Jesus Rasied Up God's Family: Fathers, Many Sisters, and Lots of Children, in Truth and in Love

What Did Jesus Do?

The elder to the elect lady and her children…
2 John 1

When we consider that Jesus came to raise up one family, God’s family, by repairing the breach between the Father and his children, isn’t it ironic how so many churches take such pains to separate themselves from other churches? Even more, isn’t it troubling? And this is to say nothing about the internal acrimony and division present in a lot of congregations. But, as the Second Letter of John makes clear, Church is all about family, family brought together and held together in and through Jesus, who raised up fathers, many sisters, and lots of children, in truth and in love, and made them one family, God’s family.

Though there is still some ongoing debate as to the authorship of 2 John, it seems pretty clear that it is the same person who penned 1 John (and 3 John), there are so many stylistic and thematic similarities. And there is almost no question at all that 1 John is the work of the author of the Gospel of the same name—John, the apostle, and as we see here, the elder. Elder (Greek presbuteros) is sometimes translated in English as overseer. In the New Testament it is a title which represents one with authority over one or more congregations or fellowship of believers in the First Century. It is quite a natural title for someone like John, who was literally an old man by the time of the canonical letters, and one who looked upon the members of the Church as his little children (1 John 2:1, 28; 3:7; 4:4). John not only understood that he had an apostolic responsibility for the Church, but also expressed a paternal love for her ( We often use the feminine personal pronoun when talking about the Church, for the Church is the Bride of Christ, she is, as John writes here, the elect lady.). They were one family, God’s family.

Those of Christianity’s first generation, John and the other apostles, were fathers whose proclamation of the word of life called, formed, and sustained the Church in intimate fellowship with the Father and the Son (1 John 1:1-3). John and the other apostles proclaimed the truth, and shared with the Church a life characterized by both knowledge of the truth, and loving relationships in the truth (2 John 1). They were one family, God’s family.

Even as the Church catholic (universal) was betrothed to Christ, she also existed and functioned in particular places, and for specific gatherings of believers, as the elect lady in a house, or in a city. The many particular churches were as daughters to the apostles, and sisters (2 John 13) to one another. They were one family, God’s family.

No family, not even God’s will be around for more than one generation, if there are no children. But the elect lady was not barren, she had children, lots of children. And for these children, these little children, John also had an abiding love. For the children, like John, and the elect lady, abided in the truth forever (2 John 2). They were one family, God’s family.

Today, when many churches are barely on speaking terms with one another, if the Church is one family, it is one broken and dysfunctional family. If the elect lady and her children in our day are going to abide in the same truth and love as John and the Church once did, it will only be through our common acknowledgment of the truth of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and our submission to Jesus and to one another in love. It is this truth and this love alone which can make of us one family, God’s family.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4