“If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him…”
do not receive him into your house
John warned his readers not to provide hospitality to false teachers. There is no compromise here: “Do not recognize him as a genuine Christian by giving him hospitality. Do not give him the credibility of a Christian.” The elect lady already had extended hospitality indiscriminately to these false teachers because the phrase “do not” means to stop doing something you are already doing. She provided food and lodging for antichrists! She invested her resources for the devil!
nor greet him
The first-century person used the word “greet” for a visitor’s arrival and departure (2 Co 13:11). It was a cordial salutation. John says in effect, “Do not encourage false teachers. Don’t give them a warm welcome to your congregation.” This applies solely to antichrists. We should not over interpret this to mean that we should forbid anyone who disagrees with our perspective. John’s reference here is to teachers of false doctrine and not merely the believers of it.
PRINCIPLE:
False love loves without discrimination.
APPLICATION:
Dealing ruthlessly with false doctrine seems unduly harsh to the modern mind. The problem, however, lies with modern man, not with God. North American and European culture tends to be exceedingly tolerant of religious differences. God does not mollycoddle this same distortion. God cannot contradict His own absolutes. Man is relative, and God is absolute. The more absolutes in which one believes, the more conviction he has about what is true and right.
There are two extremes to this issue: 1) There are those who coddle any idea that comes down the pike; they use no discrimination regarding with whom they fellowship. These types are maudlin and mawkish in their love. 2) Then some separate themselves from almost anyone who even slightly disagrees with them. Both of these extremes are wrong. The issue at hand concerns those teachers who deny fundamental Christian doctrine.
"The issue at hand concerns those teachers who deny fundamental Christian doctrine." Problem is, for one group of Xtians, John 3:16 constitutes the "fundamental Xtian doctrine," whereas for, say, Romanists, their whole Catechism does. So we really haven't solved the dilemma here, which is, how do we determine the dividing line between what are "salvific" issues and what not? How much latitude can one legitimately afford a cleric before one keeps him at arm's length?
Inquirer, the issue is extant Biblical statements. Much of what people teach is not found in the Word of God. For example, the Bible teaches explicitly that justification is by faith (Ro 3-5). Note that is not verses taken out of context, or pretexting, but an argument from an entire section of Romans.
equally yoked is not a dilemma and there is a dilemma if we are to bring saving grace to the heathens how can you do that unless you invite them in or greet them to invite them in.For scripture also says if you greet only the ones you know what more have you done then the heathens and if Jesus said no one goes to a doctor unless they are in need of a doctor so if your not sick no need for the doctor Jesus said He did not come to save the righteous but the unrighteous the pharisees and sadducees both said if this man were the Son of God he would not sit amongst sinners and keep company with them.So if we are to fallow the Master are we just to pray for the great commission says to preach to all ends of the world and to every tribe tongue and nation