher who come to you: Bolt him out of your home; Do not welcome him (10).

A common belief in Ephesus was all matters are evil. We do evil things because we have a material body.

Proto-Gnostic View of the “Flesh”

1. All matters are evil
2. The human body (the flesh) is matter
3. Thus, the human body is evil (cause of sin)

This kind of belief can lead to callous and immoral living.

Proto-Gnostic View of Sin

1. I am good by nature, but I do evil things
2. Because I am entrapped in an evil body; So it’s not my fault when I do evils
3. Therefore, I am always good; I have no sins

These people would say, “I have no sin and I do not sin.” “The reason why I do evil things is because I am trapped in an evil body.” “So, should I steal something, I’m not at fault at all, my evil hand did it. My nature is always good.” So, people could justify all their wrong-doings by blaming them on their evil body. Just like today, many people would justify their addictions and evil-tendencies on their DNA. In Ephesus there were people leading sinful lives, and yet professing themselves to be blameless and without sins.

Thus the Apostle John reacted to this kind of excuse in 1 John 1:10,

10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us (1 John 1:10)

Those people corrupted further Christian doctrine by applying the proto-Gnostic idea to the nature and the works of Jesus Christ.

They would reason: Since the human body is evil, Jesus cannot save if he had a human body. Therefore, Jesus was never human.

Proto-Gnostic View of Jesus Christ

1. The human body is evil
2. Jesus cannot save if he had a human body
3. Therefore, Jesus was never human

Salvation is setting us free from the evil body. A physical resurrection would cause our spirit to be entrapped within a human body all over again. Therefore, there shall not be any resurrection.

1. Salvation sets us free from the evil body.
2. Resurrection will entrap us within body again.
3. Therefore, there will be no resurrection

Thus, there were teachers who professed to be Christian, but they went around teaching “Jesus Christ was not human; Jesus never came in the flesh.”

That is why, John warns the church in his letter,

7 Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ, as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist (2 John 7).

Of course the Apostle John will not hesitate to refute this kind of teaching. We may hear him reacting, “You claim that Jesus was never human? I will testify that Jesus is fully human. We were with Jesus since he started preaching. We observed Him carefully during the years we spent with together. I witnessed His crucifixion; I saw him die; and I went to his tomb. We touched him. Jesus was human in every way. As for you, how could you assert that Jesus was not human when you have never encountered Jesus”

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—
this we proclaim concerning the Word of life (1 John 1:1)

Some people may think that it is sufficient just to believe that Jesus is God. It does not matter whether Jesus Christ is human, or not. However, to claim that Jesus was never a human is not a trivial theological matter.

To the Apostles who thoroughly understood the saving works of Jesus, that is a very serious theological mistake. Why?

The works of Jesus’ atoning death, His resurrection, and His ascension
are all pinned on His humanity.

If Jesus were not human, then we cannot pray anymore, especially ending our praying with, “In the Name of Jesus”. Why? Because: Jesus did not qualify to be our mediator, the Great High Priest. Why? Because: He does represent us in His ascension to be in God’s presence, although He is now seated in His Father’s presence.

If Jesus were not human, then we will lose our loved ones forever when they die. Why? Because: We have no hope of resurrection. Why? Because: Jesus did not represent us in His resurrection He is alive today.

If Jesus were not human, then we condemned before God. Why? Because: Our sins are not forgiven. Why? Because: Jesus did not represent us in His atoning death although He was crucified.

The Works of Jesus – His Atoning Death, His Resurrection, & His Ascension, - are pinned on His Humanity.

So, you see –

1. We are forgiven because Jesus represented us in His atoning death

2. We eternal life because Jesus represented us in His resurrection

3. We are able to approach God because Jesus represented us in His ascension

John’s advice to the church concerning the false teachers is “bolt them out; don’t let them in.”

“Bolt them out; Don’t let them in.”

During the first century, traveling speakers and teachers would stay in the homes of friends or patrons in the town they visit. Those who professed to be Christian teachers would seek the homes of the believers for lodging.
Thus, John strongly advice the believers in Ephesus,

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this (sound) teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him (2 John 10).

Reason: Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work (v 11)

The kind of advice that John gave the church to combat false teaching is a form of “Preventive Measure.”

The preventive measure works only with certain people. It works well in certain situation, and it is effective only for a while. In the 1960s, there were many American Mormons visiting homes to preach Mormon “Christianity,” a different gospel. They were able to speak Cantonese or Hokkien to the dialect-speaking folks. The Mormon missionaries still come to Singapore today. They travel in twos, they are attractive in appearance. Should the Mormon preachers visit your home, do not be charmed by their celebrity-looks. Give them a drink if they are thirsty, but tell them to leave for the sake of protecting your young children and your elderly. Do not entertain them. That was the Apostle John’s idea – Taking preventive measure.

