Slices
Prepare
What sort of reputations do key figures in your church have? Maybe someone is known for generosity or another for gossip? Pray for your church in light of the uniqueness of the leaders who seem to shape its character.
Bible passage
1 The elder,
To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, just as you are progressing spiritually. 3 It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. 6 They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honours God. 7 It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.
9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. 10 So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.
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. 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.
13 I have much to write to you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 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.
Explore
John wrote this letter to Gaius, praying for him to be physically healthy just as he was spiritually healthy. What we know is that he showed selfless hospitality to travelling believers (see vs 1–8). Hospitality can be such a strategic ministry: for example, to ministers, international students, foster children, and even to the lonely in our churches.
John also wrote to Gaius to encourage him in the face of trouble in the church. The problem was a man named Diotrephes. This man seems to have become corrupted through power and influence. He did not submit to authority (v 9) and was doing damage with his words (v 10a) and his lovelessness (v 10b).
In happy contrast, we also read about Demetrius (vs 11,12). John urges Gaius to be careful not to fall into the trap of imitating the influential Diotrephes, but rather to be like Demetrius (v 12). When someone is doing damage in a church, it can be tempting to try to wrestle power away from that person by acting just like them. Remember: do God’s work God’s way!
Respond
Does Gaius or Demetrius remind you of anyone in your church? Perhaps they would appreciate an encouraging message from you? If there is a Diotrephes, pray for that person and your church leaders too!
Deeper Bible study
We praise you, Lord Jesus, that you came as a servant to a humble manger; now we don’t minister for you, but with you. You make all the difference.
The pursuit of truth is still in John’s mind as he begins this short epistle – but truth always reveals itself in actions. John calls this ‘walking in the truth’ (v 4) and it gives him supreme joy to see this in the lives of two out of the three characters mentioned in this letter. He commends and builds up those servants of Christ that he does respect and love. Gaius and Demetrius are both worthy of their roles within the fellowship; this is marked by walking in the truth, expressing love to the brothers, showing hospitality to God’s servants and being well spoken of by others. In this way John gives us an example of resisting that which is evil and holding fast to the truth, encouraging others to do the same.
The abuse of power is, sadly, a recurring problem for churches today. Diotrephes is the forerunner of those seeking popularity and pre-eminence rather than Christ-like service. Jesus warned his disciples, John included, that those who desire to be great among his followers must first become their servant, in fact their slave!1 The marks of Diotrephes’ insidious control of God’s people were that he loved to be first and spread untrue gossip about God’s servants. He also refused to welcome and accommodate the team, banning from the church those who did support them. Jesus alone is the gate or door of his church,2 not Diotrephes, and John is right to challenge the domineering and detrimental effect of this man’s influence.
John concludes by repeating his earlier preference for face-to-face fellowship and the hope that he and these believers will meet again soon. When circumstances permit, we should cherish the privilege of being together with others of like mind, who love the truth.
Our servant King began his ministry in a lowly stable, setting the bar high! Pray for the leaders of your own church today.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Zechariah 1,2; Psalms 146,147
Pray for Scripture Union
Be More Micah – Environment is a resource which tunes in to the desire of young people aged 14–18 to change the world and shows them that this is God’s desire too. Please pray that through these resources many young people will meet with the One who created everything and discover God’s heart for justice.
