The Letters of John – Lesson 16
3 John – New International Version
1 The elder,
To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
2 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 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. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters,[a] even though they are strangers to you. 6 They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God. 7 It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.
9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. 10 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.
11 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. 12 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.
13 I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.
First Impression
* Do good in the Lord, Joy from kids, care for lifestyle, love missionaries, and (for me) what is wrong with Diotrephes?
Good health. After I read my verse in Job today, I want to ask how important is good health?
* Good heath like being out of debt allows us the freedom to follow God in all circumstances. If we are sick, it may be impossible to serve others.
Your soul is getting along well. What do you assume this means about Gaius?
* I assumed this meant that he was producing fruit. Others thought it might mean that he was doing well in his bible studies and prayers. If John heard of it, it was due to the fruit.
When you pray that all may go well with someone, what do you mean?
* “That their life we be easy” was the common sentiment.
Is there any difference between “your soul is going along well” and “walking in faithfulness”?
* Yes, and no. Our soul can be doing well in bible study, praying, and serving others, but walking in faithfulness adds the element continuing to follow God even as we are being subjects to trials and hardship and struggles.
Strangers. Do you consider other Christians as strangers?
* The overriding answer was that for someone to not be a stranger, you have to get to know them. Another’s good word is not enough. We can love strangers, and we can love Christians, but the tow are not the same and it is not until someone is not a stranger that we love them as a Christian.
Diotrephes. What does “loves to be first” mean to you?
* I said that not only does someone want to feel pride, they want others to hold them in the highest esteem as well.
How would you characterize the actions of Diotrephes and do you see this in our church?
* Everyone said yes, we see it in the church. I summed his actions up as being not of God. He might have hosted the church in his house, but he was not a godly man according to his fruits. At some point, people causing friction need to be addressed, but mainly out of the view of others.
Imitate good. Why imitate?
* So that we do not have to understand. We can simply imitate Christ and do good works without know why or how it will turn out. It is great to do good that we fully understand, but sometimes, we have to serve in faith.
How is Demetrius different from Diotrephes?
* Humble. We did not sum it up this way while meeting, but you can either serve others or serve yourself.
How can you write something without pen and ink? Why is John saying this and why is it in the Bible?
* People are meant to interact in person and the written word or anything short of in person is simply not as effective. It is in the Bible to make sure that we know sending it in is not enough.
What is next? Jude, James, Hebrews, Letters of Paul, Gospels and Acts, Old Testament, Revelation?
* Jude because I am nervous about leaving it out, and then Hebrews because someone else said it. I was thinking that if we keep this study going, we might all live long enough to go through the whole Bible as a group. Five books down, sixty one to go.