John’s 2nd and 3rd epistles overview and commentary
These two personal letters demonstrate John’s heart for the things of God. In his gospel he writes to the world; in his 1st epistle he writes to the family of God, identifying different levels of growth, and now he writes to two individuals concerning their needs. It is a unique gift to be able to unfold spiritual truth in all three spheres. Through His servant John, God speaks to the world, the people of God and to individuals. It is indeed worthy of note that in his gospel, he records that the Lord dealt with all three groups and very interesting indeed how He handled individuals. In His word God is speaking to all three groups and He tailors the broad principles to individual circumstances.
In the 2nd epistle he writes to a widow woman and her children. There is no evidence the “elect lady” is a church or any of the other suggestions made. From the last verse of the letter it would seem that her sister has passed away and so the situation is fraught with a sense of loss, and vulnerability is a factor, especially with the army of itinerant preachers all seeking material help.
In the 3rd epistle he writes to a beloved brother who was experiencing difficulty within the church.
In the 2nd epistle he warns against receiving false teachers, in the 3rd epistle he condemns the non reception of true teachers. The letters balance out, true discrimination is required.
In the one the problem was from without, visiting itinerant preachers, in the other, it came from within, a resident overlord. In the one they were denying the doctrine of the Christ, in the other one man was denying the practice of the doctrine of the Christ, there being only one preeminent One among God’s people. Interesting that John saw no difference in these two errors, classifying both as not of God. It is one thing to say we believe in the Lordship of Christ, it is another to practise it. Doctrine and practice for John were essential partners in Christianity. In the one the apostates invaded the home, in the other it was the church. No place on earth is safe from the influx of error. In the one the woman was to take action, in the other it was the apostle John who would take action. He introduces himself in both as “the elder”, not using apostolic authority, but preferring to be seen as the venerable John whose age and experience will carry great weight with the individuals addressed.
2nd john.....a letter of consolation
John announces almost immediately his main topic with the reference to “the truth” no less than 5 times in the first 4 verses. What are we to understand by “the truth”?, as it is this theme he carries all the way through in both letters. It is such an important word, but if not careful we can miss the sharp import if we think of it as vague and general. Truth is reality as opposed to fantasy, and fact as opposed to fiction. It is integrity as opposed to falsehood, it is transparency as opposed to dubiety. Objectively God is the truth; Jesus in John 14 v6 “I am the truth”; The Spirit is truth (1st John 5 v6; John 16 v13; 14 v17; 15 v26); God’s word is truth (John 17 v17), all else is false. Subjectively truth is the opposite of lies, we reject the lies of the devil, doctrinally; we do not indulge in lies practically. Any deviation from the truth of God cannot be tolerated, and he sets it in this letter as “abiding in the doctrine of the Christ”(verse9). Deviation from that in any way is transgression. He develops different aspects of the truth through the letter, as he seeks to protect this vulnerable lady in difficult emotional and spiritual circumstances.
Verses 1-3 Knowing the truth
Verses 4-6 Walking in the truth
Verses 7-11 Abiding in the truth
Verses 12-13 Enjoying the truth
Knowing the truth(1-3) We live in a world of lies, dominated by the father of lies, to be associated with a community of people who know the truth and practice truthfulness is just a wonderful experience. He addresses the lady as “elect” and is a reminder of the privileged position of every child of God. To be elect of God is the highest honour that can be bestowed on any human being. It is spoken of by the Lord Jesus and every major writer of the new testament. It is a glorious fact, an honour from heaven that out of the many billions of human beings those with faith in Christ have been chosen by God for eternal blessing, and this fact alone should be the greatest incentive to godly living while here in this world. With high privilege comes also responsibility.
It would seem the children of the elect lady are also the Lord’s as the word “whom” is plural and could be rendered “all whom I love in the truth”. Note the sensitivity of John, for in writing to this dear sister in the Lord, he drops the customary “beloved”, which he used in 1st John 3 v2; 3 v21; 4 v1; 4 v7; 4 v11 and also in 3rd John v1; v2; v5 and v11. No doubt this is to avoid any appearance of over affection which may be misconstrued. His love for her and her children was a spiritual one in the common faith and this is shared by all...”..not I only but also all they that have known the truth”. This love in the truth for all saints is “..for the truth’s sake..”, that is the propagation of the truth will be enhanced by our evident love for one another. The way in which this is possible is by the truth, the pure unadulterated truth of God abiding in us and remaining with us forever.
