There are a few things that
strike me in reading 3 John. First off, this and 2 John are much more like real
letters than the other letters of the New Testament which are, in some cases,
much more like theological statements or sermons. 3 John covers a variety of
topics in a short span just as we would if we were writing a letter to a friend
today.
We do not know who Gaius was any
more than we can be certain who John the Elder was. However, that does not keep
us from benefitting from the contents of this letter.
The first thing that strikes me
is the statement: “I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in
good health, just as it is well with your soul.” If someone prayed for your
physical health to match your spiritual health, would you be in good shape, or
on the point of death? This is an important factor to consider. Many people
today spend much more time focused on improving their physical health while
many focus little if at all on improving their spiritual health. Both are
important. We need to care for our bodies and our souls. However, between the
two, I think soul health should take priority over body health.
Secondly, John the Elder says,
“I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the
truth.” John was speaking of his spiritual children. This raises the question:
do we have spiritual children, that is, people whom we have led to faith in
Christ. If not, perhaps we need to pray for such an opportunity to lead someone
to faith. Sometimes we do not know, until many years afterwards, the critical
spiritual role we have played in someone’s life. However, if we are planting
the seeds of God’s Word then we can count on the fact that those seeds are
going to bear fruit by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Of course, John’s words also
apply to our biological children. Nothing could give me greater joy than to
know that my physical children are walking in the truth of the Lord. Again, all
I can do is plant the seed, and water it, and pray for it to grow. Once, we
have done the first two steps, for most of our lives the best thing we can do for
our children is to pray for their spiritual growth.
Thirdly, John encourages the recipient
of this letter to show hospitality to missionaries. Without such hospitality,
the Early Church would not have survived, for of course they had no buildings
or institutions to support missionaries. This raises the question of whether we
are doing the same in our day, for it is no less important today. Many
missionaries would not survive without the financial and prayerful support, and
the hospitality of other believers. I know that personally I cannot do much
financially to support other missionaries for Christ. But what little I can, I
do with joy.
Finally, I like the fact that
John says, “I have much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen
and ink; instead I hope to see you soon, and we will talk together face to
face.” In our high tech age we need face-to-face ministry more than ever
before. A high tech age can be a low touch time. But we all need physical touch
to survive. We need personal face-to-face ministry. To whom might you and I
offer personal, face-to-face encouragement this week?
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