I Am the Truth

Friday, April 25, 2014       I Am the Truth

2 John 1: 1-6

John the Beloved disciple, referred to here as John the elder, was a master in writing coded messages, as his book, Revelation, so eloquently attests. I noted in my meditation on 1 John 5: 1-12, that the way John used the word witness, which can also be translated martyr, suggests that John may have been writing to a church that was facing persecution. That reality is also present in 2 John as John addressed the letter to “the chosen lady and to her children,” and he closed the letter with his greetings “from the children of your sister, chosen by God” (2 John 1:1 & 13). Both of these are references to churches with their identity hidden in what appears to be a letter between family members. In John’s time it was dangerous to be a Christian, and it still is in many places in our world.

John continued with his repetitive style of writing as he used the word truth five times in three verses. John’s reference to truth is two dimensional. First, in verses 1 and 2, John is using “the truth” as a synonym for Jesus. (Remember, Jesus said, “I am the truth” (John 14:6).) Verses 1 and 2 could be translated, “whom I love in (Jesus)—as does everyone else who knows (Jesus) — because (Jesus) lives in us and will be with us forever” (2 John 1:1-2).

The second dimension refers to living our lives in obedience to the truth: “Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love. How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded” (2John 1:3b-4).

On first reading this seems like a simple greeting to a rather short letter from John. On reflection, we find a communication to the church under persecution, affirming that grace, mercy and peace flow from God the Father and Jesus His Son unto those who are living in the truth by making the life in Christ their way of life.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

• Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

• The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

• Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.