3 John 1:1-13 - Pride and Praise

3 John 1:1-13

Greeting to Gaius

1 The Elder,

To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth:

2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Gaius Commended for Generosity

5 Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, 6 who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, 7 because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. 8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.

Diotrephes and Demetrius

9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. 10 Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.

11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.

12 Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.

Farewell Greeting

13 I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink; 14 but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face.

Peace to you. Our friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.

This short letter by the apostle and elder John, the apostle of love (John 21:7), this epistle deals with praise for the faithful and addresses the pride of the self-serving.  He praised Gaius for his prosperity in the truth, a lesson for those today who would twist this kind of prosperity into mere material possessions and wealth.  Because this faithful follower of Christ persevered in living in the truth, John prayed for that soul prosperity to echo into his health and meeting of needs as well, but not as the goal to pursue.  The testimony of others who saw Gaius in action brought the news to John and made his heart joyful of the truth in him and walked out by him.  This is our example as well to be living praiseworthy lives unto Christ as a testimony to God’s grace in Christ.  This love we are to display for others as John wrote extensively about in his first epistle should be moving us to showing compassion on strangers in meeting their needs (not wants) and not just fellow believers.  Their witness to God’s love through us will be carried on to wherever their feet lead them from us and give further glory to God and to the truth of the transformative gospel of changed lives reflecting God’s character in His Son as was displayed to us when He walked among us.  We also are to go into all the world as we are led that we work our way and not expect or demand support from those we minister to as the desire was commanded here.  Likewise, those who serve in ministry to us should be eagerly received with joy and love in return because we all are co-laborers (συνεργός, synergos) in the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  However, there are not all such faithful believers in our midst; the example is given of Diotrephes who was driven by prideful self-importance.  This man opposed those servants who ministered the gospel of love and peace, the very ones John had been praising for their faithfulness.  Diotrephes seemed to forget that Jesus Christ alone is preeminent (Colossians 1:18) and not himself!  John addressed this self-centered destructive behavior when he visited those in the church to whom he wrote here.  He exposed the slander and addressed how this deceiver had even kicked servants of the gospel out of the congregation to bolster his own pride and hide the truth with his lies against the brethren.  In stark contrast to this evil slanderer, John praised the faithful Demetrius whose life testified to the truth spoken and walked out by him to all.  This man was pointed out by the apostle as an example of how we all should live and serve God in contrast to the divisive and controlling deceiver.  He reminded the church to imitate what is good and not what is evil according to the word of God.  He reminded them and us that those who do evil have not even seen God.  They are not disciples of Christ because they do not know Him and are not known by Him.  They failed the test of love from John’s first letter as evidence of true conversion.  Those who do good echo God’s love in their lives as proof of their standing in Him.  In the end, John had to end the letter without saying so much more that he wanted to tell them and to hear from them about the Lord’s work in and through them, no doubt.  He would come and speak face to face in sweet and sincere fellowship in love and with a shepherds heart as he prayed for continued peace in midst of opposition from without and from within (Acts 20:29-30) the body and shared greetings and expectations of greetings from them.  May we be so engaged in the church as well as we observe pride and praise and deal with each accordingly in love.