If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works” (2 John 10,11.

“If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works” (2 John 10,11, ESV).[1] The epistle’s central section provides us with insightful guidance on handling those who claim to be of the faith but who are false teachers, keeping in mind that the apostle is not referring to casual visitors but anti-Christian propagandists. Therefore, how do Christians apply this message today? Should we invite them into our homes and talk with them over coffee? John clearly answers with a resounding “no”! As John plainly explains to the elect lady in verse 11, even showing such people hospitality is tantamount to standing with those who oppose God. 

The epistles are quite helpful in that they help us understand how to apply the Gospel to everyday life. The epistles are occasional, and each letter not only provides profound instruction to their recipient readers but each speaks to the faithful of all ages. There is a difference between people who struggle with sin in their walk with the Lord, as the epistles plainly demonstrate, and those who not only abandon biblical orthodoxy but teach others to follow them to destruction (cf. 1 John 2:19). As Paul similarly instructs concerning such people, “If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother” (2 Thess 3:14,15). Whereas, we should not be torn apart by disputable matters (cf. Rom 14:1), there are questions of doctrine on which we are not at liberty to compromise.

I do not support basing entire doctrines on cherry-picked verses, especially at the expense of context, but the pursuit of context is not a means by which to make an end-run around the word of God. No matter how sincere those aims may seem, we cannot serve God and have peace with the world (cf. Matt 6:24; John 15:18,19; 1 John 3:1b); the Lord describes those who belong to Him (cf. Matt 10:39). Therefore, we ought to reflect carefully and with prayer that the Jesus we profess to have “invited into our hearts” is not a golden calf, because the impossibility of serving two masters is not limited to money. I implore my brothers and sisters in Christ, in biblical love, to forget about the elephant, there is a golden calf in the room, and there is nothing loving, whatsoever, about leading people to it (cf. Matt 7:23). After all, a god that finds fault with nothing, except for acts held as especially grievous by society, is nothing more than an idol created out of collective norms. If the Body of Christ cannot come together to examine difficult subjects and be edified, then what hope is there for anyone else?

Besides, if much of the modern, “progressive” approach to interpretation is accurate, and if our modern, Western standards of tolerance and inclusion are truly representative of the Lord’s intention, then I strongly suspect there would have been far fewer martyrs in the first few centuries; perhaps, the apostles, even Jesus, would have lived to ripe old ages in relative peace. There was a reason why the world despised them then, and it is the same reason the world despises those who seek to follow in their footsteps now. As we wait patiently for what we will be (cf. 1 John 3:2), let us also remember that we have already been delivered from the domain of darkness (cf. Col 1:13) “and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness” (Rom 6:18). Iron sharpens iron, not “safe” preaching.

[1] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard Version.

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