2 John:12-13, “I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.
The children of your sister, who is chosen by God, send their greetings.”
John was willing to personally travel the distance and time it would take to personally handle this challenging conflict in the church.
That is commitment, passion, perseverance, and love, all rolled into one. That is pastoral care that is wiling to deal with a conflict face to face rather than just hope it goes away or gets swept under the rug.
Also, the person the letter is addressed to is regarded as an ally in the effort to win the church back to the true gospel.
But there is nothing underhanded or sneaky about this. Such letters were to be read to the whole congregation, so those who had been labeled earlier in this letter as antichrist or wicked people would have also heard the whole letter in which they were talked about.
That was a strategy to draw clear lines between what was right and what was wrong, the difference between the true and the false gospels that were competing for attention.
John didn’t really want the battle to be between people, but rather between ideas. Good people can have bad ideas about faith and be well intentioned though deep in error.
This reminds me of the time that Jesus told Peter, “Get behind me satan,” after Jesus had been explaining about his death and resurrection but Peter took Jesus aside to say that he should never give himself up to be crucified.
Peter meant well, but in fact he was speaking for the devil in that moment!
So let us pray that if we ever have to deal with a serious conflict in our fellowship, that we will always be able to discuss the ideas without disrespecting the ones who hold ideas different from ours. And may we always find ourselves on the side of truth as revealed in God’s Word. Or else if we find that the error is in ourselves, may we humble ourselves and allow for correction, so that we get in line with God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
