II John 10-11 ... "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds."
With respect to moral, ethical, religious, and eschatological considerations there are only two kinds of doctrine: (athat which issues from Christ and His apostles under the direct supervision of the Holy Spirit, and (b) that which issues from mere man. The former is inspired of God (II Tim. 3:16), moti-vated by the Holy Spirit (II Pet. 1:21), and identified as "the gospel" (Gal. 1:8).The latter is once called "destructive heresies" (II Pet. 2:1), or more mildly "a gospel contrary to what you received." Those who teach the pure, unadulterated gospel of Jesus are to be respected, heard, believed, and supported (Rom. 10:14-18) and promoted in their work (III John 5-8). Those who teach doctrines of human origin are to be first "watched" and then "turned away from" (Rom. 16:17). That is, they should be excluded from the Bible classroom, from the pulpit, and from all other gatherings of disciples where instruction might be given. In our desire to be magnanimous we may think it only fair to let everyone state his position, but among Christians no forum should be offered to those who are known to teach something alien to the doctrine of Christ.
The featured text above concerns the reaction of Christians to those who teach something which was not issued from the Father through Christ or through the Holy Spirit. In many cases the spurious doctrine is strictly a human invention, but in many other cases it is a corruption, or distortion, of the real gospel into a form of teaching identified as "the error of unprincipled men" in II Pet. 3:15-17. Such teaching is more difficult to expose because it employs Scripture and appeals to the same faith in God cherished by the orthodox. Great care must be taken to refute such error while upholding the truth with which it is intertwined. Christians are strictly warned not to do anything whatsoever that would aid, comfort, facilitate, support, or promote the activity of such counterfeit teachers. This is approximately what it means to "neither bid him God speed," as the KJV expresses the phrase. The faithful should not give such people lodging, or feed and clothe them, or give them a donation, or buy anything from them that would amount to a profit for them.
But what if their work, in addition to their heretical teaching, involves providing beneficial service to unfortunate people about us? This Scripture would ban a Christian's participation in supporting them; and it is not being hard-hearted or insensitive to deny the honor and praise that accrues to erroneous teachers for such relief of human misery. The Lord's church as a body, and Christians as individuals, should be performing these very acts of mercy to the limit of their ability in the name of the Lord so that the honor and praise will go to Him who alone deserves it.
This principle can be overextended, however, to deny a Christian's participation in business and social interactions with unbelievers. Actually, it is impossible for Christians to live and conduct their affairs in total isolation from worldly people. Paul wrote in I Cor. 5:9-10, "I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; but I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world." The only way Christians can totally sever their involvement with unbelievers is to escape earthly life, which is impossible other than by death.
The best course, therefore, is that of prayerful discernment. When it can be ascertained that inter-action with someone will result in promoting error, a Christian must refuse the interaction lest he makes himself one who "participates in his evil deeds." When it is not apparent, or likely, that involvement will promote error, a Christian may continue in it as a necessary consequence of having to live in a corrupt and very complicated world, (John 17:14-17).
