The Truth About Love.

2 John 1–2 (NIV),

¹ The elder, To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth—² because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:

So John, "the Apostle whom Jesus loved" (John 13:23) who has transitioned into the emerging role as "The Pastor" is writing to a local church known by God, chosen by God and owned by God -- and its members.  What does John say to them?

1. He says that he loves them in the truth.

2. He says that all who know the truth love them too.

3. He says that he and all those who love the truth, love them because of the truth that lives in them.

4. He says that this truth that lives in them, will live in them forever.

Is John saying that he loves them "truthfully"?  Or is John saying that his love is somehow expressed within the context of truth. The idea seems to be the latter based upon what follows.  Other people who have the truth also love them.  

Truth loves truth. Truth cannot be truth and at the same time embrace un-truth. When two people know the truth, the existential fact is that the truth in them magnetizes them to each other. Birds of a feather flock together.  People of the truth love each other.  This truth is eternal, so the love is everlasting.  Here's an important observation:

The community of love is as encompassing as the truth that is believed and lived. [1]

The perimeter that surrounds true Christians in mutual love is only as big as the truth that is known and believed in that context.

The background that John clearly has in mind is the issue of heretics bothering this local church.   So very likely the Church is constrained by its Savior's admonition to love all people.   But John is saying in this salutation that our love is bounded by true Truth. When people exist outside of that true Truth, it is impossible to express brotherly love.  Note I said "impossible".  Truth cannot embrace un-truth.  Let me give you an example. 

Why should I not embrace with warm affection the members of the Mormon church?  Answer?  They deny Christ.  The deny the eternal, deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, second Person of the Trinity.  Their un-truth does not open a conduit of love to the Truth that exists forever in me.  I love them as men and women that need to be saved.  I do not love them as brothers and sisters in Christ. 

"This emphasis on truth shows that authentic Christian love involves more than emotional sentimentality. The Christian community consists of those who 'know the truth.'" [2]  And not only that, the word "known" (γινώσκω [ghin·oce·ko/] ) "is perfect tense in the original, stressing the certainty of the fact of the knowledge; it does not mean all who have ever known the truth in any way, but rather all who “really know the truth,” that is, real believers." [3]

So really Real believers embrace and live out truly true Truth and their love is inherent and eternal. This flys in the face of contemporary rhetoric among left-wing, placid so-called Christians that we ought to all love one another and be unified.  People who have the Truth are unified.  And any attempt of Truth-knowing Christians to unite in mutual affection with liberal brands of christianity that deny the authority of Scripture, the lordship of Christ, etc.; or any attempts to unite with an idolatrous organization like the Church of Rome; or any attempt to embrace with Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses and the like is not just wrong -- it is impossible.  Truth loves truth and can do no other.

Father this passage has inflamed my passion.  I sense an anger -- a righteous outburst against the many cries I hear for love, acceptance, tolerance, unity, community and the like.  I feel sick with all this talk.  There is none of that -- and You have so governed the universe, that there can be none of that apart from Truth.  These twin sisters of love and truth are also joined at the hip.  They are inseparable.  I pray that this passion that explodes in this text of Scripture will result in holy boldness and courage to withstand the placid calls for mushy community that exist in our culture.  But Father, most of all I pray that I will know and be known for love in truth.  I pray that You will not find a duplicitous heart in me. Root out any falsehood in my life, I pray.  Grant me the grace today to walk in truth -- and love, both whom are great friends.  Amen.

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 1. Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:2 John/Exposition of 2 John/I. Introduction (1-3), Book Version: 4.0.2 

2. Believer’s Study Bible. 1991 (W. A. Criswell, P. Patterson, E. R. Clendenen, D. L. Akin, M. Chamberlin, D. K. Patterson & J. Pogue, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (2 Jn 1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

3. KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (2642). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.