3 JOHN 1
In most versions, John's third letter contains 14 verses. In some translations, verse 14 is divided into two verses, and this epistle contains 15 verses. I'm not sure what the reason for the difference is between translations. But since the discrepancy occurs at the end of the book, it isn't as confusing as it might otherwise be.
Before discussing the purpose of the letter or its individual verses, let's give some thought to the three people John mentions in it.
First of all, the letter is addressed to a man named Gaius, who is referred to as beloved or esteemed in verse 1. We do not really know who Gaius was, but there are three possibilities.
Verse 4 in the NIV says: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." A casual reading of this verse implies physical descent, and suggests that John is hoping to train Gaius to accept the mantle of leadership which he currently has when he passes on.
However, verse 4 of the Amplified version says, "I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my [spiritual] children are are living their lives in the truth." So it's reasonable to suspect that John has become a father to Gaius, only in a spiritual sense, and that part of the purpose of this letter is to encourage Gaius to accept John as a personal and pastoral mentor.
If John refers to Gaius as one of his children, does that mean, humanly speaking, that John was responsible for his conversion to Christianity? That's probably what most commentators believe, and it is a distinct possibility.
But I have a different theory about Gaius. It is plausible, but not provable. I suspect we have read about Gaius elsewhere in the New Testament. Perhaps this is the Gaius Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians 1:14 when he says, "I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius." My theory is that Gaius may have been one of Paul's early converts in Corinth. He is referred to in Romans 16:23, where it says he hosted a church, and also in Acts 19:29, which says he was dragged into the theater in Ephesus because he was one of Paul's traveling companions.
In the Amplified version of 3 John 1:1, John refers to himself as "the elderly elder", implying both his advanced age and his position in the church. Therefore, Paul has probably been martyred by the time of this letter, and Gaius is beloved and esteemed by the church, because he traveled with Paul and served him for many years. Though he may have heard about John, his acquaintance with him and his allegiance to him, in an apostolic and pastoral role, may be relatively new to Gaius. So the reference in verse 4 to Gaius as one of John's children may be meant to imply both John's love and acceptance toward him, and to appeal to Gaius to continue to accept John's authority over his life.
The second person mentioned in 3 John is Diotrephes, and we really know nothing about him except what is written in verses 9-10. My best guess is that Diotrephes is well-educated, eloquent and ambitious. All three of those traits differ from John's background, and they all may have been the source of the personal conflict between them. Perhaps Diotrephes is also much younger than John, and he is a relatively recent convert to Christianity (if he is a Christian at all), and he has been accepted as a leader in a local church because of his education, social prominence and oratorical skill. He is pictured by John as one who values the position of leadership, but he is not particularly dedicated to advancing the gospel or serving others. Since John's judgment has been preserved for us, we have to assume it is more reliable than whatever Diotrephes might have said in his own defense.
The third person mentioned is Demetrius. He is probably not the Demetrius mentioned in Acts 19 as a silversmith who made shrines for the goddess Artemis, since there is no scriptural basis for believing that that Demetrius converted to Christianity. So this Demetrius we also know nothing about, but it seems that Demetrius is one of the people Diotrephes has refused to welcome and support on his missionary journey. John is siding with Demetrius over Diotrephes, and he is asking Gaius to do so as well.
At this point, we have already covered verse 1, which speaks about John's age, his apostolic authority, and his love and esteem for Gaius, to whom the letter is addressed.
A casual reader might overlook the significance of verse 2, but I think it provides some insight into the New Testament's concept of Christ's atonement. The NASB translation of this verse says:
3 John 1:2: "Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers."
I suppose this could be read in either of two ways. Perhaps John does not need to pray for the soul or the spiritual salvation of Gaius, but he does need to pray for his health and prosperity. But it seems more likely that this verse expresses God's desire to extend the atonement to cover our physical health and material prosperity in the same way Christ redemption covers our sins. Even though our faith in Christ's atonement justifies us before God, it is worth remembering that Jesus taught us to pray, "Lead us not into temptation". This prayer is probably a similar appeal for health and prosperity for Gaius, and by implication, God's will for us and how we should pray for others. If God did not intend for Christ's redemptive work on the cross to also apply to our physical and material well-being, it seems very likely to me that it would not be mentioned here. In any case, it is beyond dispute that the apostles were equally concerned about the temporal circumstances of their flock as they were about their salvation.
