Hi Mike,

I am reading “What is the Difference Between Knowing and Believing We Are God’s Elect?”, and I was wondering:

2Jn 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
2Jn 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
2Jn 1:11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

Receive him not into your house, is spiritually speaking, right? I can have someone coming over in my physical brick house, a person who is not abiding in the doctrines of Christ, and have a coffee and a talk with him. Not recieving him in my house is speaking of not spiritually recieving his doctrines in my spiritual house. Am I correct ?

Your brother in Christ
R____

Hi R____,

You can have family members and friends who oppose the doctrine of Christ into your physical home, and you can eat physical food with them. What you do not do is to talk about spiritual matters with those who are not receptive to the doctrine of Christ. That is the meaning of “no not to eat.”

1Co 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

In other words, “receive him not into your house” is very similar to “cast not your pearls before swine…”

2Jn 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
2Jn 1:11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
Mat 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Christ himself physically ate at the house of Simon the Pharisee, who did not have the doctrine of Christ.

Luk 7:36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat.
Luk 7:37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that [ Jesus] sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
Luk 7:38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
Luk 7:39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
Luk 7:40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.

The Pharisees certainly did not “have the doctrine of Christ.” Christ even warned His disciples to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.” They were “called [ Christ’s Jewish] brothers, yet when invited “to eat with Simon the Pharisee,” Christ “went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat.” But Christ did not partake of the Pharisee’s spiritual meat. Instead He used the occasion to witness to Simon, the Pharisee:

Luk 7:40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
Luk 7:41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
Luk 7:42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
Luk 7:43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that [ he], to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
Luk 7:44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped [ them] with the hairs of her head.
Luk 7:45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
Luk 7:46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
Luk 7:47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
Luk 7:48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
Luk 7:49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

I hope this helps you to see that Christ could physically eat with a man whose doctrine was contrary to His own, and yet not allow that person into His own spiritual house. So it is obvious that we too can eat a physical meal with friends and family members whose doctrine is contrary to that of Christ, and if the opportunity arises to witness to them and they refuse the doctrine of Christ, it become a “witness against them.” But we are not to partake of their spiritual food or allow them into our spiritual house.

Rom 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
Rom 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

That is the principle by which we live. We can feed our enemy spiritually, but we are not to partake of our enemy’s food spiritually. Be not overcome of evil ‘doctrine,’ but overcome evil ‘doctrine’ with good ‘doctrine.’

Luk 9:5 And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.

Shaking off the dust from your feet is also a spiritual statement and not a physical ritual. We have no record of Christ ever performing that ritual as they were driven out of certain towns. The disciples were told to do it, but it is no more a required ritual than ‘drinking His blood’.

Mat 10:14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
Luk 9:5 And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.

It is not that which is outside a man that entering into him defiles him. But that doctrine which is in our hearts which, if it is not that of Christ, will defile us.

Mat 15:11 Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth the man.
Mat 15:18 But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man.
Mat 15:19 For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings:
Mat 15:20 these are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not the man.

I hope this helps you to see that when Christ or His apostles speak of eating with someone who opposes His Truth, that it is understood that it is “not that which enters into the mouth that defiles a man, but it is that which proceeds out of the mouth that defiles a man.”

Your brother in Christ,
Mike