68 14 Habits of Highly Effective Disciples
BIBLE COMMENTS
Understanding the Context
Proverbs is the Old Testament’s practical book of wisdom, containing
memorable sayings to instruct its readers on how to live a godly life
within a covenant community. Chapter 17 seems to be a random col-
lection of sayings, but a number of verses focus on the importance of
friends and family. The types of actions and attitudes that contribute to
or detract from healthy relationships within the family and community
are addressed.
The letters of John ref lect a struggle within the early Christian
community, likely among those groups of Christians living in the large
metropolitan city of Ephesus. Certain leaders were distorting the gospel
by making false claims about Jesus. Some were saying that Jesus did not
actually become f lesh and blood. Others were separating the human
Jesus from the spiritual Christ. John referred to these opponents of
the true gospel as “antichrists” (1 John 2:18; 2:22; 4:3; and, 2 John 7).
They may have been comprised of Gnostics or at least a group related
to Gnosticism which claimed to have special knowledge not available to
others outside their group.
One of these opponents may have been Diotrephes who refused to
accept the true teachings about Jesus (3 John 9). This opponent also
spread lies about authentic Christian leaders and refused to receive
them into his community of believers. He also prevented others in his
local gathering of believers from receiving the true Christian teachers
and even put them out of the church (3 John 10). Such behavior dem-
onstrated a lack of love, stemming from a lack of understanding about
God’s character and the love manifested by the Father in sending the
Son to die for our sins.