2 & 3 John contain the same ideas as 1 John. So what was the purpose of these short letters?
The purpose of 2 John and 3 John
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Theology
What does it mean to abide in Christ?
Understanding what it means to “abide in Christ” is one of the major themes of 1 John.
Who are you listening to?
Today we often seek preachers who tell us stories, make us laugh, and tickle our ears with poetry and platitudes. We would rather listen to Jon Stewart than Jonathan Edwards. We ought to think critically about how far we have slipped down the slope of valuing style over substance.
Lance Armstrong and fallen heroes
Fallen heroes teach us that we need more than an earthly hero. Throughout biblical history, God gave us fallen heroes and failed solutions to prepare us for the only solution that works.
Solomon’s wisdom and last resorts
Solomon had real wisdom to offer a broken world. Yet, he failed to learn the most important lesson: Solomon valued the gift of wisdom more than the Giver of the gift.
The Vow of Jephthah
The story is tragic in part because he expected an animal, but also because his vow reveals his lack of faith in God.
Prayer and rain: Does God answer prayer?
Why should I have confidence that God answers my prayers? According to James, I have confidence that my prayers will be answered because of who is answering my prayer, not because my prayer is perfect, powerful or articulate.
Questioning desire
Desires play a key role in the life of faith. The question is how we handle our desires and whether we are willing to listen to what God says about them.
Finding the Will of God
If we accept the fact that God is our Father, our Provider and our Redeemer, does it make sense that He would hide His will from us? Yet many Christians talk about the “will of God” as if finding it is a version of the con man’s three-shell game.
Galatians, James and “social justice”
In his critique of Tim Keller’s Generous Justice, Giere refers to Galatians and points to a major theme of James. Do James and Paul offer a litmus test of saving faith?