This is Spoken Gospel.

We’re dedicated to seeing 
Jesus in all of scripture.

In each episode, we see what’s 
happening in a Biblical text

and how it sheds light
on Jesus and his gospel.

Let’s jump in.

Lies have always been the greatest threat 
to God’s people, and in John’s second letter  

he warns a church he affectionately calls 
his chosen lady and children about them.

In many ways it summarizes in one chapter what he
spent five chapters explaining in his previous letter.

2 John is an apostolic booster shot
to a church in need of care.

Like before, John reminds the church to 
love one another and keep God’s commands.

He warns them of deceivers who 
deny that Jesus came in the flesh.

He also emphasizes that those who do not live in
the way Jesus taught them to live do not have God.

The gift of the Father’s power and the 
Son’s presence is only given to those  

who abide in the Gospel John preached, 
and the commands that Jesus prescribed.

John calls this the way of living the truth.

That’s why it’s imperative that 
this church not welcome pastors  

or teachers who reject the Gospel 
and teach a different way to live.

People of the truth should reject
lies that are dangerous.

Lies have the potential to rob this 
specially chosen lady and her children  

of their full reward of 
God’s truth and eternal life.

John also warns that platforming 
these deceivers in their churches  

will make them complicit in 
their deceit and wickedness.

John abruptly ends his letter 
and hopes, like a caring father,  

that paper and pen will soon give 
way to face to face conversation.

[music]

Lies have always been the 
greatest threat to God’s people.

In the garden of Eden it was a lie that 
convinced God’s first chosen lady,

Eve, to abandon fidelity
to God and his commands.

Like the antichrists in John’s day, the 
serpent robbed her of the full reward of Eden,

made her complicit in the Deceiver’s 
evil, and forfeited eternal life with God.

The temptation to platform false gospels, tolerate
false narratives, and entertain deceitful teachers
is one of humanity’s original failures.

And no matter how far we are 
removed from the world of Genesis,  

holding onto the truth in a world 
of lies is a perennial problem.

But the good news is that the
Truth has already and will again win.

God promised Eve that the Truth would 
one day crush the lie of the Deceiver.

And on the cross and by his resurrection, Jesus 
shows that he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

It’s no wonder that the defining teaching of these
antichrists is to deny that Jesus came in the flesh.

The best tactic the ancient Deceiver and
his children have is to deny it ever happened.

It’s telling that the apostle John in the book 
of Revelation, describes the entire history of  

God’s people as a conflict between a deceiving 
dragon and a chosen lady and her children.

And it’s even more telling that God’s people 
conquer the Deceiver by the blood of Jesus  

the antichrists deny, and the truthful 
testimony the deceivers cannot admit.

By his coming and by his cross Jesus has spoken
Truth to a world cursed under a lie.

And the Truth is we will not surely die but have 
eternal life in God alone through Jesus alone.

And one day soon when Jesus 
returns, every lie will be silenced,  

all temptations will end, and
Truth and Life will be all that’s left.

May the Holy Spirit open your 
eyes to see the God who is Truth.

And may you see Jesus as the one who defeats
the lies of the Deceiver by his coming and his cross.