ABIDING IN THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST: 2 JOHN 9
In 2 John 9, the apostle warns believers to “abide in the doctrine of Christ,” and then immediately points to a very practical safeguard: anyone who denies Christ or refuses His teaching is not to be welcomed into fellowship. It’s a verse often misunderstood as a license to expel anyone who happens to hold a doctrinal error, but the New Testament is much more measured than that.
If you look carefully, there are only a few reasons anyone was ever removed from the fellowship in the early church. The Scriptures give us two clear grounds: one, being divisive—working against the gospel, stirring conflict, trying to pull believers apart; and two, living in blatant, unrepentant sin, especially sexual immorality. That’s it. No one was ever kicked out merely for misunderstanding a truth, or even holding a wrong view sincerely. Faithful error was met with teaching, correction, patience, and restoration.
So what about 2 John 9? It’s not a warning against mere differences in opinion. It’s a warning against those who actively oppose the gospel, who work to undermine Christ’s truth and lead others astray. The ones John has in mind aren’t casual misthinkers; they are divisive teachers, sowing discord, denying the incarnation, denying Christ’s work, and drawing others away. That is the real danger.
Holding the doctrine of Christ is about staying rooted in the truth of His person, His work, and His gospel. Abiding means being steady, not swayed by every new idea that comes along, but it also means discernment: knowing the difference between someone who errs sincerely and someone who is working against the foundation itself. The first is corrected; the second is avoided in fellowship for the sake of the church.
So the key is clarity: 2 John is not about policing opinion or punishing sincere misunderstanding. It is about guarding the flock from those who are actively divisive—who deny the faith in a way that threatens Christ’s work among His people. Doctrine matters, yes, but it is the spirit behind it, the fruit it produces, and the effect on the body of Christ that calls for action.
Abiding in Christ’s teaching does not make us legalists; it makes us shepherds of the heart, steady in truth, patient in love, careful with fellowship, and vigilant against anything that would tear the church apart from within. Sincere error is corrected with grace. Divisive error is addressed with firm boundaries.
The lesson is simple, but profound: the church is a living body, sustained by truth and love. We welcome all who seek Christ in humility. We correct all who wander in sincere error. And we refuse to give a platform to those who would turn God’s people against Him, or against each other.
Abide in the doctrine of Christ, not out of fear or legalism, but out of love—for Him, for the truth, and for the fellowship He entrusted to us. Let every word, every teaching, every action honor Him, preserving the unity and purity of the body while extending grace to those who earnestly seek the way.
BDD
