John is writing to adults (and children), and YET he is very confident and comfortable referring to EVERYONE as Children.

John says that he loves the recipients of his letter IN TRUTH. In other words, Jesus of Nazareth (who is the Truth) is the person who offers particulars and parables that specifically dominate and define what LOVE actually looks like in action. So, for example, Jesus is LOVING Peter when He says what he says to Peter in Matthew 16. And Jesus is LOVING His Heavenly Father when He is wrestling, and in turmoil, with the will of His Heavenly Father in the garden of Gethsemane. And Jesus loved the Pharisees when He told them that they were sons of their father – the devil. And Jesus is loving the Syrophoenician lady when He calls her ‘a dog.’ Etc. THIS paradigm, and these Jesus of Nazareth particulars are the ABIDING reality of our lives, and they will dominate and define our approach to, and actions of, truth, goodness, beauty, and love! So… John goes on to say, “I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.”

THEN, John says, “Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.” What is the connection between DECEPTION, and DENYING THAT JESUS HAS COME IN THE FLESH? Basically, the incarnation is DIRTY. It’s gritty. It’s graphic. It’s earthy. It’s visceral. And super academic, achievementist, performance, pretentious, paper-pusher, accumulationist, consumer, commodify-ist types HATE HATE HATE the idea of things being complicated, gray, gritty, earthy and all that. So they come up with a way to “retain” the Jesus label, but they remove all the earthy, gritty, and indecorous stuff. They don’t share the points of emphasis and priorities of Jesus on Nazareth. For instance, Jesus made uneducated common men apostles, and deceivers/anti-Christs cannot embrace this as an actual, active, point of emphasis for themselves. Jesus made Samaritans the heroes of His short-stories! (like Flannery O’ Connor). Jesus went to Levi’s house party (which the deceivers would say is, “not above reproach”). Jesus didn’t really hang out with His rabbinical colleagues …but rather He would opt to be hiking mountains, and sailing upon dangerous seas, and feasting on broiled fish on beaches, and hanging out with Lazarus and Mary in Bethany, etc.

Finally, John says, “Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete.”

JOY complete! Complete JOY! …and a priority on being together in person, face-to-face! Bam!