Notice in verse 3 how he combines truth and love, the never- to- be- separated elements of the faith, in the context of a reiteration of the truth, with the consequent spiritual provisions from God the Father and God the Son, “Grace be with you and mercy and peace from God the Father. and from the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Father”. Grace from the Father, grace from the Son; mercy from the Father, mercy from the Son; peace from the Father, peace from the Son. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of the Father, this is the truth, and we hold it in love, and we hold no other thought.
Walking in truth (4-6) To walk in the truth is to obey it, to allow it to control every part of our life. We can study the truth, debate it, develop it, even preach it but it is more difficult to practise it. In Galatians chapter 2 there are two key expressions; verse 5 “that the truth of the gospel may continue with you”, and verse 14 “..they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel”. The only way to continue in the truth is to walk according to it’s precepts. We may understand it, we may preach it acceptably, but it is to walk in it, to order our lives in line with it, that brings great joy to the Lord, and to the apostles and to our teachers and to our elders, and, ultimately to ourselves. John uses the theme of joy which is characteristic of his writings, “I rejoiced greatly....”. The world views Christianity as being “killjoy”, the very opposite is the truth. Real joy comes from walking in His ways; this will involve keeping His commandments as He well knows what is best for us. The word commandments is used 5 times in this section. Commandments focus the truth on specific areas of life. The commandments are from the Father, the one who in love gave up all He had and went the whole way to save us, how would we not respond accordingly? God’s commandments to us are the expression of His heart, and thus we obey for the good of all.
Now he appeals to the lady to fulfil the greatest commandment, to love one another. This was not a new commandment in terms of time but it was new in terms of extent as had been displayed in Jesus Christ. The definition of love is an attitude to others displayed in harmony with His perfect Being, the cycle of which is truth then obedience and love.
Abiding in the truth (7-11) Knowing the truth, walking in the truth, now abiding in the truth, living with it in our hearts, carrying it with us wherever we are. The truth will be put to the test; there is an army of preachers peddling error. Some of them are the worst kind, those who have given intellectual assent to it, but did not abide in it and, indeed, have overthrown it. These are dangerous to the family of God and they are not to be tolerated, or harboured or received, not even to be given the normal courtesy of hospitality for which Christianity is famous. The standard is “The doctrine of the Christ...” , no less; failure to abide in this renders the person apostate so far as God is concerned. We must be informed that most of the mainline churches today fall down on this as well as a host of so-called evangelicals and all non-Christian religious organisations. Believers today must beware of any who bring the contrary doctrine, and the test is their attitude to Christ. He pulls the rug from under modern Unitarianism and Christadelphianism with his clear statement that the doctrine of the Christ involves both the Father and the Son. The word “transgress” used in this connection is interesting, in that it suggests more going beyond the doctrine, adding to it, proposing a more “progressive” doctrine. This would apply to the error at Colosse where it was suggested the doctrine of Christ was only part of the picture, adding human philosophy, Jewish legalism, eastern mysticism, and Greek stoicism. Far from enhancing the doctrine these demeaned the person and work of Christ. All additions to the revealed truth, including claims of extra-biblical revelation, are not of God and are to be refused. There exists today multiple deviations and we must be vigilant. We don’t need to know all the “transgressions” of the doctrine we just need to know the truth and the One who is the truth and live in it and reject all the lies that will some day be swept away into oblivion.
Enjoy the truth (12-13). Jesus said when challenged in His day “the truth shall set you free”. What He meant was freedom from the shackles of evil, whether moral or doctrinal; freedom from sin and Satan and self. Freedom to serve the Lord without fear and to love His people without favour. The end of this pathway scripture says is fullness of joy....Psalm 16 v11; It is called “the path of life”; it is living “in the presence of the Lord”; it leads to “fullness of joy” and “pleasures for evermore”. He only wants to make us happy, He only wants to heal us, and then exalt us. We can start right now by enjoying the fellowship of His people. We can write, we can sing, we can visit, we can engage one-to one. We can greet one another, we can revel in the wonders of our election. All of this is in the heart of the aged apostle as he bids farewell.
3rd john......a letter of commendation
There are three names in this letter which dominate the matters raised, and divide the letter.
Gaius the beloved brother(1-6) a spiritual son of John, prone to ill health, who was pleasing to John and to others as a beloved and faithful brother.
Diotrephes the dictator(7-10) an overbearing leader who was troubling the church.