However, as your children grow, they have to face the world on their own. Even when you try to keep the false teachers out of your home, your teenage children can still say “Hi!” to “false teachers” of all kinds via the Internet. Social websites, like Face Book, are able to infiltrate closed doors. Have you ever visited the “Scientology” website? It is very well designed and highly attractive. If I were not a Christian, I might be enticed by the Scientologist’s ideas like a pin to a magnet. People who love mystery-solving stories with conspiracy plots may be drawn to movies project distorted facts, like the “Da Vinci Code”.

The Preventive Measure is not the only measure to deal with false teaching. We need to consider other types of measure to protect your family from false teaching.

In the epistles 1 & 2 Timothy, the Apostle Paul’s advice to Timothy in combating false teaching comprises not only the “Preventive Measure,” but also the “Counter Measure” and Corrective Measure” as well.

Combating False Teachings

1. Preventive Measure
2. Counter Measure
3. Corrective Measure

When Timothy was a young pastor at Ephesus during the period of AD 63-67, he also encountered many false teachers. Timothy was so discouraged by the false teachers that he told the church “Don’t vote for me in the next AGM, I’m leaving Ephesus.” But Paul strongly urged Timothy “Stay in Ephesus.” “You have much to learn, my young Jedi”

As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus, in order that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines… (1Timothy 1:3).

Then Paul advised Timothy to counter false teachers by appointing elders to assist him:

2 So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach … and he must be able to teach (1Timothy 3:2-3)

Paul’s preventive measure was “Do not argue or quarrel with them” (2 Tim 2:24)
His counter measure was “appoint elders to assist you”
His corrective measure was “study the Scripture continually and use it to teach, rebuke, correct and train others.” (2 Timothy 3:13-17; 4:2)

As he anticipated the situation might become worse and worse, he exhorted Timothy to be equipped in the Word continually and preach the Word faithfully.

Evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned … from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise… 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Table B
Situation Action
While evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived (3:13)

Men will not put up with sound doctrines. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn from the truth and turn aside to myths. (4:3-4) Preventive Measure
Avoid godless chatter… (2:16)
Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid argument, because they produce quarrel
Counter-Measure
Take root in your study of the Scripture (3:14-15).
Continually equip yourself in the Scripture (3:16-17).
Corrective Measure
Do the work of an evangelist; discharge all the duties of your ministry (4:2)
Use the Scripture to teach, rebuke, correct and train others.

You may ask, “Why did John prescribe only the Preventive measure? Why didn’t John also give the Counter measure or the Corrective measure?

John was writing to a household church, where there were women, children & slaves. In those days, women did not have the opportunity to go to schools. Only daughters from wealthy families received education through a private tutor. The other girls only learned how to perform housework.

When Paul wrote to 1 & 2 Timothy, he was writing to Timothy, who was a pastor and an evangelist. So, he could safely told Timothy to counter the false-teacher. In John’s case, prevention is so much wiser & better than cure.

When Singapore was facing the SARS epidermic, the MOH advised the general public to take preventive measures, while medical researchers developed the vaccine, and doctors and medical teams treat the infected victims. Similarly, John mainly advised the general Christians to take preventive measure, while the teachers and evangelists in the churches combat the false teachings.

Later on, the ancient churches develop Creeds to teach and guide the Christians to deal with heresies.

The earliest form of Creed we know is this confession

“Jesus is LORD”.

Christians who overlooked the Old Testament context simply interpret the statement that “Jesus Christ is master”. From the context of Old Testament text, “Jesus is LORD” means “Jesus is the YHWH”. When Jewish Christians said that Creed, they professed to their fellow-Jews, “Jesus is the YHWH of our covenant.” Jesus is the YHWH who created the heaven and the earth in Genesis 1:1.

Later on the Creed Confession developed into a set of beliefs called the “Apostle Creed”

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God…
Who, … for our salvation, was incarnate… was made man; and was crucified… was buried... rose again…, ascended… and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life…

And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one baptism…
and I look for the resurrection…
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Apostle Creed apparently looks dry and boring. We should note that the Early Christians did not have a Bible in every home. The Scripture only existed in the Hebrew, Greek, and much later the Latin translation. No one had translated the Scripture into English or any other language yet. Printing press had not been invented yet. So, the only way to learn basic theology is to learn the Creed.

Many people know the significance of 30th October – Halloween Day. Do you know “What is the significance of the date 31st October to the church?”

October 31, 1517

October 31 marks the beginning of Reformation for the church in 1517.

Reformation was in the hearts of many, but only on the lips of the few.

Martin Luther was the first to speak against the wrong doctrine and wrong practices that the Church has been clinging to for many centuries. One of the many good results of the Reformation is the freedom in Bible translation and personal Bible-reading. Scholars were allowed to translate the Bible into the other ethnic languages, and believers were allowed to read the Bible on their own without consulting a Roman Catholic priest in a church.

