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In the 1992 critically acclaimed and award winning film, "A Few Good Men," toward the end of the film, Tom Cruise's character, Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee, and Jack Nicholson's character, Colonel Nathan Jessup, are engaged in a heated courtroom exchange. In that exchange Colonel Jessup exclaims to Kaffee this now famous line "you can't handle the truth!"
This line seems to be as true as ever in our current culture. Frequently today we encounter someone who, by their actions, demonstrates that they would rather not hear the truth than to have to wrestle with the implications of a given truth. Christians, on the other hand are called to be people of the truth.
The Apostle John is considered by many conservative scholars to be the author, not only of the gospel that bears his name, but also of the three epistles (letters) that also bear his name.
In each of these literary works John presents the truth concerning the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ (Messiah), the Son of God who came to us in human flesh. In his epistles John is particularly concerned that some who once identified with the church of Jesus Christ had since abandoned the truth.
In the second chapter of his first epistle he warns his faithful church to be aware of those who had separated themselves from the truth by denying that Jesus is the Christ (see 1 John 2:22). Later in the fourth chapter he once again admonishes the faithful to exercise discernment with regard to the proclamations of those who were denying (they did not confess) that Jesus (of Nazareth) (the) Christ had come in the flesh (see 1 John 4:2-3).
These concerns from the general treatise of John's first epistle supply the basis for John's concerns in his two more personal letters which we know as 2nd and 3rd John.
John, identifying himself as "the Elder" addresses his second epistle to what he calls "the elect lady," which many believe was a church for whom John had concern. He commends this group because he had found that some of them were "walking in the truth" (see 2 John v. 4). He then admonished this faithful group to "watch" for themselves because of the presence of "many deceivers" who were, once again, denying that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh (see 2 John vs. 7-8).
Furthermore he admonished this faithful group to exercise discerning love by avoiding entanglements that would enable these "deceivers" to spread their erroneous views (see 2 John vs. 10-11). In this John demonstrates, as he did in his first epistle, that "walking in truth" manifests itself by loving one another (see 2 John v. 5). This aspect of walking in truth is the subject of John's concern in his third epistle.
John's third epistle is addressed to a man named Gaius, who appears to have been a leader in a church. As was the case with the church John addressed in 2nd John, Gaius is also recognized as walking in the truth.
In Gaius' case, his walking in the truth was demonstrated by the love he had shown in receiving and supporting certain brethren who appear to have been traveling teachers, sent by John as emissaries (see 3 John vs. 2-8). Gaius' faithful love stands in stark contrast to the totally opposite actions of a certain Diotrephes, a man who seems to have been a leader in another church near Gaius.
Refusing to recognize John's authority as an Apostle, Diotrephes not only would not personally receive these same brethren, he resisted allowing anyone in his church to do so, even expelling anyone who wished to do so (see 3 John vs. 9-10). Though Diotrephes was not accused of heresy (denying that Jesus is the Christ) in his arrogance (see 3 John v. 9) he clearly failed to "walk in truth" by loving his brothers. This demonstrates that it is possible to be theologically orthodox and yet be spiritually lacking.
So what about you? Is the truth in you? Are you walking in it, in word and deed?
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Finding Faith is written by area pastors. This week's column comes from Pastor Doug Packard of First Baptist Church, Lock Haven.