I welcome you all back to the Deeper Waters blog, or if this is your first time, welcome aboard. At this blog, we dive into the ocean of truth regularly. I simply ask in return for the writing I’m putting out that you all pray for me. First on the path of Christlikeness. For me, it’s overcoming a lot of doubt and fear and with my habit of obsessive thinking, that can be very difficult. I’m having to learn to change my attitude on a lot of things. Second, my financial situation. Third, I’d appreciate your prayers for a certain area in my life that I don’t want to mention. For now, let us go to the text. We’re not looking at a Trinitarian verse per se tonight, but at 2 John 10-11, which is relevant to those who minister to cultists.
10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 11Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.
Today, there was a chance I could have had some Jehovah’s Witnesses return to visit me. We’ve been trying to get them to come for awhile, and it hasn’t been easy. It’s been a number of months since I saw them last. So let’s suppose you came to me and said that what I am doing is in violation of this passage in 2 John. What am I to say?
In the early church, there weren’t exactly church buildings on the streets where people could meet and worship. Most churches met in house churches. The ones who could do some of the teaching were often the visitors. The parallel is in the Jewish synagogue, with a passage such as Acts 13 where Paul and Barnabas were visitors and were allowed to address the congregation. One suspects that membership would drop drastically at churches today if visitors were expected to teach those inside.
This is the context that John is dealing with. At the start of this book, John mentions the word truth five times in four verses. Truth is of utmost emphasis. He wants the churches that he writes to to be those that care about the truth.
Thus, if someone comes along with a different message, they are not to be allowed to teach. That is what is going on here. When John is talking about houses, he is not saying that they are not to come into individual houses to meet with people. He is saying that they are not to be given a place of authority within the church. They are not to teach as if they were valid teachers.
So today, when we live in our homes, unless you are allowing the cultists a place to teach in your house, there is no sin in allowing a cultist to come in and have a discussion with them. I would in fact encourage it. For Mormons, I would invite them over on major holidays when they’re away from their families. When we had some coming here for awhile, we would often pick up pizza for when they came so we could all snack together and serve them drinks. It worked well. Make the cultists feel like guests in your home to show them the love of Christ.
Above all, please don’t slam a door in their face. They’ll take it as persecution and that will convince them more of their message. If you don’t have time, be honest. Just tell them that now isn’t a good time and ask if you can rearrange. This could be a chance for you to give them the gospel or at least plant a seed someone else can water.
Cultists are people too. They’re caught in bad ideology and need the love of Christ. Show it to them.
We shall continue tomorrow.
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