2 John 9 9Everyone who goes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God. The one who remains in the teaching, this one has both the Father and the Son.
The next verse summarizes the good and the bad that John has highlighted in the above verses. The bad option warns about following the way of the deceivers. Two substantival participles describe those who have “gone out into the world” (verse 7). Goes ahead (proagōn) is made of a prefix and a word that means to lead, thus, to precede, go beyond, or go too far. These people went beyond the gospel, possibly into speculation and human thinking. They followed human philosophy rather than divine revelation. Human thinking often gets in the way as we try to figure out the mysteries of God.
Adding or subtracting from God’s self-revelation as found in the Bible leads to the danger of apostasy and the second characteristic of not remaining. Remain (menōn) is a significant word in John’s writing, often translated as “abide,” and it describes the close bond of love and fellowship between the believer and Jesus (John 15). Not all theological study is bad as long as it stays anchored in the teaching of Christ. If Jesus did not teach it, or if the Bible does not bear witness to it, we are in a danger zone. The “rule of faith” is a crucial guide for all thinking about God. The early church developed this idea, which means that any idea must agree with the whole message of the gospel and God’s revelation as found in Scripture. The Bible has many passages that could be interpreted wrongly if not considered in the context of the whole Bible. People get into theological trouble when they build a doctrine from an isolated idea taken out of context.
The outcome of going beyond Christ’s teaching, as testified by the apostles and eyewitnesses, is not having God. The verb have/has, used twice in this verse, captures the relationship of faith leading to eternal life. We do not “possess” God as in ownership, but we have a bond through love that results in life. There is no other path to eternal life than sticking with the truth of Jesus (John 14:6). To have the Son is to have the Father; to reject the Son is to reject the Father. Accepting the orthodox claims about Jesus is the path to the Father.