I want to make two observations about the next verse. The Amplified translation says:
3 John 1:3 "In fact, I greatly rejoiced when [some of] the brethren from time to time arrived and spoke [so highly] of the sincerity and fidelity of your life, as indeed you do live in the Truth [the whole Gospel presents]."
John finds reason for rejoicing because of the testimony of other brethren about the sincerity and faithfulness of Gaius, which convinces him about the spiritual prosperity of Gaius, and causes him to pray for his physical and material well-being. Note that John is interested in the testimony of others about Gaius, and he says nothing here about responding to an altar call, reciting the sinner's prayer, or any one-time event which John might have witnessed himself in the past. Whatever value those things might have, John focuses on the outward manifestation of long-term faithfulness and commitment.
The NIV translation of this verse says:
3 John 1:3 "It 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."
The word truth is not capitalized here, but John's view clearly would be that we could substitute "Christ" for the expression "the truth" in this verse, which would cause it to read:
3 John 1:3 "It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to Christ and how you continue to walk in Christ."
When John speaks here and elsewhere about the truth, he does so in the context of John 14:6:
John 14:6 (NKJV): "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Verse 3 should also remind us of the passage in 1 John 1:5-7 (NKJV), which says:
1 John 1:5: "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."
Walking in the light or practicing the truth can thus be said to be the continual daily process of discipleship.
The next section of this chapter is verses 5-8, which expresses the primary purpose of the letter. I will quote the English Standard Version here:
3 John 1:5: "Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are,
6who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God.
7For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.
8Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth."
This passage speaks about supporting missionaries, whose primary purpose is either to expand the growth of Christianity to places where the gospel has not been heard or to strengthen existing churches by testifying to them about God's work and faithfulness to them on their travels. In either case, John is asking Gaius (and us by implication) to do whatever we can to support those who are traveling missionaries, taking the gospel from place to place, as God leads them to. Apparently, Demetrius was one of those missionaries, and Diotrephes may well have refused to help him because he did not know Demetrius, perhaps because of some doctrinal dispute, or simply because he regarded Demetrius, and others like him, as a compeditor for the esteem of his local church.
Obviously, John does not insist on all of us becoming traveling missionaries. Nor does he rely on the reputation, credentials or any personal knowledge Gaius might have had about Demetrius and others when he asks him to support them in whatever way possible. John is asking Gaius to help them on their way, based only on their public profession of faith in Christ and their willingness to give up houses, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children and lands for Christ's sake (Mark 10:29-30).
Opening our homes to strangers today, just because they profess Christ, seems difficult to many of us, because we are concerned about our safety and the security of our possessions, and we often do not feel our homes are as presentable as we would like them to be. But for the sake of the gospel, the Bible requires us to cultivate a different attitude, as expressed in Hebrews 13:1-2. I quote the Amplified version in the passages below:
Hebrews 13:1 "LET LOVE for your fellow believers continue and be a fixed practice with you [never let it fail].
2Do not forget or neglect or refuse to extend hospitality to strangers [in the brotherhood--being friendly, cordial, and gracious, sharing the comforts of your home and doing your part generously], for through it some have entertained angels without knowing it."
Though I would never seek an angelic visit, I sure think it would be helpful and I wouldn't turn one down. It would give me something exciting to call my mother about.
The other thing John requires is financial support. Recall how Jesus sent out his disciples.
Matthew 10:8 "Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely (without pay) you have received, freely (without charge) give.
9Take no gold nor silver nor [even] copper money in your purses (belts);
10And do not take a provision bag or a wallet for a collection bag for your journey, nor two undergarments, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the workman deserves his support (his living, his food)."
Jesus sent his disciples from town to town, expecting them to rely on God to meet their daily needs as an act of faith, rather than planning and preparing for their journey as most of us would be inclined to do.
In another passage, Jesus says:
Luke 12:33: "Sell what you possess and give donations to the poor; provide yourselves with purses and handbags that do not grow old, an unfailing and inexhaustible treasure in the heavens, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
34For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Of course, Christ is not asking us to refuse to pay the electric bill, or anything we owe. But he does ask us, throughout the New Testament, to have a fundamentally different attitude toward wealth than our acquisition-based culture has. All we need to do is to be generous with what we can afford to be generous with. Before we think about supporting missionaries or Christian ministries in any way, we ought to pray that God will transform our attitude, so we desire to see men saved and churches strengthened, and we trust him to meet our daily needs. Many of us are so used to relying on ourselves for our security that we are uncomfortable about relying on God to faithfully provide for us.
