No Greater Joy (3 John)
April 19, 2020
Many of us have not spent much time in the letters of 1-3 John, but I think that is a tragedy. These letters are beneficial because they are so practical. We have seen in 1 John that those who love the truth have fellowship with God and fellowship with one another. Last time we saw how those who are in the light have no fellowship with those who are in the dark from 2 John. Remember the elect lady was instructed not to support those who are teaching what is false. It may seem out of step with the great command from God to love our neighbor, but it is not. Now, we look at the letter of 3 John, and we see a more detailed comparison between those who love and those who do not love. Let's begin by reading the whole letter at once.
3 John (ESV) --- 1 The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. 2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 5 Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, 6 who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth. 9 I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 So 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. 11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true. 13 I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. 15 Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name.
Breakdown of 3 John
The first thing that we notice about this letter is that it is written in the same fashion as 3 John. John describes himself as "the elder," indicating that he is an elder at a local congregation. His work is to lead the church and look out for their souls. It may be that he is writing all three of these letters to the very church in which he serves as an elder. If that is the case, 1 John was written to the church, 2 John was written to a family, and 3 John was written to an individual by the name of Gaius.
Gaius, John's Faithful Child
John loves Gaius. The first two verses attest to that. John calls Gaius "beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth." Then in verse 2 and verse 5, he again calls him "Beloved." This is a man who is faithful to the truth and faithful to John.
In verse 2, John describes his prayer for Gaius. This prayer may seem odd. He does not pray for Gaius's faith to be strengthened. He asks God to make Gaius' physical well being as good as his spiritual well being. We see that the apostles were not rooting for their fellow Christians to suffer the loss of all things as a result of persecution. Some were doing that and willing to do that for the cause of Christ, and that is good. But the hope was for peace to spread, all to submit to the will of God, and for everyone to learn the love of Christ.
In verse 3, we see that John rejoices to hear Gaius is walking in the truth. This is the same thing that was said to the elect lady and her children. They were walking in the truth. If the last two letters are any indication as to what walking in the truth means, we know that Gaius believes that Jesus is God and that he lived in the flesh. We also know something else that is critical about Gaius and the elect lady. They showed love to their neighbors.
As this letter progresses, we find out that Gaius has been spending himself to serve the brothers who are traveling through his area.
3 John 5--6 (ESV) --- 5 Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, 6 who testified to your love before the church.
News about his love for strangers has been spreading throughout the church. His faithfulness and love is refreshing the souls of those who hear about him. Have you ever experienced this level of hospitality? Have you ever had someone invite you, as a stranger, to stay with them? Jenna and I have had the opportunity to visit with people we did not know as we considered preaching full time. Men who did not know us at all invited us into their home and provided for us. Some have even given me their house key for when they would not be there so I could let myself in. One time, this couple who were becoming friends of ours weren't even going to be in town, but they urged us to use their house. The church should have this otherworldly hospitality that goes above and beyond expectations.
Gaius gives abundantly like this. He opens his home and takes care of people whom he does not know. John commends him for that outpouring of love and faith. He also encourages him to share more with them because this is his opportunity to send them on their journey "in a manner worthy of God." When we know that someone has been faithfully serving the Lord and making great sacrifices, we can provide abundantly for them. It will be like we recognize God's messengers for who they are. As Paul said in Romans, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news." (10:15)
The preaching of the gospel in new places cannot happen without the support of men and women along the way. Verse 7 and 8 say that "they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles" and "we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth." What a beautiful testimony this letter is to the ones who show hospitality and support for evangelists. Gaius is honored in this way because John wants all men and women to support those who live to preach as Gaius has helped them.
Diotrephes, John's Adversary
The next section of the letter is about someone who is strongly opposed to John's teachings. Diotrephes is described as doing six evil things. These are given in direct contrast to Gaius, who is full of love and supports the work of John.
The first three characteristics relate to his stubborn rebellion against the truth. First, we see that Diotrephes likes to put himself first. He is not a servant at heart. He is the alpha personality, who drives the congregation to do what he knows is best. This man is not focused on God's will or God's glory as he might seem. He is entirely focused on getting his own way. Second, we see that he does not acknowledge John or the other apostles/elder's authority. They were given the role of leading God's people and ensuring that everyone walks in the truth with love for the truth. Diotrephes pays their word no respect or honor. Third, we find that he doesn't only fail to acknowledge the authority of John; he also speaks "wicked nonsense against" him and against others who teach the word of God.
The fourth through sixth characteristics relate to his treatment of the brothers. While Gaius opens his home to them and serves them, Diotrephes refuses to welcome those whom he does not know. He also goes beyond what is under his authority by stopping Christians from doing what is good. But it doesn't end there. He even has those who accept brothers into their homes kicked out of the church! Can you imagine?
I'm so glad that we have never had men or women who act like Diotrephes. That would just be horrible if people were putting themselves first, mishandling the word of God, or mistreating those who are trying to do something good. The truth is that this has happened and continues to happen in churches all over the world. There is a Diotrephes inside of all of us wanting to come out and set the church straight. We have little patience for those who do not step in line with our beliefs. Sometimes teachers, preachers, or elders go beyond the authority granted to them. We think too highly of ourselves and our knowledge. We become proud and arrogant about our version of the truth, and we are unwilling to listen to other's arguments against us. This is a fatal flaw that wreaks havoc in the church.
