In John’s second letter, addressed to the church at large (who he refers to as ‘the lady’), John again addresses the problem of false teaching. The fact that he returns to this problem here highlights the importance of the issue. It is vital for all Christians to receive the faith that has been passed down from the Apostles, and not a distortion of it. This might sound strange, but to ensure this, we need more than just Scripture. Of course, the Bible alone determines what we believe. But over the centuries many people have tried to alter the apostolic faith and the church, in response, has had to clarify to itself what the Bible actually teaches. Learned Christian people, working together, did this in the past based on the many exhortations given in Scripture, including those of John, to hold fast to sound doctrine. This has been the task of Christian theology and the results are encapsulated in the church’s creeds and confessions and in the many great books on theology. It is what every minister or pastor learns, or should learn, when they take a theological degree. It is so important that as Christians we know what we believe. We take in so much information these days and most of it is useless. You always know more about the things that are most important to you, so, if your faith is a central part of your life, make learning a central priority.
Reflect on how well you understand your faith and ask God to help you experience the truth of what you know in theory.
Read 2 John
