Danny Hickman Supporter Believer in The Gospel Of Jesus Christ

Let's look at this matter of not receiving certain people into our homes. It isn't as black and white as it might seem.

2 John 9,10 says, "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds." This is a warning to a developing Church; the early Church; it's about Church doctrine and those who teach it.

John isn't telling them to turn unbelievers away at the door of their homes nor at the meeting place. He isn't telling the Church to quiz people at the door about what they believe before allowing them to come in and be a part of the ministry, or to be welcome in their homes. (Some of us would have to deny family members access to Thanksgiving dinner!) He's warning them about men who were leaders of the people who were teaching that Jesus wasn't who He said He was. They were enemies of the gospel of Christ; Judaisers, if you will; false teachers is what John is referring to. They are enemies of the truth! 

2 John 10 has no connection in doctrine to Matthew 5:44 that tells us to love and pray for them who persecute us; our enemies. Jesus taught that we're to show love for all of mankind. John isn't telling the Church that we're to not love some people. He's telling the Church to beware of those who would try to pervert the teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

The answers and comments on this site must meet and adhere to eBible's Statement of Faith which says, "While it isn’t necessary to be a Christian to use ebible.com, any content (questions, answers, and comments) must abide by our Statement of Faith." It then states what eBible believes to be the gospel, which makes a person a Christian. They won't allow anyone to try and change the definition of what it means to be a Christian. In other words, those comments, questions and answers won't be "greeted or received" into their house (site); they will be rejected at the door. It's okay to state your beliefs, whatever they are. It's not okay to pervert their Statement of Faith, what they say they believe. This is THEIR HOUSE! 

That's what John wrote the Church was to do. Please know, he was writing to the elders, pastors, teachers, the leaders of the churches. They were to be spiritually discerning of who they were allowing to come into their fellowship. The same is true today. If a member of a ministry started teaching Sunday School and began to teach that the doctrine of Jesus returning to us someday is a myth, that person would be prevented from continuing to teach anything at the Church, and would probably be asked to repent of their disbelief, or to find another place to worship. 

A little leaven leavens the whole lump (1 Corinthians 5:6). Paul was telling the Corinthian Church to purge out the immorality that had become epidemic in that church. He wasn't telling them to hate their enemies; he was telling them to police the Church. John was telling the Church what to look for before it got started. It had (has) nothing to do with not loving anyone.

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