Complimentary Letters
As we move into 3 John, we’ll see that a similar problem lies behind both letters, namely, how to treat traveling teachers. In 2 John, it was clear that those who come preaching anything but the gospel should not be received. In 3 John, we’ll see that those who come preaching the gospel should be received and even supported.
John’s third letter compliments his second letter, the positive instruction of the third letter balancing the more negative instruction of the second letter. Taken together they provide us with a balanced understanding of the duties and limits of Christian fellowship.
In these short letters we see our need to be discerning and our need to be generous. Out of our love for one another comes a desire to protect the church and to promote the church, to keep false teachers away for the good of our souls and to support true teachers who’re trying to win more souls.
John writes 3 John to commend a man named Gaius and rebuke a man named Diotrephes. One was selflessly serving the church of Christ, the other selfishly using the church of Christ. The main point of this sermon is that we should be more like Gaius and less like Diotrephes (cf. v. 11). We’ll see Gaius’ service in verses 1-8 and Diotrephes’ selfishness in verses 9-15.
Gaius’ Service
In verses 1-8, we see Gaius’ service. Gaius was one of the most common names in the Roman Empire, so we don’t know if this is one of the Gaius’s linked with Paul’s ministry (Acts 19:29, Rom. 16:23, 1 Cor. 1:14). But we do know that he was a leader in the church John is writing to and that John has great affection for him, four times calling him “beloved,” or “dear friend” (vv. 1, 2, 5, 11). John loved Gaius “in truth,” meaning that the truth (ie. the gospel) was the sphere in which their mutual love existed and flourished. In Jesus, our friendships deepen and flourish.
Verse 2 shows us that John cares for Gaius’ body and soul. It’s good to desire the physical and spiritual welfare of our Christian friends. Think of it. Aren’t we most prone to loneliness and anxiety and sadness and despair when we aren’t feeling well physically?
Gaius’ spiritual well-being brought John great joy (vv. 3-4). Notice that Gaius was balanced a Christian, walking in the truth (v. 3) and love (v. 6). He held the truth in love and loved in truth.
John refers to Gaius as one of his “children” in verse 4. He may’ve been so encouraged by how well Gaius was doing because he was his spiritual father, perhaps leading him to Christ. Every parent loves getting good reports about their kids, especially from someone else. A parent’s joy is bound up in the welfare of their children.
Do you have any children in the faith? Do you keep up with them? Do you connect with your parents in the faith?
John is particularly encouraged that Gaius is “walking in the truth” (v. 4). “To walk” is more than to give assent to. It means to orient your whole life around. It means that the truth is changing your entire life. It means there’s no dichotomy between your profession and your practice. Don’t we all long for children who live for Christ instead of just knowing about him?
Gaius’ Faithful Service toward Missionaries
In verses 5-8, we see what Gaius was doing that John is so happy about. Who are these “brothers”? Verse 7 says they’ve “gone out for the sake of the name.” Verse 8 says they’re “workers for the truth” who need support. These “brothers” came to John’s church and told him how well Gaius was doing (v. 3).
These “brothers” were itinerate missionary evangelists. They were “traveling teachers” of the good orthodox variety. They “went out” to spread the gospel and establish churches.
But Gaius didn’t know them. They were “strangers” to him (v. 5). Why would he take care of people he didn’t know? Because they were also family members. They were strangers who were brothers. Jesus’ family is really big, and we don’t know most of our siblings. But when we meet some of them, especially those laboring to spread the family name to orphans still stuck in darkness, we want to do all we can to help them on their way. That’s what family does.
All those who put together and delivered baskets to our homebound members were like Gaius. You did a “faithful thing” for these sisters, “strangers as they are” to you. What a gift of familial love!
In verse 6, John turns from the past to the future and says that Gaius’s work with these brothers isn’t done. These traveling teachers or missionaries must not only be received when they arrive but must be sent on their journey and provided for “in a manner worthy of God.”
Implications for Missions
In his book Missions: How the Local Church Goes Global, Andy Johnson says there are five implications for how we think about and do missions from these verses.[1]
First, he says that concern for missions and missionaries is a normal part of the Christian faith. John says in verse 5 that what Gaius is doing is a “faithful thing,” so not doing it would be “unfaithful.” John concludes in verse 8 that “we ought to support people like these (missionaries).” A desire to support the spread of the gospel is basic to our faith.
John notes that these brothers “accepted nothing from the Gentiles,” meaning that they weren’t earning money through their preaching to the Gentiles, so the church should supply their needs. John isn’t prohibiting taking money from unbelievers. Paul said several times that Christian ministers and teachers have the right to be supported by those who benefit from their service (1 Cor. 9:1-18, Gal. 6:6, 1 Tim. 5:17-18). A Christian congregation supporting its minister is one thing, but missionaries asking for money from unbelievers is another.
In other words, churches should support missionaries because missionaries are trying to start churches and therefore ordinarily won’t have support from those they’re trying to reach. Missionaries have no other means of support. It’s up to the churches, not the world, to support them. There are many good causes we may support, but we must support our brothers and sisters whom the world won’t support.
Second, Johnson says that cooperation among churches is encouraged. These workers went out from another church, probably John’s, were “strangers” to Gaius (v. 5), yet John says that Gaius “ought to support” people like this. John’s church and Gaius’ church were partnering together for the truth. This is what we do through the SBC cooperative program and the Pillar Network.
