The Flip Side of Love / 另一面的爱

[Dexu Xia]

The Flip Side of Love

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love. 2 John 1:3

The Roman inns during the time of Christ had a reputation so bad that rabbis wouldn’t even permit cattle to be left at them. Faced with such bad conditions, traveling Christians usually sought out other believers for hospitality.

Among those early travelers were false teachers who denied that Jesus was the Messiah. This is why the letter of 2 John tells its readers there is a time to refuse to extend hospitality. John had said in a previous letter that these false teachers were “antichrist—denying the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:22). In 2 John he elaborated on this, telling his readers that whoever believes Jesus is the Messiah “has both the Father and the Son” (v. 9).

Then he warned, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them” (v. 10). To extend hospitality to someone preaching a false gospel would actually help keep people separated from God.

John’s second letter shows us a “flip side” of God’s love. We serve a God who welcomes everyone with open arms. But genuine love won’t enable those who deceitfully harm themselves and others. God wraps His arms around those who come to Him in repentance, but He never embraces a lie.

How can you reflect God’s love in your relationships today? What issues might you need to confront in your own life or in the lives of others?

Father, You love us in Your truth. Help us extend that love to others with the unwavering grace that comes only from Your Spirit.

另一面的爱

恩惠、怜悯、平安从父上帝和祂儿子耶稣基督，在真理和爱心上必常与我们同在！-约翰二书1章3节

在基督的时代，罗马的客店声名狼藉，犹太的拉比甚至不愿意把自己的牲畜留在客店里。因为客店的环境异常恶劣，所以当时游历在外的信徒，经常都需要寻找其他信徒来接待他们。

但在这些初代信徒中有些是假教师，他们否认耶稣就是弥赛亚。因此，约翰二书告诉读者，必须拒绝接待这些假教师。使徒约翰在前一封书信中提到，这些假教师既是“不认父与子的，这就是敌基督的”（约翰一书2章22节）。在约翰二书更向读者详尽阐述，人若相信耶稣是弥赛亚，“就有父又有子”（9节）。

约翰还提出警告说：“若有人到你们那里，不是传这教训，不要接他到家里，也不要问他的安”（10节）。接待那些传讲错谬福音的人，实际上却反倒是使人与上帝隔绝。

约翰的第二封书信让我们看见上帝另一面的爱。我们事奉的这位上帝总是张开双臂欢迎每个人，但真实的爱并不会容许人以欺骗害人害己。上帝绝不接受错谬的教导，但祂接纳那些真正悔改归向祂的人。

天父，祢本着真理爱我们，求祢帮助我们，也能如此爱人，让人得着那单从圣灵而来永不动摇的恩典。

在与人相处时，你如何反映上帝的爱？你需要纠正自己和周围的人哪些问题？