3 John: A Story of Three Christians
The little book of 3rd John gives us an intimate look into the life of the early church.
3rd John was written to a Christian about how to take care of the true teachers who were traveling around sharing and teaching the Bible.
3rd John also shows us the problems of personalities within the church, and three people are specifically named in the letter. There is Gaius, to whom the letter is written, another person named Diotrephes, and a third individual named Demetrius. These three people are like three kinds of Christians found in any church at any time in history. This is a very practical and relevant letter for us today.
Gaius–faithful and generous
Gaius was someone that John knew and addressed the letter to him in a warm and friendly way. We can figure out from this letter that Gaius was a gracious and generous person. There are three key things John says about him: (1) He was strong spiritually: “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” 3 John 1:2 (NIV). John says basically: “I hope for you that you will be just as strong physically as you are spiritually.”
(2) He was consistent in his actions: “It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.” 3 John 1:3 (NIV). He lived out God’s truth in his life, and what John is impressed with is not that he knew the truth, but that he followed the truth. He lived it out. His life showed the truth of God.
(3) He was generous in his giving: “Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God.” 3 John 1:5-6 (NIV). One of the signs that a person has genuinely been transformed by God is they become generous, gracious and loving. Gaius was faithful in his giving. The idea here is that Gaius was regular and systematic in his giving. He may give when his emotions are touched, but he also plans his giving, and he carries it through faithfully.
He gave faithfully to God’s work. Basically, the idea is giving not because you have to or because you ought to. Gaius gives because he delights in giving.
Diotrephes–put himself first and tried to run things his way
“I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church. Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.” 3 John 1:9-11(NIV).
Here is the first example in the Bible of someone who likes to run the church. Someone who thinks everyone needs to do like he thinks. The early church must have had some sort of membership roll, and if Diotrephes didn’t like someone, he would take them off the list and put them out of the church. John calls that out and opposes it. John writes about several wrong actions and attitudes that Diotrelphes has: (1) He slandered John–he spoke evil and untruths about John. He didn’t respect John and then spoke against him.
(2) He refused to welcome the traveling teachers: When these traveling ministers who went from place to place, teaching the truth of God, came to this church, Diotrephes rejected them and wouldn’t let them teach.
(3) He kicks people out of the church who disagreed with him: Diotrephes not only objected to the ministers who came, but he objected to anyone who welcomed the traveling ministers. He didn’t like anyone who liked someone he didn't like. This kind of attitude causes disunity and divisiveness in a church, doing harm and injury.
(4) Diotrephes put himself first: This was the most serious problem. He loved to be first, which is always a giveaway that someone is not being directed by God. It is always the default that we can go toward–me first. Whenever we put ourselves first–”I know best, I want what I want”–we put Jesus second or worst, and that is a very serious thing.
What is John’s advice in this situation?
He doesn’t advise Gaius to organize a split away from the church. “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.” 3 John 1:11 (NIV). In other words, don’t follow Diotrephes’ example. If you see someone who is following their own way and not God’s way, don’t do what they do.
Demetrius–Someone you can trust
Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true…It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.” 3 John 1:12, 7-8 (NIV)
John tells us that Demetrius is trustworthy. He is a man of truth. Everyone says he can be trusted. Demetrius was the messenger of the letter to Gaius, and probably was one of the ministers who traveled place to place.
“We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.” 3 John 1:8 (NIV)
John encouraged the church to give their support to those traveling and teaching about Jesus. John uses the phrase “fellow workers in the truth”. What a great phrase to describe how we can make a difference for Jesus in the world.
This short letter is for us, it is like Jesus says to each of us: “There is much that I’d like to write to you about.”
A Prayer for You: Jesus, we pray that You will strengthen our hearts and encourage us to honor Your name in every way we can. Help us to follow Your way and not just our way.