BiblicalInsights.net

Goebel Music, a brother in Christ, who is now deceased wrote a book titled, A Crucial Study of a Critical Subject: Fellowship, in 1989.  In this book, he includes six chapters and an appendix.  The third chapter addresses the topic: Let’s Understand the Doctrine of Christ.  I would like to convey some of Goebel’s remarks on II John 9-11.
“With this “key” passage of major significance listed as one of our “troubling” spots, for some brethren, and with what some scholars have had to say about it, it is now time for us to examine critically and to clarify its meaning.  I want to set this before us “thought after thought” for the best possible understanding of its contents.  Therefore, we now turn our attention and focus our best mental abilities to that end.”
1.  “Whosoever.”  “Although it seems rather foolish to have to state this, let me remind us that this is a general, universal, and catholic term.  Its meaning is like that of John 3:16; Matthew 18:4; 19:9; 5:31-32; Revelation 22:17; etc., regarding “whosoever.”
2.  “Goeth Onward.” “This is the Greek proton (pres. act. participle, nominative, singular masculine from proago, Nathan E. Han, A Parsing Guide To The Greek New Testament, p. 433).  According to Thayer it means “b. to proceed, go forward; in a bad sense, to go further than is right or proper,…to transgress the limits of true doctrine…advanced…in a disparaging sense, 2 Jn. 9…” (P. 537, emp. GM). this is the word from which we get our word “progress” or “progressive,” (Maybe this is what people mean when they want to know, “Is this a progressive church?” GM).
3.  “Abideth Not.” This is the Greek melon (the same identification as proago), from meno, and is descriptive of the same process.  There is, however, a difference, as this is negative, whereas the first is positive.  Among other meanings, this word means “to maintain unbroken fellowship with one” (Thayer, p.399).  The teaching is most explicit! If we are to “have God” (as per the verse) and “to have the Son,” we are to abide “in the doctrine of Christ.”
4.  “In the Teaching of Christ.”  “This phrase, used twice in this one verse, has already been discussed as meaning “the teaching of Christ, which he did personally, and through those inspired men, as he is the author of this infallible, inerrant, unchangeable standard.” “There is to be no progression beyond the limits of this teaching!”
5.  “Hath Not God.”  “The true God is found only in the teaching of Christ (cf. I John 5:20; John 14:9,11; 10:30).  When we refer to God, various scriptures automatically come to mind, such as: Genesis 1:1; Psalms 33:6,9; Isaiah 43:7; 44:6; 45:18; Exodus 3:14; Psalms 90:2; I Corinthians 8:5-6; John 3:16; Isaiah 45:22; Deuteronomy 5:7; 6:1ff and a galaxy of others.  This is, indeed, the Father!
6.  “He That Abideth In The Teaching, The Same Hath Both The Father And The Son.” “This is a most explicit statement with abiding results!  The necessity of it is herein shown. It is a positive statement relative to that “which results” when one abides “in the doctrine,” or as the American Standard Says, “in the teaching.”  If logic is worth a dime, the negative of this statement is viewed as being most disastrous!  To fail to abide “in the teaching,” is to “give up having,” yea, both the Father and the Son!”
7.  “If One Cometh Unto You.”  “I first want to call you (sic) attention to the “broadness” of this statement: “If Any One!” The “whosoever,” and now this “if any one,” is likened unto its usage in Matthew 5:31-32 where “whosoever’ is used twice and “any one” is used once.  It is also like Matthew 19:9 where we have “whosoever” and “he that” (which “he,” is it? It is any “he.”). This is a thought worthy of our mental bank! It is to be understood since the Greek construction is ei with the indicative, that they “will come” and they “will come” for the very purpose of “teaching.” It is not a statement that “supposes someone might come….!”  Brethren, they may come “from without,” but they may very likely come “from within” (cf. Acts 20:29-30).
8.  “And Bringeth Not This Teaching.” “This is a self-explanatory and easily understood statement, as it is the “follow-up” in verification of what has been previously sated.  Note the “if any one cometh” and now the “and bringeth not this teaching,” as this is the proof of the first statement.  Again, let us remind ourselves that these teachers “will come’ and they will not come with “the teaching of Christ.” If one fails to understand “this teaching” to be synonymous with “the doctrine/teaching of Christ” then he truly has a problem!  Note the different statements: “the teaching of Christ” (twice used), “the teaching,” and “this teaching.”  And note also the negative used in relation to “this teaching.”  When this “is done,” we are then told exactly, explicitly, what our action is to be!”
9.  “Receive Him Not Into Your House, And Give Him No Greeting.”  “Is there a “qualification” that one must meet in relation to the teaching/doctrine of Christ and my hospitality and personal greeting of the same?  Does this passage of sacred scripture (2 John 9-11) not teach what we might term a “test,” “examination” etc., as to whether or not a person is deemed by the Master as being “worthy” of that which my house (hospitality) has to offer?  This, if you read carefully, absolutely relates directly to whether or not “if anyone cometh unto you and bringeth not this teaching,” that is the teaching of Christ.  How am I to relate to one who has “progressed beyond the limits of the teaching of Christ” (Thayer’s definition of proago) and “abideth not” in the same?  It is simple! No reception is to be given, extended, to such a one.  No, not even a greeting (Greek chairo). Here the word, evidently, carries the idea of “God speed” (Vine, op. cit., p. 178).  I want to emphasize that NO ONE CAN GIVE SUCH AND BE FAITHFUL TO “THE TEACHING/DOCTRINE OF CHRIST!”  Just as surely as “no one who proceeds beyond the doctrine/ teaching of Christ and BE FAITHFUL TO THAT WHICH IS WRITTEN! Why??”
10.  “For He That Giveth Him Greeting Partaketh In His Evil Works.”  “No one is to fail to show hospitality to strangers (cf. Hebrews 13:2), but this is not just a case of hospitality!  It is the case of aiding, helping, encouraging a false teacher. That this is the case can be seen from the word “partaketh” (Greek koinoneo), which word means “a. to come into communion or fellowship , to become a sharer, be made a partner…b. to enter into fellowship, join one’s self as an associate, make one’s self a sharer, or partner…2 Jn. 11” (Thayer, pp. 351-352).
“I don’t think this will make my case any stronger than it is already, but for those who “cry out” that “fellowship” is always a noun they need to look at verse 11 of 2 John.  The word “partaketh” in its form is koinonei, and that is 3rd per. singular, present active indicative of koinoneo (which word was posted in our first section). If a person does not know that a verb “shows action,” then, indeed, he is not “as schooled” in “English” as he ought so to be.”
“I trust it is now clear why I have a section on this passage, and why I call it a “key” scripture for the battles being fought today in our own ranks.  Doctrine is important! We are to have “no fellowship” (Ephesians 5:11); “with the unfruitful works of darkness, but we are to “reprove them.” (Goebel Music, A Crucial Study of a Critical Subject: Fellowship, pp. 23-27).
I have given this lengthy quotation from Goebel Music’s pen, in order to emphasize that there is a limit to fellowship.  The Warren Christian Apologetics Center violates this limit by using false religionists and promoting false teachers in their published materials.  For this reason, they are disqualified from receiving funds from faithful Christians and churches of Christ.  Please reference my earlier blog on the Warren Christian Apologetics Center and read the Book Reviews of Nobie Stone’s book, now twice published by the WCAC, titled, Genesis 1 And Lessons From Space. Nobie Stone continues to be used as a staff writer for Sufficient Evidence, a journal published by the WCAC under the direction of Charles Pugh III even though he teaches theistic evolution and is a mitigated skeptic.

