3 John 1-15
1The elder,
To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
2Dear 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. 3It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
5Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. 6They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 7It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.
9I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. 10So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.
11Dear 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. 12Demetrius 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.
13I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 14I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
15 Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.
The third book of John is the shortest book in the New Testament...St. John writes this not to a group of people but to one individual...He is writing to his friend Gaius...St. John may have wanted this letter to be circulated to others, but that would only be an assumption...
John letter is to Gaius...St. John says he loves Gaius in the truth...John also mentions in his letter, praise for Gaius for his faithfulness to the truth and how Gaius continues to walk in the truth...We remember that in John's gospel, he writes that Jesus is the truth, as well as the way, and the life in John 14:6...When Jesus is on trial and talking to Pilate, Jesus tells Pilate that He came into the world to testify to the truth...Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me (John 18:37-38)...So by telling Gaius, he loves him in the truth, we know John deeply loves him in Jesus...
John encourages Gaius throughout this short letter...Like many letters of this time, John offers in the greeting for good health, not only physically, but also for a healthy soul...John ends the letter with wanting to see his friend, in person and wishes him peace...
John writes Gaius' faith in helping strangers...Gaius' show of hospitality in helping brothers in the Name of the truth is what Jesus taught...This is good...
But also John tells us about Diotrephes who loves to be first...No doubt John remembers this teaching when his mother (went to Jesus) requesting to Jesus that his brother, James and he sit at the right and left of Him in the kingdom of God...But Jesus teaches John and us that whoever wants to be first must become a servant, and whoever wants to become great must first become your slave (Matthew 20:20-28)...The first will be last and the last will be first...
John tells us not to follow or imitate evil...Anyone who does evil has not seen God...
Demetrius, unlike Diotrephes, is well spoken of by everyone, and even by truth itself...John speaks well of Demetrius and Gaius knows that his testimony is true (about Demetrius)...
When we study this letter for John to Gaius, it was probably written approximately fifty years after Jesus' resurrection...John's memory of Jesus as being the truth is a solid as ever...This is like a "regular" letter that one would write to a friend and encouraging him to follow the faithful teachings of Jesus, who taught him (John)...We should observe people like Demetrius and know he is a good example to follow, because his deeds and actions are aligned with God...We should avoid teachers like Diotrephes who love to be first and gossip and really do not welcome other brothers...We should do what is good and encourage others to do what is good...
Jesus is St. John's greatest mentor...He is our greatest mentor...We must like John encourage others, be aware of the evil that is around us, and realize what truth is...John walks, testifies and loves in the truth...John wants all of us to know the truth...John says he "wants all of my children to walk in the truth"...Jesus is Truth...