Last 5 Days
Receiving with Love
1 The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.
2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
5 Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, 6 who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
9 I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.
11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.
13 I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
15 Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name.
John wrote the letter to his mentee, Gaius, to praise his recent good deeds in receiving specific missionaries. Gaius extended his hospitality by helping them in travelling to the next stop. John compared Gaius’ action with Diotrephes (probably the Church’s leader), who rejected the instruction from John to receive the missionaries.
In the closing of his letter, he also gave a testimony of Demetrius, who probably carried the letter to Gaius—hoping that Gaius would receive him well.
So, it is all about receiving missionaries. It is not about doing great ministries for God. Thus, this letter is not quite mentioned by anyone. However, the action has given God’s servant the means and the encouragement to continue God’s ministry. Shall we see such ministries as less important? Why are we only engaging in ministries that appear to be important? Are we doing it out of love of God or for self-glorification?
So next time when you have a visiting pastor, think of how you can contribute to his ministry directly or indirectly through your hospitality and gifts.