Instructions
After describing six things that Diotrephes is doing wrong, John comes in and lets Gaius know what to do. He must focus on those who are doing the right thing. Those who do what is good are "from God." Those who do what is evil have "not seen God." Gaius might be discouraged by the unfaithfulness of Diotrephes, but he must instead lift his head with a focus on those who are doing what is good. John brings up Demetrius and says that he is someone to be accepted. He has a good testimony from all people. eHe is also in line with the truth as he teaches God's word. There is nothing out of step with Demetrius, and he is worthy of receiving support.
Final Words
He ends this letter like John finished 2 John. His last words are that he has much more to say, but he prefers to say them face to face. There are so many things that he wants to say to Gaius, and the written word is not able to convey the body language of meeting face to face. Plus, there is a danger of the written word being misunderstood.
Then, finally, he closes, wishing for peace and revealing that he is with Gaius's friends.
What Do We Learn?
When we compare this book with 2 John, we see that the same topic of hospitality and support is being discussed. 2 John warns against supporting those who are teaching what is false. 3 John warns against not supporting those who are teaching the truth. We have to use discernment to figure out who to help and who not to help. Gaius seems to have done an excellent job of this. His generosity is something for us all to imitate. Diotrephes has given us an example of what not to do. When we find someone who has a good testimony from everyone and is sacrificing to spread the name of Christ, we must become open fisted. John is calling for us to support them as we would support Jesus on his journey.
Application
I am grateful for the church's support of my family and I. We have been given the kind of support and love that Gaius is recognized for giving, and it is a great encouragement for me. I'm not sure about how much support we give to those who teach at gospel meetings, but I know that I have been helped by your generosity when I preached a short meeting with you. Is supporting a local or visiting preacher the extent of our application of 3 John? How could we apply this letter?
My Greatest Joy
I think we should focus on a phrase that is found in verse 4 to understand how we can apply this letter. What do we count as our greatest joy in life? In verse 4, John's greatest joy is seeing the ones he has taught continuing in the teaching he has given them. He loves to see his children living the transformed life with love for others that is unlike the love of this world. I can relate to that. There is a great inner joy that is unlike anything I have ever experienced. But do I recognize that as my greatest joy, or do I pursue a greater joy in something else? Are we so focused on helping spread the gospel and encouraging others to be faithful that our greatest joy in life is to see the fruit of our work?
I wonder what Gaius' greatest joy is. Do you think that it is going fishing on the weekends, taking trips to see all the beauty of the earth, or casting lots with his buddies? He may do some of those things, but I believe this text shows us that he finds great joy in supporting those who are teaching the truth. He is making significant efforts to support and build up those who are sacrificing for the gospel. We could say that he is making a great sacrifice to play his part and fulfill his role as one who has the financial means to do so. That may be all he thinks about doing. I wonder if, after this letter, he starts setting aside some special care packages for the preachers to take with them. Maybe today he would get them gift cards to pay for gas or buy them bulk Bibles to hand out. His hospitality is an example for all of us. The church should have this otherworldly hospitality that goes above and beyond expectations. We provide for strangers who have a good testimony as we would the Lord.
What is Diotrephes' greatest joy? His greatest joy is to be preeminent. He wants to be the head of the show. His goal in life is to be well thought of and for people to follow him. He believes that being at the top will bring him greater joy than being a humble servant. He sees the church like a business, and he wants to be the CEO or the pope. How many of us fall into this trap? Instead of tenderly discussing disagreements and handling them with humility and love, we make demands, bark off orders, and give ultimatums as though we have authority. I imagine Diotrephes would appear well-intentioned. He was probably trying to protect the church from something false coming in, but he compromised the truth in order to protect it. He was rebelling against the commands of the Lord by rejecting the apostles teachings. He failed to love his neighbor as he tried to help his neighbor. He is the man with a log in his eye from Matthew 7.
When we look at John, Gaius, and Diotrephes, we see two different joys in their life. John and Gaius love to do the work of God in God's way and see God produce fruit through them. Diotrephes loves himself. Which one do we represent? Do we want to be in control, do things our way, and be heard? How many elders have done as Peter said, "Lording it over the flock?" How many preachers have taken that place of prominence? I have seen churches advertising and bragging about the education or the secular achievements of their preachers and elders, as though that is the reason people should want to worship with them. We are not here to show off how glorious we are. We are here to show Jesus' glory. I've been at plenty of congregations where members have made demands like Diotrephes. “The sign has to say this,” “The building has to be this color,” or “My grandfather made this and it better always be here.” This is not my church. I cannot force this group to do the things that I want them to do, or what is in my best interest. We must be mission focused. We are here for a greater purpose than satisfying the ego of any individual or any group. If the desires of the group do not line up with the truth, we have collectively become Diotrephes.
John’s words of instruction fit us today, “Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.” If we have seen God and if we are from God, we will do the good that God has commanded us to do. But we won’t do it out of obligation. We will do it out of love and admiration for the God who has shown great love for us.
Conclusion
Our greatest joy must be to play our part in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Whatever role we have, will be extremely valuable in helping the lost find hope. How many of us show hospitality to strangers? This is a great work! God’s people need our encouragement and our love to shine through all of the disappointments. If Jesus’ sacrifice has impacted our hearts, let’s make his kingdom’s success our greatest joy. This letter encourages us to keep up the good work and be fellow workers with those in difficult places who are preaching the truth.
If we are rejecting the teachings of the apostles or refusing to love those with a good reputation, we must repent. We do not need men or women like Diotrephes in our congregations. They tear down the work that is being done instead of adding to it. They are not from God and they do not see who God really is.