In preparation for our sermon this coming Lord’s Day – October 30, 2016
An overview of 3 John
3 John 1-14
3J1:8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.3 John 1:8(NIV84)
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Welcome to the study of John’s Third Letter. In this brief letter, John commends a friend and Christian leader in a community of Christian believersfor his faithful walk in the truth and his love for Christian strangers whom he lends support for their ministries. John then calls out a self-serving leader in the church and warns his audience not to imitate him. John follows that admonition with a commendation of Demetrius, commended even by truth itself. He longs to be with them in person.
3 John 1:1–14 (NIV84)3J1:1 The elder,
To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
3J1:2 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.
3J1:3 It gave me great joy to have some (or the) brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 3J1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
3J1:5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. 3J1:6 They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 3J1:7 It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 3J1:8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.
3J1:9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. 3J1:10 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.
3J1:11 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.
3J1:12 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.
3J1:13 I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 3J1:14 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. / What do we learn about the “brothers” whom Gaius helped and sent out as missionaries of the truth?
3J1:1 How does John identify his intended audience? Who is Gaius? What is the meaning of John saying, “whom I love in the truth?”
3J1:1-2Based on what he writes, how does John feel and think about Gaius?What is John suggesting is the connection between our health, our calendar and our soul?
3J1:3Who are these “good news” reporters who have come to John?For what purpose did they bring their report to John? How should we distinguish between “faithfulness to the truth” from “continue (or abide in or live in) to walk in the truth”?
3J1:4 Why is news of a person’s walking in the truth such great news to John?
3J1:5-6The report from the brothers in Christ must have included how hospitable Gaius is to fellow believers, even ones he did not personally know, who were strangers to him. What report did these strangers give the church about Gaius?
3J1:7-8Whom is John commending more, Gaius or these Christian strangers he has helped? How does John’s commendation of hospitality here stand is strong contrast to his warning about showing hospitality to deceivers in 2 John 10-11? Was the value and importance of hospitality greater in John’s day than it is in ours? Would John speak to us about something other than hospitality?
What drew John’s attention to Diotrephes and Demetrius, two very different personalities in the church?
3J1:9-10How does Diotrephes represent the very opposite qualities John has commended in Gaius? How does loving to be first destroy Christian hospitality? How does malicious gossip destroy Christian community? Why would Diotrephes refuse to welcome Christian brothers into the church and even put out of the church those who want to welcome Christian brothers?
3J1:11Is it possible that there are those who admire Diotrephes and would like to imitate him? Why does John feel the need to issue this admonition and highlight the outcomes?
3J1:12How important is it to be well spoken of by everyone? How can truth speak well of a person? Is that even more important than being well spoken of by others? Why does John emphasize his truthful testimony?
3J1:13-14 Given the difficulty in this congregation that Diotrephes is creating, what do you image will be part of John’s ministry when he visits Gaius in person?
How does John’s closing remarks further indicate that Gaius is part of a Christian community?
My preliminary anticipations for what I may hear this coming Lord’s Day: ______
My prayer for Pastor Dan and all those who will hear this message: ______
2 John 1:1-13(NIV84) Compared with 3 John 1:1-14(NIV84)2J1:1 The elder,
To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth— 2J1:2 because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:
2J1:3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.
2J1:4 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.
2J1:5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 2J1:6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to His commands. As you have heard from the beginning, His command is that you walk in love.
2J1:7 Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 2J1:8Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 2J1:9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
2J1:10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 2J1:11Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.
2J1:12 I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.
2J1:13 The children of your chosen sister send their greetings. / 3J1:1 The elder,
To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
3J1:2 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.
3J1:3 It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 3J1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
3J1:5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. 3J1:6 They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 3J1:7 It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 3J1:8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.
3J1:9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. 3J1:10 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.
3J1:11 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.
3J1:12 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.
3J1:13 I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 3J1:14 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.
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