Demetrius the model teacher(11-12) an itinerant preacher of good report by all and faithful to the truth.
The battle for the truth takes place in the world (1st epistle); in the home (2nd epistle); and in the church (3rd epistle). Satan and his hordes are busy in all three spheres and we are to be aware of it. The battle is for hearts and minds and nowhere is free from the conflict. The local church will always be a prime target; in church life we must expect to encounter many different people and face difficult problems. We are to follow the good and avoid the bad.
Gaius (1-6) A good brother to be trusted Not only was Gaius beloved in the truth, he was beloved in the very real, very visible, practice of it.
• Verse 2 Gaius was possessed of great personal piety; he was in good spiritual health even if his physical health was an issue and John prayed that his bodily health would match that of his spiritual prosperity. It is possible that with him “the outward man was perishing, while the inner man was being renewed day by day”.
• Verses 3-4 He bore a good testimony before his brethren. Those who knew him best reported that the truth was in him and his manner of life gave evidence to that. John had several reports from visiting brethren of His walk according to the truth of God. The truth was in him and it was the driving force of his outward demeanour. This brought great pleasure to John who revelled in the knowledge that another of his spiritual children was walking in truth.
• Verses 5-8 He engaged himself in good practical ministry and John encouraged him to continue even in the face of opposition. “Beloved thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren and to strangers...”. Perhaps the faithful work Gaius did was to use his home for the purpose of hospitality. Both to the local brethren and the visiting strangers. This was no easy task as it was done in the context of an overbearing man in the church refusing all and sundry. The lesson of Gaius is that it is possible to swim against an evil tide even in the church and to do good in the face of evil. He is encouraged to “bring forward on their journey after a godly sort” (better “worthy of God”). The hospitality of Abraham in Genesis 18 is an illustration of how we should help those on a mission for God, a story which is referred to in Hebrews 13 v2. Those who have made sacrifice for God are worthy of help and in helping them, bringing them on their journey we are serving the Lord. Note the link between the human servant and the One who commissioned them, “..for His name’s sake they went forth taking nothing of the Gentiles...”.
Their only means of visible support is the church since they are not funded by the world. In receiving them we become “fellow helpers to the truth”. The practice of the early church was to go without the material support of the outside world. This is in line with Abram’s refusal of support from the King of Sodom, even when he had the right to claim it (Genesis 14). Some practices today in this respect are dubious, since “Gentile money” usually comes with conditions. There is an interesting observation by the Lord in Matthew 10 verses 40-41 in this connection, we are all part of the great mission to the world; “He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth Him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.” The issue of reception is huge and is not to be taken lightly. Discernment of the Lord’s people and His servants and the prospering of the work is at stake, as is our personal reward. Are we helping or hindering the truth? The day will declare it.
Diotrephes(7-10) The dictator to be avoided There is only one who is preeminent in the church and that is the Lord Himself. This is clear from Colossians chapter 1, where the pre-eminence of God’s Son holds sway in every sphere including the church and therefore in every local church. When Hs servants are not recognised, nor does His word have the final say in matters of practice, His supreme position is challenged and indeed usurped. Leaders and teachers and elders are not preeminent. They may be prominent, they may even be eminent, but “in all things He has the pre-eminence”. The church has been blighted by dictatorial men who sought, (and do seek) to lord it over God’s flock. Their word, not the word of the Lord becomes law and people are hurt in the process and the propagation of the truth is hindered. The danger of “one man ministry” is obvious in this respect when men who are mere servants become lords, a position not befitting any of us. Those churches which refuse one man ministry in principle oftentimes accept it in practice, to the detriment of God’s work. Such a man was Diotrephes, an overbearing man who sought to impose his will on the company. In the typical style of the autocrat he would brook no challenge to his ungodly decisions, and received none of God’s visiting servants. John details his behaviour and this is a warning today for such men still exist in the church, and there are always those willing to follow them. Like the Pharisees before him he “...loved to have the pre-eminence among them.”; (Matthew 23 verses 5-7)
• He would not receive the apostle
• He lied about the apostle
• He refused to receive the visiting brethren
• He opposed them that would receive them
• He cast those of different view out of the church
“..prating against us with malicious words...” ungodly in his deeds and poisonous in his words, berating the apostles and the servants of God. John has no hesitation in describing this as evil, and not in any way to be followed, but to be avoided. There are obviously varying degrees of this kind of behaviour, and discernment must be made, but this tendency must be rejected and opposed. It may come from an inflated view of superior gift, or of family connections, or of social status, or even of seniority of age or attendance. They forget that “God set the members every one of them in the body as it has pleased Him....” (1ST Corinthians 12 v18), and any behaviour that disregards this is rebellion. Respect for elders and seniority of age and gift is enjoined in us all but those in receipt of such honour are not to be lording it in God’s house. John said he would deal with him when he came “If I come I will remember his deeds...”. A study of the usage of the word “remember” in scripture reveals it means more than a mental recollection, it means he will take action commensurate with the evil. He did not ask the members to confront the man nor did he ask the visiting Demetrius to challenge the dictator, he would deal with it as the apostle of Christ. In the absence of apostles today, the Lord Himself deals with it in His own way (1st Corinthians 3 v17 “If any defile the temple of God, him shall God defile...”. It is a serious matter to usurp the position in the church that alone belongs to Christ.
