What A Waste?

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2 John 7–8 (NIV),

⁷ I say this because 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. ⁸ Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.  

The Church is commended and commanded to walk in love & walk in truth.  These are two sides of the same coin.  Now the Apostle John makes this astounding statement: “I say this because 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, NIV).  The ground for such an exhortation to the Church is because of the prevalence of deception.  

John provides 3 scenarios whereby the local Christian fellowship ought to be concerned.   The first one is found in verses 7-8.  

These are false teachers who have "gone out into the world" -- they have left the church (see 1 John 2:19).  These are people who do not teach the incarnation of Christ.  The NIV is less accurate in this case.  The problem may refer to a denial of the bodily return of the Lord, but likely it refers to the first coming. The words is come are in the original a supplemental participle in indirect discourse and is more likely intended by the author to refer to the incarnation. So, as a result, they do not teach the humanity of Jesus.  They are deceivers and the "anti-christ". "To reject this truth is to reject all hope of reconciliation with God, while to receive it is to receive God Himself." [1]

So John warns the Church of these false teachers.  "Watch out!"  For what, John? "That you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully."  This is a difficult phrase to understand.  The NIV seems to capture the better translation. This "coincides with similar feelings expressed by Paul in writing to the Galatians: "I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you" (4:11; cf. v. 19: "My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you")." [2]  So Paul's concern is that to be silenced because of these false teachers would render his work in vain; and secondly the possibility exists that these Christians would lose their reward.

The Apostolic message, that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, is an essential component to the Gospel. For the Church to minimize that message, to be ashamed of it and fail to continue the proclamation of it, would be tantamount to a failure of the apostolic mission and a loss of reward for the Church.   John obviously does not have in mind that the Church has embraced that teaching otherwise it would be more than the issue of "reward" at stake.  It must be that they must not fail to persevere in the Gospel proclamation midst the noise coming from these false teachers. 

The concept of rewards is clearly taught in Scripture. For further study notice Matthew 5:12; John 4:36; 1 Corinthians 3:8; Revelation 11:18; 22:12; etc.)

Failure to continue in, and failure to proclaim the Gospel is tantamount to wasting your time. Everything else is meaningless if the Gospel is not revered and proclaimed. How sad it would be for evangelists and church planters to witness the disregard for the Gospel?  How sad for a church to be busy and active in many things but forget the Gospel?  What a waste!  

Father, as one who has sincerely longed for the Church to grow, mature and be counted as faithful, I am personally warned about the safety that comes from silence.  The Gospel is offensive to many, but it is the power of God unto salvation.  May it never be that we find at the end of the day, that we have wasted our time.  Father keep our voice clear and clarion. No other message is worth preaching and worth living.  Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.  Father, as we start this day, may those who have served You and us well see in our walk of love and truth evidence that they did not waste their time.  And Father may the strong and ubiquitous voice of evil be silenced in the presence of the Gospel.  For the sake of Christ, Amen.

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1. Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: Bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (2 Jn 7). Nashville: T. Nelson.

2. Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:2 John/Exposition of 2 John/II. A Formal Word of Instruction (4-11)/B. A Warning (7-11), Book Version: 4.0.2