The Scriptures declare, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Heb. 13:5).  This is a sacred promise made to those who are the children of God.  This promise rests upon the faithfulness of God and brings peace to the soul.
The song, How Firm A Foundation, whose author is unknown, has a stanza that reads, “The soul that on Jesus leaned for repose I will not, I will not desert to its foes.  That soul, though all hell shall endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!”  It is obvious that the hymn mirrors the promise given in Heb. 13:5.
The Substance of the Promise
In the English language, two negatives nullify each other.  In the Greek, a double negative, intensifies.  In Heb. 13:5, there are two double negatives and one additional negative for a total of five negatives.  God will never, never, never, no, never forsake His children.  A double negative is the strongest form of negation in the Greek language. Two double negatives in the same passage increases the intensity of the expression.  That makes Heb. 13:5 one of the powerful passages of Scripture in the Bible!
The Basis For the Promise
The promise given in this passage of Scripture rests upon two important aspects of God’s nature.  The first is His veracity (truthfulness).  God cannot lie.  “And also the Strength of Israel will not lie n or repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent” (I Sam. 15:29).  “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began” (Titus 1:2).  “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us” (Heb. 6:18).  When God speaks, whether by precept or by promise, His word is true.  The second, is His fidelity.  God is faithful. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (I Cor. 10:13).  The covenant keeping God promises to continually provide for His people.  The mercies of the Lord endure forever. God has never failed to keep a promise.  Our confidence is tied to God’s veracity and fidelity.
The Results of the Promise
The promise of God’s providential care reassures us and results in the following spiritual blessings.  First, we have peace.  The tension between covetousness and contentment is resolved.  Covetousness is the insatiable desire for more and more.  Contentment is satisfaction with God’s sufficiency (His grace) for our lives.  God’s promises gives us peace or tranquility of the soul as we trust in Him rather than uncertain riches.  Second, we have help.  God’s promise assures us that we will never stand alone.  The Lord is my helper!  “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).
Third, we are supplied with courage.  “I will not fear what men can do to me.”  Fearlessness grows out of the precious promise that God will never fail us.  We have courage to meet the foe, to face temptations and trials, and to face death because God will always be with us.
A Christian never stands alone.  God has promised that He will never, never, never, no, never forsake His people.

Exegetical Gems From Biblical Greek, written by Benjamin L. Merkle, was published by Baker Academic and serves as a refresher course in New Testament Greek for those who already know the Greek language.  Merkle is professor of New Testament Greek at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and has co-authored several books on the Greek language. He desires that ministers use the Greek New Testament in their personal study of the Scriptures. Exegetical Gems is a refresher course for students of the Greek New Testament and a reminder of the functional importance in biblical interpretation that the Greek New Testament adds to the biblical interpreter.  The book contains thirty-five chapters each of which focuses on two main things:  (1) an exegetical gem from the NT and (2) a review of some aspects of Greek syntax.  I have posted a book review of this work under the Book Reviews page on this blog.