Demetrius (11-12) The model teacher who should be followed “Beloved follow not that which is evil, but that which is good”. Evil and good are not defined by profession but by piety Godward. Good is living godly, evil is living ungodly. It is ungodly to reject the commissioned apostle of Christ, it is ungodly to falsely accuse them, it is ungodly to hinder the work of God, it is ungodly to impose upon God’s people, it is ungodly to cast out of the church without the authority of God’s word. This is a thoroughly ungodly man, do not follow his ways. Rather follow a godly man like Demetrius who comes to you on my recommendation. Says John, he has a good report of all ( that is within the Christian community), including myself and all with me and you know our record is true! More than that he is witnessed by the very truth he teaches being the living embodiment of the truth. Follow the man who teaches and lives the truth.
Greetings and farewell (13-14) He closes with his intention to come to them, meanwhile exchanges greetings between two groups of believers, whom he describes as “friends”. This is a really close term of endearment as we remember the scripture which says that the relationship of friends can be closer than even that of family; Proverbs 18 v24 “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother”. This wisdom from the book of wisdom makes this parting from John all the more lucid as he considered all in the church as his friends and they with him. Was he thinking of that most privileged relationship spoken by the Lord to his disciples in John 15 v14? “Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I have commanded you!” This goes beyond even “brethren”.
These two personal letters demonstrate John’s heart for the things of God. In his gospel he writes to the world; in his 1st epistle he writes to the family of God, identifying different levels of growth, and now he writes to two individuals concerning their needs. It is a unique gift to be able to unfold spiritual truth in all three spheres. Through His servant John, God speaks to the world, the people of God and to individuals. It is indeed worthy of note that in his gospel, he records that the Lord dealt with all three groups and very interesting indeed how He handled individuals. In His word God is speaking to all three groups and He tailors the broad principles to individual circumstances.
In the 2nd epistle he writes to a widow woman and her children. There is no evidence the “elect lady” is a church or any of the other suggestions made. From the last verse of the letter it would seem that her sister has passed away and so the situation is fraught with a sense of loss, and vulnerability is a factor, especially with the army of itinerant preachers all seeking material help.
In the 3rd epistle he writes to a beloved brother who was experiencing difficulty within the church.
In the 2nd epistle he warns against receiving false teachers, in the 3rd epistle he condemns the non reception of true teachers. The letters balance out, true discrimination is required.
In the one the problem was from without, visiting itinerant preachers, in the other, it came from within, a resident overlord. In the one they were denying the doctrine of the Christ, in the other one man was denying the practice of the doctrine of the Christ, there being only one preeminent One among God’s people. Interesting that John saw no difference in these two errors, classifying both as not of God. It is one thing to say we believe in the Lordship of Christ, it is another to practise it. Doctrine and practice for John were essential partners in Christianity. In the one the apostates invaded the home, in the other it was the church. No place on earth is safe from the influx of error. In the one the woman was to take action, in the other it was the apostle John who would take action. He introduces himself in both as “the elder”, not using apostolic authority, but preferring to be seen as the venerable John whose age and experience will carry great weight with the individuals addressed.