The false teachings that attacked the Early Church focus on the humanity of Jesus. The heresies teach that Jesus was not human. However, the false teachings that we encounter today, since the 19th century, focus on the Deity of Jesus. The heresies assert that Jesus is not divine.

Here are some types of false teachings that attack the doctrine of Christ today:

Christological Heresies today.

1. “I am the Christ”

Religious groups whose founders claimed to be the Christ (Unification Church: Sun Myoung Moon; Ba’hai Faith: Baha’ullah; Sathya Sai Baba)

2. “Jesus is only a divine creature, not God”

(Jehovah Witnesses a.k.a International Bible Students)

3. “Jesus is only a Man”

There are many different strains in this group. The common assertion among them is that

1. Jesus was only an ordinary man; the Church branded him as the Messiah God.
2. Jesus only taught but did not perform any miracles; the Church added stories of miracle to the original Gospels.
3. Jesus died, but the Church fabricated the resurrection story to make Jesus God.

Barbara Thiering “Jesus the Man” (1990; re-printed 21 Nov 2006)
The central thesis of the book is that "Jesus was the leader of a radical faction of Essene priests. He was not of virgin birth. He did not die on the Cross. He married Mary Magdalene, fathered a family, and later divorced. He died sometime after AD 64"

She claimed to be an expert on the studies of the Dead Sea Scrolls, having studied the document for over 20 years.

Let me share with you the common areas that the false teachers often take advantage of:

False Teachers Prey on the General Audience’s Ignorance of:

1. The Gnostic Writings
(e.g. Gospel of St Thomas; Gospel of Judas Iscariot)

2. Life of the Essence Community & the Dead Sea Scrolls

3. Early & Medieval Church History

4. Bible Illiteracy
(Many people have very good Bibles but they do not read them)
Many people learned from the crazy action song that “Father Abraham had seven children.” Actually, Abraham had 8 children. One from Hagar, one from Sarah, and six from Keturah (Gen 25:1-2).

5. Biblical Languages: Hebrew & Greek
(e.g. The Jehovah Witnesses.)

NT Wright, a New Testament scholar, respected by the evangelical churches published a book “Who was Jesus?” in 1993. In the second chapter of his book, Wright carefully examined all the data and interpretation that Barbara Theiring employed. He demonstrated clearly that Theiring had no evidence to support any of the claims about Jesus she made in her book.

Darrell L. Bock published Breaking the Da Vinci Code (18 April, 2006). He shows in details that every line of Dan Brown’s argument was based on twisted facts, not careful historical studies.

Dan Brown did not mind at all being wrong about everything, he was very happy that 40 millions copies of his book was sold worldwide.

The Apostle John’s advice “Bolt them out” is a good advice to heed. When Christians watch their movies, or buy their books, they will get the entertainment they wanted, but Dan Brown became richer. In turn he will use his profits to write more books, entertaining, and at the same time, poisoning, uncritical readers’ minds.

4. Crisis Eschatology (Doctrine of the End Times)

There has been a lot of speculation concerning when Jesus is coming back. Especially after some major disaster, like earthquake, Tsunami, or when some war is about to start, some individuals or groups will start predicting “Jesus is coming on X year Y month and Z Day”.

Edgar C. Whisenant wrote a book 88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be in 1988.

Harold Camping first predicted that Jesus Christ will return on 21 September 1994. When that did not happen, he predicted a second time that Jesus Christ will return on May 2011. When nothing happened, he again made another prediction that Jesus will definitely return on 21 Oct 2011. The student victims dropped out from schools and universities; the adult victims quit their jobs or sold their businesses. They camped in the wood, waiting for Jesus to welcome him. The day of prediction came and went. Those people waited in vain. After that they had nothing to go back to. Those victims became skeptical towards Christianity thereafter.

Jesus had already warned His disciples that,

But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only (Matthew 24:36)

As he closed his pastoral letter to Timothy, Paul warned the young pastor about people who wanted to have their ears tickled.

3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-- with great patience and careful instruction.

Although the Church does not face heretical attacks on Jesus’ humanity, the doctrine concerning the humanity of Christ still remains vitally important to us.

Conclusion

John wrote to a household church to warn them about teachers who taught that Jesus did not incarnate as a human being. He called them false teachers and antichrists.

John instructed the church not to entertain the false teachers -“bolt them out!”

Because Jesus Christ was human, and remains human,

1. We do not have to live with guilt (Our sins are forgiven).
2. We are comforted when our loved ones in dies (We have the hope of resurrection).
3. We can pray in Jesus’ name (Jesus is our mediator before God).

Today we cherish the goodnews that John announced to us in his gospel writing:

In the beginning was the Word (Logos) , and the Logos was with God, and the Logos was God (John 1:1)

And the Word (Logos) became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14)

The author of the Hebrews epistle also announced the Goodnews concerning Jesus’ humanity:

Therefore, since we have a great high priest … Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess (Hebrews 4:14)

16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).