Verses 9 and 10 (NIV) are as follows:
3 John 1:9 "I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.
10So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church."
John accuses Diotrephes of three things:
1. Refusing to welcome missionaries, refusing them love, hospitality and financial support.
2. Refusing to acknowledge John's apostolic authority, speaking evil of John and slandering those John has sent to the local church Diotrephes heads.
3. Expelling church members who are trying to help missionaries who have either been sent directly by John, or missionaries who have his blessing because of their standing in other Christian communities.
We don't know what Diotrephes said about John, nor do we know whether John ever confronted Diotrephes in a later face to face meeting. What we can be certain about is that Diotrephes has faded into history, unlike John, and he isn't mentioned in connection with anything good in the New Testament.
Though written specifically to Gaius about Demetrius and others, verses 11 and 12 contain John's commandment to us in his very characteristic literary style. The Amplified version says:
3 John 1:11 "Beloved, do not imitate evil, but imitate good. He who does good is of God; he who does evil has not seen (discerned or experienced) God [has enjoyed no vision of Him and does not know Him at all].
12Demetrius has warm commendation from everyone--and from the Truth itself; we add our testimony also, and you know that our testimony is true."
The message and the language here are similar to other passages in John's writing. For example, consider the following verses from the NIV:
1 John 2:9 "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.
10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble."
No further comment is necessary here, except that knowing God causes us to want to do what is right and gives us the ability to do it, and any sin in our lives proves we are in need of a deeper relationship with Christ. Restoring and deepening our fellowship with him, not penance is the purpose for confessing our sins.
The concluding verses (NKJV) are as follows:
3 John 1:13 "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."
The final two or three verses (depending on the translation) contain John's farewell instructions. As he indicates in 2 John, he is less comfortable writing letters than he would be with a face to face meeting. This probably accounts for the brevity of all of his epistles, but it also makes it more remarkable that he is the author of one of the four gospels, as well as the book of Revelation, because those books would have taken some time for him to write by hand. The final sentence of this letter appeals again to all of us to welcome and treat as friends anyone who sincerely and faithfully lives for Christ, as Gaius was doing.
Before discussing the purpose of the letter or its individual verses, let's give some thought to the three people John mentions in it.
First of all, the letter is addressed to a man named Gaius, who is referred to as beloved or esteemed in verse 1. We do not really know who Gaius was, but there are three possibilities.
Verse 4 in the NIV says: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." A casual reading of this verse implies physical descent, and suggests that John is hoping to train Gaius to accept the mantle of leadership which he currently has when he passes on.
However, verse 4 of the Amplified version says, "I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my [spiritual] children are are living their lives in the truth." So it's reasonable to suspect that John has become a father to Gaius, only in a spiritual sense, and that part of the purpose of this letter is to encourage Gaius to accept John as a personal and pastoral mentor.
If John refers to Gaius as one of his children, does that mean, humanly speaking, that John was responsible for his conversion to Christianity? That's probably what most commentators believe, and it is a distinct possibility.
But I have a different theory about Gaius. It is plausible, but not provable. I suspect we have read about Gaius elsewhere in the New Testament. Perhaps this is the Gaius Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians 1:14 when he says, "I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius." My theory is that Gaius may have been one of Paul's early converts in Corinth. He is referred to in Romans 16:23, where it says he hosted a church, and also in Acts 19:29, which says he was dragged into the theater in Ephesus because he was one of Paul's traveling companions.
In the Amplified version of 3 John 1:1, John refers to himself as "the elderly elder", implying both his advanced age and his position in the church. Therefore, Paul has probably been martyred by the time of this letter, and Gaius is beloved and esteemed by the church, because he traveled with Paul and served him for many years. Though he may have heard about John, his acquaintance with him and his allegiance to him, in an apostolic and pastoral role, may be relatively new to Gaius. So the reference in verse 4 to Gaius as one of John's children may be meant to imply both John's love and acceptance toward him, and to appeal to Gaius to continue to accept John's authority over his life.
