Tag: 3 John
-
A Heart Too Full for Paper – 3 John 13-14
3 John 13, 14 I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee: But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name. John closes this little letter the…
-
A Life That Speaks for Itself – 3 John 12
3 John 12 Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true. What a beautiful thing this is. John says very little about Demetrius, and yet he says enough to make you stop and think. This man had…
-
When Love Brings Things Into the Light – 3 John 10-11
3 John 10-11 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth… prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church. Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is…
-
The Dangerous Hunger to Be First – 3 John 9
3 John 9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. Now John turns from Gaius to Diotrephes, and the contrast is sobering. Gaius was a blessing to the body. Diotrephes wanted to be the body. Gaius opened his home. Diotrephes closed his heart. Gaius…
-
Open Doors, Wise Hearts – 3 John 8
3 John 8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth. John is wonderfully balanced. In the last letter he said, Do not receive those who deny the truth of Christ. Now in this letter he says, Receive faithful brothers, so that you may become fellowhelpers to the truth.…
-
Helping People Home – 3 John 3-7
3 John 3-7 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; which…
-
The Prosperity That Matters Most – 3 John 2
3 John 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. This is one of those verses that has been pushed far beyond what John meant when he wrote it. The prosperity crowd loves this verse. They build a whole message on it and…
-
Three Men in One Little Letter – 3 John 1
3 John 1 The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. John opens this final letter with affection. You can feel it right away. There is nothing cold here. Nothing mechanical. He writes to Gaius, and he calls him wellbeloved. Not merely loved in a general sense, but dear to him…
-
Background to 2 and 3 John
Because they were written as personal letters rather than formal doctrinal statements or historical records, John’s second and third epistles give us a unique opportunity to listen in on the life of the early church. In a very real sense, we are reading the mail of the men and women who, as Acts 17:6 says,…