Don’t participate in the evil deeds of false teachers

2 John 10-11 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. After warning his readers not to be carried astray by the false teachings of the deceivers, John expressed his concern that they not participate in the propagation of this wicked agenda. John wasn’t warning his readers about people who differed with them on various doctrines or secondary issues. He knew of these false teachers. They had probably visited his city and church, and he knew they were headed toward other sister churches in Asia. Surely he hoped his letter arrived before the false teachers did. Also, these false teachers were on mission to destroy the faith. Their teaching undermined and refuted the truth that Jesus was God, incarnate. They wanted access to their pulpits, so to speak, in order to do their “evil deeds.” More than likely, the “house” mentioned in this verse referred to the house in which the church met. The idea wan’t to forbid hospitality, but to make sure these false teachers didn’t get access to the assembly of the saints. Furthermore, they were not to greet or welcome them into their assemblies nor bid them farewell in their journey like they would traveling ministers of the gospel. To do so would, from John’s perspective, be participating in their evil mission, essentially contributing support to the work of the evil one. Living to love with Jesus doesn’t mean we are always kind and gracious to everyone God puts in our paths. The loving thing to do is confront evil like Jesus did. Here are a couple of examples. Matthew 12:33-34 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” And Matthew 23:29, 33. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous…You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?” Notice John’s protective love for his brothers and sisters in Christ. That is the love of Jesus for His children. Since we love with Him, we can expect to see that same kind of love expressed when we become aware that someone is out to destroy the work of God, defame Jesus’ name, and lead people astray from the truth that Jesus is God, incarnate. We should expose those teachers as false, keep them away from those we love, and not do anything to participate with them in their evil deeds.