The second person mentioned in 3 John is Diotrephes, and we really know nothing about him except what is written in verses 9-10. My best guess is that Diotrephes is well-educated, eloquent and ambitious. All three of those traits differ from John's background, and they all may have been the source of the personal conflict between them. Perhaps Diotrephes is also much younger than John, and he is a relatively recent convert to Christianity (if he is a Christian at all), and he has been accepted as a leader in a local church because of his education, social prominence and oratorical skill. He is pictured by John as one who values the position of leadership, but he is not particularly dedicated to advancing the gospel or serving others. Since John's judgment has been preserved for us, we have to assume it is more reliable than whatever Diotrephes might have said in his own defense.
The third person mentioned is Demetrius. He is probably not the Demetrius mentioned in Acts 19 as a silversmith who made shrines for the goddess Artemis, since there is no scriptural basis for believing that that Demetrius converted to Christianity. So this Demetrius we also know nothing about, but it seems that Demetrius is one of the people Diotrephes has refused to welcome and support on his missionary journey. John is siding with Demetrius over Diotrephes, and he is asking Gaius to do so as well.
At this point, we have already covered verse 1, which speaks about John's age, his apostolic authority, and his love and esteem for Gaius, to whom the letter is addressed.
A casual reader might overlook the significance of verse 2, but I think it provides some insight into the New Testament's concept of Christ's atonement. The NASB translation of this verse says:
3 John 1:2: "Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers."
I suppose this could be read in either of two ways. Perhaps John does not need to pray for the soul or the spiritual salvation of Gaius, but he does need to pray for his health and prosperity. But it seems more likely that this verse expresses God's desire to extend the atonement to cover our physical health and material prosperity in the same way Christ redemption covers our sins. Even though our faith in Christ's atonement justifies us before God, it is worth remembering that Jesus taught us to pray, "Lead us not into temptation". This prayer is probably a similar appeal for health and prosperity for Gaius, and by implication, God's will for us and how we should pray for others. If God did not intend for Christ's redemptive work on the cross to also apply to our physical and material well-being, it seems very likely to me that it would not be mentioned here. In any case, it is beyond dispute that the apostles were equally concerned about the temporal circumstances of their flock as they were about their salvation.
I want to make two observations about the next verse. The Amplified translation says:
3 John 1:3 "In fact, I greatly rejoiced when [some of] the brethren from time to time arrived and spoke [so highly] of the sincerity and fidelity of your life, as indeed you do live in the Truth [the whole Gospel presents]."
John finds reason for rejoicing because of the testimony of other brethren about the sincerity and faithfulness of Gaius, which convinces him about the spiritual prosperity of Gaius, and causes him to pray for his physical and material well-being. Note that John is interested in the testimony of others about Gaius, and he says nothing here about responding to an altar call, reciting the sinner's prayer, or any one-time event which John might have witnessed himself in the past. Whatever value those things might have, John focuses on the outward manifestation of long-term faithfulness and commitment.
The NIV translation of this verse says:
3 John 1:3 "It 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."
The word truth is not capitalized here, but John's view clearly would be that we could substitute "Christ" for the expression "the truth" in this verse, which would cause it to read:
3 John 1:3 "It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to Christ and how you continue to walk in Christ."
When John speaks here and elsewhere about the truth, he does so in the context of John 14:6:
John 14:6 (NKJV): "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Verse 3 should also remind us of the passage in 1 John 1:5-7 (NKJV), which says:
1 John 1:5: "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."
Walking in the light or practicing the truth can thus be said to be the continual daily process of discipleship.
The next section of this chapter is verses 5-8, which expresses the primary purpose of the letter. I will quote the English Standard Version here:
3 John 1:5: "Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are,
6who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God.
7For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.
8Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth."
This passage speaks about supporting missionaries, whose primary purpose is either to expand the growth of Christianity to places where the gospel has not been heard or to strengthen existing churches by testifying to them about God's work and faithfulness to them on their travels. In either case, John is asking Gaius (and us by implication) to do whatever we can to support those who are traveling missionaries, taking the gospel from place to place, as God leads them to. Apparently, Demetrius was one of those missionaries, and Diotrephes may well have refused to help him because he did not know Demetrius, perhaps because of some doctrinal dispute, or simply because he regarded Demetrius, and others like him, as a compeditor for the esteem of his local church.
Obviously, John does not insist on all of us becoming traveling missionaries. Nor does he rely on the reputation, credentials or any personal knowledge Gaius might have had about Demetrius and others when he asks him to support them in whatever way possible. John is asking Gaius to help them on their way, based only on their public profession of faith in Christ and their willingness to give up houses, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children and lands for Christ's sake (Mark 10:29-30).
