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John's Third Letter

    

 

 

 

BOOK : 3 John

Description : A short letter of encouragement to a fellow worker, Gaius.

Author: The apostle John who wrote the first and second letters

Date written : Probably between AD85 and AD95

Chapters :   1

   

    

Brief Synopsis:

•  Gaius is a fellow worker of John's, a spiritual child of his who looks after other traveling ministries when they come to his town.
•  Diotrephes is a senior leader of that church who does not like the apostles and is full of himself.
•  The letter is basically to encourage Gaius who (implied) struggles with Diotrephes bad attitude.
•  Demetrius is presumably one of John's emissaries, coming with the letter, who John commends to Gaius.

  

  

Outline :

 

v.1,2 Salutation
v.3-8 Commendation of Gaius
v.9,10 Condemnation of Diotrephes
v.11 Exhortation to Gaius
v.12 Example of Demetrius
v.13,14 Conclusion

   

   

Some Key Verses:

 

John's

v.1,4 The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth….. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

   

Gaius' good work looking after the travelling ministries

v.5-8 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.

     

Diotrephes, an example of a bad, divisive, and critical leader

v.9,10 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.

      

     

Concluding Comments

   

A simple little letter to encourage a protégé in his ministry of providing care and hospitality for the travelling ministries. It also reveals the lack of unity that eh enemy seeks to sow between churches and leaders. It therefore also brings a warning with it.

     

     

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