Bible Commentaries
3 John 1

Verses 1-4

WALKING IN THE TRUTH

3 John 1:1. The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.

3 John 1:2. Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

3 John 1:3. For I was very glad when brethren came and bore witness to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth.

3 John 1:4. I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walk­ing in truth.

1. His Desire for Gaius (vv. 1 and 2)

You will notice that John has a warm heart, filled with the Spirit of God, in his great desire for God’s people to know something of fellowshiping together in the truth.

People from all over the world have so many dif­ferent philosophies that some may wonder who is telling the truth. How wonderful to know that Je­sus Christ is the embodiment not only of love but also of truth!

John, being in love with the Saviour, is in love with God’s people.

I take it from this verse that Gaius was reveling in the truth of God but that he had a frail body. John wishes that he might prosper and be in health in body just as his soul prospers.

I am afraid that today it is often just the other way around. We are very much exercised about how our bodies prosper; we become health fad­dists, food faddists, sun worshipers, concerned that our bodies be beautiful and healthy.

How much are we concerned about our health in our relation to Christ? We become very concerned when we do not feel too well. Are we as much con­cerned when our hearts grow cold towards Christ?

Do you realize that the great majority of pro­fessing Christians never grow, never mature? They may be professing Christians for years and yet know little about the Saviour in practical life. They know so little about the reality of life in Christ, about the purpose of God and His will and His desire. They do not know God’s program. Where can God’s program be found? In the Bible.

Oh, how I like what John says here: “Gaius, I’d like for you to prosper in your body just as you are prospering in your soul.”

2. The character of Gaius (verse 3)

The life of Gaius was characterized by walking in the truth. John rejoices in this, and other brethren bore testimony to the fact that Gaius walked in the truth. Not only did he believe the truth, but he lived the truth; and the truth lived in him. He was in love with the Saviour, and his whole life was a manifestation of the fact that he was living in fel­lowship with the Lord. Walking in the truth is one of the great evidences of a heart in fellowship with God.

This man walked in the truth, and he had a real testimony for God. The brethren testified to that. You see, loving the truth makes one spiritu­ally healthy, and service will be the natural out­flow of a walk with God.

When we try to put it the other way around, putting service before our walk with God, we soon get tired of service and our work becomes legalis­tic. It no longer brings joy to the heart, but it be­comes a burden.

Unfortunately, there are a great many people who endure religion instead of enjoying Christ. I hope you may know something of the joy and blessing and wonder of knowing the Saviour. May you be strong in spirit as this man Gaius was.

3. John’s Rejoicing (verse 4)

It is a real joy for a pastor or a Bible teacher or a Sunday School teacher, or a friend, or a parent, to lead someone to Christ and to see him hungry for the Word of God. It is a thrill to go to a Bible con­ference and see hundreds of people who are using their vacation time to attend Bible studies, morn­ing, afternoon, and evening.

The world knows—nothing—about this won­derful hunger for the Word of God.

It rejoices my heart, too, to see people walking in the truth. I love to see young people carry their Bi­bles and read them whenever they have a chance. How I rejoice whenever I see real love for the Sav­iour!

Verses 5-8

WITNESSING TO THE TRUTH

3 John 1:5. Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accom­plish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers;

3 John 1:6. and they bear witness to your love before the church; and you will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.

3 John 1:7. For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting noth­ing from the Gentiles.

3 John 1:8. Therefore we ought to support such men, that we may be fellow workers with the truth.

Love for the people of God will be manifested in Christian courtesy and Christian hospitality and in encouraging other believers to bear tes­timony.

Apparently there were those brethren who trav­eled from place to place, preaching the Word of God. Gaius took them in, cared for them, mani­festing his love for God’s people because of his love for the Saviour.

These brethren would take nothing from the Gentile world but were trusting the Lord to meet their needs.

John says that such ones should be received into the fellowship so that we may be fellow-helpers to the truth. We are to take in and care for those who have sacrificed for the sake of the Gos­pel.

We are to receive such, that we might be fellow-helpers to the truth. We become co-workers with them. We are workers together with God (2 Corin­thians 6:1 and 1 Corinthians 3:9). We are workers together with each other.

My friend, God will never be in your debt. We are all on God’s team. Each person is gifted to do a particular job, and some are told to go, some are told to stay. But we are all fellow-helpers to the truth; and, when God rewards His people, we will all share in the reward.

Some of us give all our time and strength to the study and the preaching of the Word.

Others pray for us and help support us, but they also are to be giving this message of the truth to their friends.

One of the greatest of all needs today is for God’s people to pray for His servants everywhere as they minister the Word of God and also to pray for each other.

We are all workers together, fellow-helpers to the truth.

Verses 9-11

THE WARNING

3 John 1:9. I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.

3 John 1:10. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, neither does he himself receive the brethren, and he forbids those who desire to do so, and puts them out of the church.

3 John 1:11. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.

In contrast to Gaius, this man Diotrephes, possibly a member of the same church, wanted the place of prominence.

Even when someone who really loved the Lord came to the assembly and the brethren wanted to receive him, this man would forbid them to receive him. He wanted to dominate everything so he would cast others out.

Unfortunately, there are such men in churches today. They want to run everything and rule over everything. Such do not have time to manifest love or compassion for the babes in Christ. They are primarily concerned with their own position.

The people of God in an assembly are knitted to­gether for a purpose. That purpose is worship, thanksgiving and praise to God, and then the feed­ing and encouragement of God’s people.

We are to manifest Christian grace and love and hospitality to each other. Especially are we to en­courage those babes in Christ so they will be fed the Word of God and not be tossed about by every wind of doctrine. We should thank the Lord when He has sent a leader to us.

The Lord has a place for every one of us. There are no two of us alike, and we each have our gift. We are all a part of the body of Christ and members in particular, having a particular job; and each of us is to manifest love (1 Corinthians 12:12 to 1 Corinthians 13:1).

When a stranger who really loves the Lord comes to our assembly, we need to recognize and mani­fest the fact that we have the same Saviour, the same hope, the same love in Christ Jesus. If there is a need, we should meet that need.

I fear we have chased many dear people of God away from our churches because some of God’s people want the place of prominence.

He warns us in verse 11 not to follow that which is evil, but to follow that which is good.

Verses 12-14

CONCLUSION AND PERSONAL GREETINGS

3 John 1:12. Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we also bear witness, and you know that our witness is true.

3 John 1:13. I had many things to write to you, but I am not willing to write them to you with pen and ink;

3 John 1:14. but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.

We now meet the third man in the Epistle, De­metrius, who has a good report and walks in the truth. In the assembly there is Gaius, who is weak in body but receives the brethren in the Lord.

There is also Diotrephes, who “wants to be the big chief,” and he is opposed to every one who does not agree with him.

Now John is saying that a stranger is coming to them and that John’s record of him is good. He has a good report and knows the truth and walks in the truth. John’s letter is written so that they will receive Demetrius.

The second Epistle was to instruct them not to receive those who deny the Incarnate Word of God.

The third Epistle was to instruct them to receive those who have a good record and love the truth and walk in the truth.

The personal salutations are similar to the pre­vious Epistle:

“I would love to see you face to face. I would love to talk with you about the things of the Lord. I am coming soon. I hope, and I am looking forward to our fellowship in the Saviour. Give my friends my love.”

We can just see the friendliness of this man John to the people of God. No wonder he is called the Apostle of Love!

Our Saviour is love personified. The Saviour so filled the heart of John with His divine love that John expressed it continually.

God grant that we will be numbered among those who walk in the truth and who love the brethren.

May the Lord bless you for His name’s sake!