2 John 9 (here @ Bible Gateway) raises some questions. If someone who claims to be a believer does not abide in Christ’s teachings, this passage seems to indicate that one is not actually a believer.
One of the first questions then should be what does it mean to abide in the teaching of Christ? Maybe then, am I doing so?
John is fond of this word. Here is a list of all the verses in which the word “μενω”; which is the Greek word that is translated abide, remain, or continue in our English versions; is used by John. Scan through these passages, it will give you a sense of what John means when he uses the word μενω.
It seems like he means that we are to stay in the teachings. That would seem to indicate that we are to stay in His Word, John 15:7 (here @ Bible Gateway).
Abiding in His Word is not engaging in secondary sources like messages, books about the Bible, commentaries, or even second hand studies. Rather it seems that the expectation is that we are abiding, living in, continuing in, remaining in His Word, the Bible.
The word is used in 78 other places by other authors, for example Paul uses it 17 times. One of those places is 2 Timothy 3:14 (here @ Bible Gateway), which is the first verse of the second charge Paul gives Timothy in light of his heritage, assignment, and environment. I spoke on this at our church.
Each of us needs to be equipped to abide. Most new believers are hungry to do so. It is the case that many are not helped to follow through.
I want to explore that in the next post.
John is fond of this word. Here is a list of all the verses in which the word “μενω”; which is the Greek word that is translated abide, remain, or continue in our English versions; is used by John. Scan through these passages, it will give you a sense of what John means when he uses the word μενω.
It seems like he means that we are to stay in the teachings. That would seem to indicate that we are to stay in His Word, John 15:7 (here @ Bible Gateway).
Abiding in His Word is not engaging in secondary sources like messages, books about the Bible, commentaries, or even second hand studies. Rather it seems that the expectation is that we are abiding, living in, continuing in, remaining in His Word, the Bible.
The word is used in 78 other places by other authors, for example Paul uses it 17 times. One of those places is 2 Timothy 3:14 (here @ Bible Gateway), which is the first verse of the second charge Paul gives Timothy in light of his heritage, assignment, and environment. I spoke on this at our church.
Each of us needs to be equipped to abide. Most new believers are hungry to do so. It is the case that many are not helped to follow through.
I want to explore that in the next post.
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