2 John 1:10-11, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him will share in his wicked work.”



Interesting points:

1. With these verses John builds on his teaching concerning false teachers starting from Verse 7 to conclude the main body of this letter. In Verse 10 the teaching he refers to is the one that Jesus came in real, physical, human form (John 1:1–14). In John’s gospel, he strongly emphasized that Jesus came from heaven to earth, saying He "became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). Believers must accept that Jesus walked the earth as both divine and fully human. To deny this truth is to deny a core aspect of the gospel.

2. According to John, those who rejected this truth were not to be given any support. If a traveling teacher who did not accept the humanity of Jesus came to a church, John commanded separation. They are not to be given resources, hospitality, or any other help. Believers are not to associate themselves in any way with false teachers who deny the true identity of Jesus.

3. Verse 11 offers an additional reason for John's command, where he refers to the danger of sharing the evil of these false teachers. John's pointed comment leaves no doubt: a person who shows hospitality to false teachers "takes part" or "shares" in that sin. In the context of his culture, John has in mind a person who accepts a false teacher into his or her home. This does not mean that a believer cannot say "hello" or "good morning" to a false teacher; rather, the idea is to avoid anything that even slightly supports a false teacher's work.

4. John desired for believers to walk "in the truth" (2 John 1:4), not to share in wicked work or evil. This means more than simply not doing evil ourselves. As believers, we are also called on to condemn those who teach some other, false gospel (Galatians 1:9). Being polite and loving does not necessarily mean defending or even giving equal speaking time. We are not to confuse civility with promoting those who preach a dangerous and false message.

Application:

Brothers, besides several practical concerns, we ought to exercise discernment and wisdom in deciding who we receive into our homes. In Matthew 7:6, Jesus tells us, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.” There is no good reason to facilitate a false teacher in his/her quest to lead God’s people astray. Not only should we guard the resources God has given us to further His kingdom, we must avoid giving our brothers and sisters in the faith a false signal of accepting a false teacher into the fold by welcoming and housing them in our homes. We must not be complicit in advancing false teachings.

This is not a reason to be rude or aggressive to such people. Treating them with respect and God’s love is extremely important as we build relationships key to sharing the Gospel with them and combatting ills. There will be times when cooperation is necessary with false teachers and those that espouse other religions (flood relief, fighting poverty, ending violence, etc.) but we must be very aware that there is a spiritual battle ongoing in the heavenly realms. As with life, we must remain on our guard against undue spiritual influence.