Third, missionaries should be connected to a local, sending, church. Missionaries aren’t free agents, out in the world doing what they want, when they want, where they want. Every missionary should be accountable to a specific local church. These “brothers” are likely accountable to John’s church in Ephesus. Did you notice the church connection in verse 6? When they returned to John’s church, they reported on how Gaius had taken care of them. Why would they report back? Because they were accountable to the church. Biblical missionaries have always been connected to a local church. This means that the best way to prepare to be missionary is to be an especially fruitful and faithful member of a local church. In a church, you’ll build the spiritual muscles that God may use one day cross-culturally.
The fourth implication from this passage is that support for missionaries should be abundant (v. 6b). Paul tells Titus, “Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing” (3:13). Johnson says we should imagine that we’re supplying Jesus himself. He tells the story of a church that had a “missionary closet” full of used clothes and broken toys, and how a friend of his was taken to this closet as a kid full of excitement, only to be crushed when he saw what was in there. Our support for missionaries should be abundant, so that they can focus on their work. Of course there should be wisdom here, but Johnson says that if we worry that excess money might be wasted by our missionaries, then we need to call them home and send out trustworthy missionaries instead![2]
The fifth implication is that our motivation is the glory of Christ (v. 7). Jealousy for Jesus’ name is “the most compelling of all missionary motives” (Stott). His “name” refers to all that he is and all that he’s done. The needs of the nations are great, but the fame of Jesus’ name is why we go and send.
John commends Gaius for selflessly serving the church through supporting these missionaries. We should follow Gaius’ lead and give our lives to support the cause of Christ among the nations, however and wherever we can, “for the sake of the name.”
Diotrephes’ Selfishness
In verses 9-15, we see the opposite of Gaius’ service. Instead, we see Diotrephes selfishness. One man selflessly serves the church, the other selfishly uses the church.
Diotrephes character and behavior is the exact opposite of Gaius’s. Gaius is portrayed as walking in the truth, loving the brothers, and providing for the missionaries. Diotrephes, on the other hand, is portrayed as loving himself more than others, refusing to welcome the missionaries, and threatening those who do.
These guys may’ve been members of the same church, a church John says that he’s written to (v. 9). But Diotrephes, for whatever reason, doesn’t accept John’s authority. As an apostle, John understands that he has a unique position of authority over all the churches. When he issued orders, he expected them to be obeyed. But Diotrephes wasn’t interested in being told what to do. He claimed an authority of his own, even to the point of kicking people out of the church who disobeyed him (v. 10).
Notice that it’s personal ambition, not doctrinal heresy, where Diotrephes goes wrong (v. 9). Diotrephes’ conduct was the result of pride, not bad theology. He wanted to be in charge. He didn’t want to submit to anyone, not even an apostle like John.
It’s been said that if you can’t submit to authority you can’t be trusted with authority. Diotrephes was unwilling to follow John’s leadership and was hurting people in this church as a result. And John wasn’t going to just sit by and let it happen, “If I come, I will bring up what he is doing.” How would you like to have been at that member meeting!
Two Ways to Be Arrogant
One of the lessons for us from 2-3 John is that churches are hurt by both doctrinal arrogance and by personal pride. There are two ways for us to be arrogant. We can be doctrinally or personally full or ourselves and not full of the truth and love of Christ.
Listen to how John Stott describes this: “Self-love vitiates all relationships. Diotrephes slandered John, cold-shouldered the missionaries and excommunicated the loyal believers – all because he loved himself and wanted to have the pre-eminence. Personal vanity still lies at the root of most dissensions in every local church today.”[3]
Therefore, as John says in verse 11, don’t be like Diotrephes and put yourself above others in the church. Rather, be like Gaius and give your life to serve the church. Verse 12 mentions another guy who was doing just that.
Pigs at Church?
The main point of this sermon is that we should be more like Gaius and less like Diotrephes. One was selflessly serving the church of Christ, the other selfishly using the church of Christ.
Mark Dever in his book Discipling provides an illustration to help us think through whether our hearts are oriented toward others in the church, or more toward ourselves. He writes:
“If you have never seen pigs come to a trough for mealtime, you can probably imagine it. Pushing. Shoving. Snorting. Swallowing as much as they can with no thought for others. Here’s a funny question worth thinking about for a moment: Is that how you attended church last Sunday?
No, I’m not calling you a pig. But stop and consider: Where did you park? What time did you get to church? Where did you sit? Who did you speak to? Each one of these decisions provided you with an opportunity to give yourself to others and so join the work of Christ. Or they provided you with an opportunity to look out for yourself, and do what is best for you. So which was it? Did you consciously strategize how to bless others with each one of those decisions?
Being a disciple of Jesus means orienting our lives toward others, just as Jesus did…We set our sights on serving others for Christ’s sake, just as Christ came into the world not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).”[4]
The Perfect Servant
Are we more like Gaius or Diotrephes? The reality is that we’re probably a little like both. We want to serve, but we also want to be seen serving. We want to bless others, but we also want others to like us and affirm us. So we need the perfect Servant to give us new hearts and to continually cleanse our hearts of pride.
In 3 John we see the difference between living for our name or living for Jesus’ name. We’re all living for a name, for a reputation, for a position, for something to give us an identity.
Ironically, it’s only by living for Jesus’ name that our name will be ultimately and eternally remembered. “Whover finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matt. 10:39).
[1]Andy Johnson, Missions: How the Local Church Goes Global (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017), 38-40.
[2]Ibid., 41.
[3]John R. W. Stott, The Letters of John, The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 231.
[4]Mark Dever, Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016), 27.