Opening our homes to strangers today, just because they profess Christ, seems difficult to many of us, because we are concerned about our safety and the security of our possessions, and we often do not feel our homes are as presentable as we would like them to be. But for the sake of the gospel, the Bible requires us to cultivate a different attitude, as expressed in Hebrews 13:1-2. I quote the Amplified version in the passages below:
Hebrews 13:1 "LET LOVE for your fellow believers continue and be a fixed practice with you [never let it fail].
2Do not forget or neglect or refuse to extend hospitality to strangers [in the brotherhood--being friendly, cordial, and gracious, sharing the comforts of your home and doing your part generously], for through it some have entertained angels without knowing it."
Though I would never seek an angelic visit, I sure think it would be helpful and I wouldn't turn one down. It would give me something exciting to call my mother about.
The other thing John requires is financial support. Recall how Jesus sent out his disciples.
Matthew 10:8 "Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely (without pay) you have received, freely (without charge) give.
9Take no gold nor silver nor [even] copper money in your purses (belts);
10And do not take a provision bag or a wallet for a collection bag for your journey, nor two undergarments, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the workman deserves his support (his living, his food)."
Jesus sent his disciples from town to town, expecting them to rely on God to meet their daily needs as an act of faith, rather than planning and preparing for their journey as most of us would be inclined to do.
In another passage, Jesus says:
Luke 12:33: "Sell what you possess and give donations to the poor; provide yourselves with purses and handbags that do not grow old, an unfailing and inexhaustible treasure in the heavens, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
34For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Of course, Christ is not asking us to refuse to pay the electric bill, or anything we owe. But he does ask us, throughout the New Testament, to have a fundamentally different attitude toward wealth than our acquisition-based culture has. All we need to do is to be generous with what we can afford to be generous with. Before we think about supporting missionaries or Christian ministries in any way, we ought to pray that God will transform our attitude, so we desire to see men saved and churches strengthened, and we trust him to meet our daily needs. Many of us are so used to relying on ourselves for our security that we are uncomfortable about relying on God to faithfully provide for us.
Verses 9 and 10 (NIV) are as follows:
3 John 1:9 "I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.
10So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church."
John accuses Diotrephes of three things:
1. Refusing to welcome missionaries, refusing them love, hospitality and financial support.
2. Refusing to acknowledge John's apostolic authority, speaking evil of John and slandering those John has sent to the local church Diotrephes heads.
3. Expelling church members who are trying to help missionaries who have either been sent directly by John, or missionaries who have his blessing because of their standing in other Christian communities.
We don't know what Diotrephes said about John, nor do we know whether John ever confronted Diotrephes in a later face to face meeting. What we can be certain about is that Diotrephes has faded into history, unlike John, and he isn't mentioned in connection with anything good in the New Testament.
Though written specifically to Gaius about Demetrius and others, verses 11 and 12 contain John's commandment to us in his very characteristic literary style. The Amplified version says:
3 John 1:11 "Beloved, do not imitate evil, but imitate good. He who does good is of God; he who does evil has not seen (discerned or experienced) God [has enjoyed no vision of Him and does not know Him at all].
12Demetrius has warm commendation from everyone--and from the Truth itself; we add our testimony also, and you know that our testimony is true."
The message and the language here are similar to other passages in John's writing. For example, consider the following verses from the NIV:
1 John 2:9 "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.
10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble."
No further comment is necessary here, except that knowing God causes us to want to do what is right and gives us the ability to do it, and any sin in our lives proves we are in need of a deeper relationship with Christ. Restoring and deepening our fellowship with him, not penance is the purpose for confessing our sins.
The concluding verses (NKJV) are as follows:
3 John 1:13 "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."
The final two or three verses (depending on the translation) contain John's farewell instructions. As he indicates in 2 John, he is less comfortable writing letters than he would be with a face to face meeting. This probably accounts for the brevity of all of his epistles, but it also makes it more remarkable that he is the author of one of the four gospels, as well as the book of Revelation, because those books would have taken some time for him to write by hand. The final sentence of this letter appeals again to all of us to welcome and treat as friends anyone who sincerely and faithfully lives for Christ, as Gaius was doing.
posted by TAPIOCA at 4/21/2007 11:10:00 PM
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