The third epistle of John encourages a specific individual, Gaius, as he faithfully follows the Lord, warning him about a wicked man in the church and pointing to another faithful example in the church. Third John is the shortest book of the Bible by word count, though 2 John has fewer verses.
John, the writer of this book, identifies himself simply as “the Elder.” From the earliest times, Christians have understood that this was the Apostle John, the same John who wrote the Gospel of John, 1 and 2 John, and the Book of Revelation.
John does not directly refer to himself for the same reason he does not directly refer to his readers in 2 John – the threat of persecution may be making direct reference unwise and unnecessary.
The letter is addressed “To the beloved Gaius.” – The identification is difficult, probably deliberately so, because “Gwas” was a very common name in the Roman Empire. We don’t know if this specific Gaius is connected with the other men mentioned by this name in the New Testament (Acts 19:29, 20:4; 1 Corinthians 1:14; Romans 16:23).
Hospitality to Those Spreading the Gospel
There is no doctrine laid out in 3 John, which is strictly a personal letter, but the overall theme is the importance of hospitality, especially when it comes to men who were working to spread the gospel. John was surrounded by people who took care of him. He teaches us that we should do the same for those carrying the teachings of Jesus today. The passage highlights the need for Christians to support each other so that missionaries and evangelists don’t depend on the support of non-believers.
Prosper and Be in Good Health
John prays that Gaius prospers in all things. The word for “prosper” literally means “to have a good journey.” It metaphorically means to succeed or prosper. It is like saying, “I hope things go well for you.”
In the second verse, the two verbs (prosper and be in health) are common the in the everyday language of letters. This phrase was so common that sometimes it was condensed into only initials. The abbreviation used in Latin was SVBEEV, meaning Si vales, bene est; ego valeo – “If you are well, it is good; I am well.”
John used this common phrase in sending his best wishes and blessings to Gaius. Some have wrongly taken this as a guarantee of perpetual wealth and perfect health for Christians. God absolutely promised this prosperity and health as the ultimate destiny of all believers.
Nevertheless, some live in poverty and disease simply because they do not seek God’s best, follow God’s principles, and walk in faith. But, God may, according to His all-wise plan, use a lack of material prosperity and physical health to promote greater prosperity and health in the scale of eternity.
False teachers say we should use God’s general promises of blessing as a way to indulge a carnal desire for ease, comfort, and luxury.
John made an analogy between the condition of our health and the condition of our soul. Many Christians would be desperately ill if their physical health was instantly in the same state as their spiritual health.
Walking in Truth
John emphasizes the importance of “truth,” which is mentioned a half-dozen times in the third epistle.
John’s goodwill towards Gaius came from his understanding that he walked in the truth. John knew that Gaius walked in truth because others testified about the truth that was in Gaius. His walk of truth was noticed by others, and they could talk about it because they saw it.
Walking in truth means more than living with correct doctrine. Walking in the truth does not mean that John was overjoyed because they were sound in doctrine, and cared little for anything else. His joyous survey did include their orthodoxy in creed, but it reached far beyond that.
To walk in truth means to walk consistently with the truth you believe. If you believe that you are fallen, then walk wary of your fallenness. If you believe you are a child of God, then walk like a child of heaven.
If you believe you are forgiven, then walk like a forgiven person. To walk in truth means to walk in a way that is real and genuine, without any phoniness or concealment.
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In conclusion, consider what the Daily Bread email message sent on 01/05/2023 says,
3 John 1:1, 2 – The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. (NASB)
The third epistle of John encourages a specific individual, Gaius, as he faithfully follows the Lord, warning him about a wicked man in the church and pointing to another faithful example in the church. Third John is the shortest book of the Bible by word count, though 2 John has fewer verses.
John prays that Gaius prospers in all things. The word for “prosper” literally means “to have a good journey.” It metaphorically means to succeed or prosper. It is like saying, “I hope things go well for you.”
Some have wrongly taken this as a guarantee of perpetual wealth and perfect health for Christians. God absolutely promised this prosperity and health as the ultimate destiny of all believers.
Some live in poverty and disease simply because they do not seek God’s best, follow God’s principles, and walk in faith. But, God may, according to His all-wise plan, use a lack of material prosperity and physical health to promote greater prosperity and health in the scale of eternity.
You Can Receive The Daily Bread, for FREE.
To receive the Daily Bread email messages, free on Mon., Wed., and Fri., in your email inbox, just fill in the form below or send an email, asking to be added, to jmikeh@jmhowington.com
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