2nd john.....a letter of consolation
John announces almost immediately his main topic with the reference to “the truth” no less than 5 times in the first 4 verses. What are we to understand by “the truth”?, as it is this theme he carries all the way through in both letters. It is such an important word, but if not careful we can miss the sharp import if we think of it as vague and general. Truth is reality as opposed to fantasy, and fact as opposed to fiction. It is integrity as opposed to falsehood, it is transparency as opposed to dubiety. Objectively God is the truth; Jesus in John 14 v6 “I am the truth”; The Spirit is truth (1st John 5 v6; John 16 v13; 14 v17; 15 v26); God’s word is truth (John 17 v17), all else is false. Subjectively truth is the opposite of lies, we reject the lies of the devil, doctrinally; we do not indulge in lies practically. Any deviation from the truth of God cannot be tolerated, and he sets it in this letter as “abiding in the doctrine of the Christ”(verse9). Deviation from that in any way is transgression. He develops different aspects of the truth through the letter, as he seeks to protect this vulnerable lady in difficult emotional and spiritual circumstances.
Verses 1-3 Knowing the truth
Verses 4-6 Walking in the truth
Verses 7-11 Abiding in the truth
Verses 12-13 Enjoying the truth
Knowing the truth(1-3) We live in a world of lies, dominated by the father of lies, to be associated with a community of people who know the truth and practice truthfulness is just a wonderful experience. He addresses the lady as “elect” and is a reminder of the privileged position of every child of God. To be elect of God is the highest honour that can be bestowed on any human being. It is spoken of by the Lord Jesus and every major writer of the new testament. It is a glorious fact, an honour from heaven that out of the many billions of human beings those with faith in Christ have been chosen by God for eternal blessing, and this fact alone should be the greatest incentive to godly living while here in this world. With high privilege comes also responsibility.
It would seem the children of the elect lady are also the Lord’s as the word “whom” is plural and could be rendered “all whom I love in the truth”. Note the sensitivity of John, for in writing to this dear sister in the Lord, he drops the customary “beloved”, which he used in 1st John 3 v2; 3 v21; 4 v1; 4 v7; 4 v11 and also in 3rd John v1; v2; v5 and v11. No doubt this is to avoid any appearance of over affection which may be misconstrued. His love for her and her children was a spiritual one in the common faith and this is shared by all...”..not I only but also all they that have known the truth”. This love in the truth for all saints is “..for the truth’s sake..”, that is the propagation of the truth will be enhanced by our evident love for one another. The way in which this is possible is by the truth, the pure unadulterated truth of God abiding in us and remaining with us forever.
Notice in verse 3 how he combines truth and love, the never- to- be- separated elements of the faith, in the context of a reiteration of the truth, with the consequent spiritual provisions from God the Father and God the Son, “Grace be with you and mercy and peace from God the Father. and from the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Father”. Grace from the Father, grace from the Son; mercy from the Father, mercy from the Son; peace from the Father, peace from the Son. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of the Father, this is the truth, and we hold it in love, and we hold no other thought.
Walking in truth (4-6) To walk in the truth is to obey it, to allow it to control every part of our life. We can study the truth, debate it, develop it, even preach it but it is more difficult to practise it. In Galatians chapter 2 there are two key expressions; verse 5 “that the truth of the gospel may continue with you”, and verse 14 “..they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel”. The only way to continue in the truth is to walk according to it’s precepts. We may understand it, we may preach it acceptably, but it is to walk in it, to order our lives in line with it, that brings great joy to the Lord, and to the apostles and to our teachers and to our elders, and, ultimately to ourselves. John uses the theme of joy which is characteristic of his writings, “I rejoiced greatly....”. The world views Christianity as being “killjoy”, the very opposite is the truth. Real joy comes from walking in His ways; this will involve keeping His commandments as He well knows what is best for us. The word commandments is used 5 times in this section. Commandments focus the truth on specific areas of life. The commandments are from the Father, the one who in love gave up all He had and went the whole way to save us, how would we not respond accordingly? God’s commandments to us are the expression of His heart, and thus we obey for the good of all.
Now he appeals to the lady to fulfil the greatest commandment, to love one another. This was not a new commandment in terms of time but it was new in terms of extent as had been displayed in Jesus Christ. The definition of love is an attitude to others displayed in harmony with His perfect Being, the cycle of which is truth then obedience and love.
Abiding in the truth (7-11) Knowing the truth, walking in the truth, now abiding in the truth, living with it in our hearts, carrying it with us wherever we are. The truth will be put to the test; there is an army of preachers peddling error. Some of them are the worst kind, those who have given intellectual assent to it, but did not abide in it and, indeed, have overthrown it. These are dangerous to the family of God and they are not to be tolerated, or harboured or received, not even to be given the normal courtesy of hospitality for which Christianity is famous. The standard is “The doctrine of the Christ...” , no less; failure to abide in this renders the person apostate so far as God is concerned. We must be informed that most of the mainline churches today fall down on this as well as a host of so-called evangelicals and all non-Christian religious organisations. Believers today must beware of any who bring the contrary doctrine, and the test is their attitude to Christ. He pulls the rug from under modern Unitarianism and Christadelphianism with his clear statement that the doctrine of the Christ involves both the Father and the Son. The word “transgress” used in this connection is interesting, in that it suggests more going beyond the doctrine, adding to it, proposing a more “progressive” doctrine. This would apply to the error at Colosse where it was suggested the doctrine of Christ was only part of the picture, adding human philosophy, Jewish legalism, eastern mysticism, and Greek stoicism. Far from enhancing the doctrine these demeaned the person and work of Christ. All additions to the revealed truth, including claims of extra-biblical revelation, are not of God and are to be refused. There exists today multiple deviations and we must be vigilant. We don’t need to know all the “transgressions” of the doctrine we just need to know the truth and the One who is the truth and live in it and reject all the lies that will some day be swept away into oblivion.
Enjoy the truth (12-13). Jesus said when challenged in His day “the truth shall set you free”. What He meant was freedom from the shackles of evil, whether moral or doctrinal; freedom from sin and Satan and self. Freedom to serve the Lord without fear and to love His people without favour. The end of this pathway scripture says is fullness of joy....Psalm 16 v11; It is called “the path of life”; it is living “in the presence of the Lord”; it leads to “fullness of joy” and “pleasures for evermore”. He only wants to make us happy, He only wants to heal us, and then exalt us. We can start right now by enjoying the fellowship of His people. We can write, we can sing, we can visit, we can engage one-to one. We can greet one another, we can revel in the wonders of our election. All of this is in the heart of the aged apostle as he bids farewell.
3rd john......a letter of commendation
There are three names in this letter which dominate the matters raised, and divide the letter.
Gaius the beloved brother(1-6) a spiritual son of John, prone to ill health, who was pleasing to John and to others as a beloved and faithful brother.
Diotrephes the dictator(7-10) an overbearing leader who was troubling the church.
Demetrius the model teacher(11-12) an itinerant preacher of good report by all and faithful to the truth.
The battle for the truth takes place in the world (1st epistle); in the home (2nd epistle); and in the church (3rd epistle). Satan and his hordes are busy in all three spheres and we are to be aware of it. The battle is for hearts and minds and nowhere is free from the conflict. The local church will always be a prime target; in church life we must expect to encounter many different people and face difficult problems. We are to follow the good and avoid the bad.
Gaius (1-6) A good brother to be trusted Not only was Gaius beloved in the truth, he was beloved in the very real, very visible, practice of it.
• Verse 2 Gaius was possessed of great personal piety; he was in good spiritual health even if his physical health was an issue and John prayed that his bodily health would match that of his spiritual prosperity. It is possible that with him “the outward man was perishing, while the inner man was being renewed day by day”.
• Verses 3-4 He bore a good testimony before his brethren. Those who knew him best reported that the truth was in him and his manner of life gave evidence to that. John had several reports from visiting brethren of His walk according to the truth of God. The truth was in him and it was the driving force of his outward demeanour. This brought great pleasure to John who revelled in the knowledge that another of his spiritual children was walking in truth.
• Verses 5-8 He engaged himself in good practical ministry and John encouraged him to continue even in the face of opposition. “Beloved thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren and to strangers...”. Perhaps the faithful work Gaius did was to use his home for the purpose of hospitality. Both to the local brethren and the visiting strangers. This was no easy task as it was done in the context of an overbearing man in the church refusing all and sundry. The lesson of Gaius is that it is possible to swim against an evil tide even in the church and to do good in the face of evil. He is encouraged to “bring forward on their journey after a godly sort” (better “worthy of God”). The hospitality of Abraham in Genesis 18 is an illustration of how we should help those on a mission for God, a story which is referred to in Hebrews 13 v2. Those who have made sacrifice for God are worthy of help and in helping them, bringing them on their journey we are serving the Lord. Note the link between the human servant and the One who commissioned them, “..for His name’s sake they went forth taking nothing of the Gentiles...”.
Their only means of visible support is the church since they are not funded by the world. In receiving them we become “fellow helpers to the truth”. The practice of the early church was to go without the material support of the outside world. This is in line with Abram’s refusal of support from the King of Sodom, even when he had the right to claim it (Genesis 14). Some practices today in this respect are dubious, since “Gentile money” usually comes with conditions. There is an interesting observation by the Lord in Matthew 10 verses 40-41 in this connection, we are all part of the great mission to the world; “He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth Him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.” The issue of reception is huge and is not to be taken lightly. Discernment of the Lord’s people and His servants and the prospering of the work is at stake, as is our personal reward. Are we helping or hindering the truth? The day will declare it.
Diotrephes(7-10) The dictator to be avoided There is only one who is preeminent in the church and that is the Lord Himself. This is clear from Colossians chapter 1, where the pre-eminence of God’s Son holds sway in every sphere including the church and therefore in every local church. When Hs servants are not recognised, nor does His word have the final say in matters of practice, His supreme position is challenged and indeed usurped. Leaders and teachers and elders are not preeminent. They may be prominent, they may even be eminent, but “in all things He has the pre-eminence”. The church has been blighted by dictatorial men who sought, (and do seek) to lord it over God’s flock. Their word, not the word of the Lord becomes law and people are hurt in the process and the propagation of the truth is hindered. The danger of “one man ministry” is obvious in this respect when men who are mere servants become lords, a position not befitting any of us. Those churches which refuse one man ministry in principle oftentimes accept it in practice, to the detriment of God’s work. Such a man was Diotrephes, an overbearing man who sought to impose his will on the company. In the typical style of the autocrat he would brook no challenge to his ungodly decisions, and received none of God’s visiting servants. John details his behaviour and this is a warning today for such men still exist in the church, and there are always those willing to follow them. Like the Pharisees before him he “...loved to have the pre-eminence among them.”; (Matthew 23 verses 5-7)
• He would not receive the apostle
• He lied about the apostle
• He refused to receive the visiting brethren
• He opposed them that would receive them
• He cast those of different view out of the church
“..prating against us with malicious words...” ungodly in his deeds and poisonous in his words, berating the apostles and the servants of God. John has no hesitation in describing this as evil, and not in any way to be followed, but to be avoided. There are obviously varying degrees of this kind of behaviour, and discernment must be made, but this tendency must be rejected and opposed. It may come from an inflated view of superior gift, or of family connections, or of social status, or even of seniority of age or attendance. They forget that “God set the members every one of them in the body as it has pleased Him....” (1ST Corinthians 12 v18), and any behaviour that disregards this is rebellion. Respect for elders and seniority of age and gift is enjoined in us all but those in receipt of such honour are not to be lording it in God’s house. John said he would deal with him when he came “If I come I will remember his deeds...”. A study of the usage of the word “remember” in scripture reveals it means more than a mental recollection, it means he will take action commensurate with the evil. He did not ask the members to confront the man nor did he ask the visiting Demetrius to challenge the dictator, he would deal with it as the apostle of Christ. In the absence of apostles today, the Lord Himself deals with it in His own way (1st Corinthians 3 v17 “If any defile the temple of God, him shall God defile...”. It is a serious matter to usurp the position in the church that alone belongs to Christ.
Demetrius (11-12) The model teacher who should be followed “Beloved follow not that which is evil, but that which is good”. Evil and good are not defined by profession but by piety Godward. Good is living godly, evil is living ungodly. It is ungodly to reject the commissioned apostle of Christ, it is ungodly to falsely accuse them, it is ungodly to hinder the work of God, it is ungodly to impose upon God’s people, it is ungodly to cast out of the church without the authority of God’s word. This is a thoroughly ungodly man, do not follow his ways. Rather follow a godly man like Demetrius who comes to you on my recommendation. Says John, he has a good report of all ( that is within the Christian community), including myself and all with me and you know our record is true! More than that he is witnessed by the very truth he teaches being the living embodiment of the truth. Follow the man who teaches and lives the truth.
Greetings and farewell (13-14) He closes with his intention to come to them, meanwhile exchanges greetings between two groups of believers, whom he describes as “friends”. This is a really close term of endearment as we remember the scripture which says that the relationship of friends can be closer than even that of family; Proverbs 18 v24 “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother”. This wisdom from the book of wisdom makes this parting from John all the more lucid as he considered all in the church as his friends and they with him. Was he thinking of that most privileged relationship spoken by the Lord to his disciples in John 15 v14? “Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I have commanded you!” This goes beyond even “brethren”.
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