3
John 1-8
Today in the Word
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3 John 3
The Vital Importance of Truth
“For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth
that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.” (C H Spurgeon)
The truth was in Gaius, and Gaius walked in the truth. If the first had
not been the case, the second could never have occurred; and if the second
could not be said of him the first would have been a mere pretence. Truth
must enter into the soul, penetrate and saturate it, or else it is of no
value. Doctrines held as a matter of creed are like bread in the hand,
which ministers no nourishment to the frame; but doctrine accepted by the
heart, is as food digested, which, by assimilation, sustains and builds up
the body. In us truth must be a living force, an active energy, an
indwelling reality, a part of the woof and warp of our being. If it be in
us, we cannot henceforth part with it. A man may lose his garments or his
limbs, but his inward parts are vital, and cannot be torn away without
absolute loss of life. A Christian can die, but he cannot deny the truth.
Now it is a rule of nature that the inward affects the outward, as light
shines from the centre of the lantern through the glass: when, therefore,
the truth is kindled within, its brightness soon beams forth in the
outward life and conversation. It is said that the food of certain worms
colours the cocoons of silk which they spin: and just so the nutriment
upon which a man’s inward nature lives gives a tinge to every word and
deed proceeding from him. To walk in the truth, imports a life of
integrity, holiness, faithfulness, and simplicity—the natural product of
those principles of truth which the gospel teaches, and which the Spirit
of God enables us to receive. We may judge of the secrets of the soul by
their manifestation in the man’s conversation. Be it ours to-day, O
gracious Spirit, to be ruled and governed by thy divine authority, so that
nothing false or sinful may reign in our hearts, lest it extend its
malignant influence to our daily walk among men. (Spurgeon, C. H. Morning
and Evening)
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3 John
6 Worthily of God
If in his second letter John dealt specially with the subject of those to
whom no hospitality should be extended, in this he commends hospitality,
and shows what its nature should be. There were those who "for the sake of
the Name went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles." These were to be
received and welcomed, and "set forward on their journey worthily of God."
Two interpretations have been given of this phrase. One is that these men
were to be treated as the very messengers of God, and so worthily of that
fact. The other is that those who tendered them hospitality were to do it
as God would do it, "worthily of God." Most probably both views are
correct, both ideas being involved. In harmony with the whole spirit of
the letter the second is the more patent. What a pattern and test is here
of hospitality! What kind of a host is God? How does He treat His guests?
When we have answered those questions, we shall have discovered the nature
of the hospitality we ought to extend to all those who go forth for the
sake of the Name. To those who receive the hospitality of God, He gives of
His best, He gives lavishly, He gives of pure delight. His concern is ever
for the highest wellbeing of His guests. He opens His home to them; He
spreads His table before them; He admits them to familiar converse with
Himself; He places at their disposal all His knowledge, and all the riches
of His grace. If we are to entertain "worthily of God" these are the lines
upon which our hospitality must proceed. It is one of the things which
constantly cheer and help those who go forth for the sake of the Name. (Morgan,
G. Campbell)
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3 John 7
- For the sake of the Name they went forth. (F B Meyer)
The beloved elder is
anxious about some travelling evangelists, who had gone forth to visit the
churches; and is commending them to the care of Gaius. He was to set them
forward in a manner that should be worthy of God. This is a high standard
for our entertainment of brethren and strangers withal. It would save us
from niggardliness and stint, for God is never miserly or meager. It would
equally save us from ostentation, since in God there is perfect
simplicity. It would pervade our behaviour with the most perfect grace.
But notice, in respect of these evangelists: —
Their motive. —
“For the sake of the Name.” It is not needful to say whose Name. There is
one Name above every name, in which whatever we do is to be done. To teach
the meaning hidden in that Name; to unfold its sweetness and power; to
exert its spell over souls that had never felt its magnetism; to glorify
it and make it honored and beloved — this was their one thought and aim.
Oh that we were animated by the same gracious motive!
Their delicacy. —
They would take nothing of the Gentiles. It seemed to them incongruous to
go for alms and maintenance to those who do not love their Lord. Besides,
could not He maintain his own servants? They certainly would not have
sanctioned the means that modern Christians adopt of getting money from
the ungodly.
Their welcome. — We
ought to welcome all such and in doing so we may be fellow-helpers with
them and with the truth. It is a very beautiful act to link ourselves with
God’s honored servants by prayer and sympathy, that we may be counted
their fellow-helpers and companions. (Meyer, F B: Our Daily Homily)
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3 John 7
The key to the missionary devotion (Oswald Chambers)
For His name’s sake they went forth. 3 John 7.
Our Lord has told us how
love to Him is to manifest itself. “Lovest thou Me?” “Feed My
sheep”—identify yourself with My interests in other people, not, identify
Me with your interests in other people. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 gives the
character of this love, it is the love of God expressing itself. The test
of my love for Jesus is the practical one, all the rest is sentimental
jargon.
Loyalty to Jesus Christ is the
supernatural work of Redemption wrought in me by the Holy Ghost Who sheds
abroad the love of God in my heart, and that love works efficaciously
through me in contact with everyone I meet. I remain loyal to His name
although every commonsense fact gives the lie to Him, and declares that He
has no more power than a morning mist.
The key to missionary devotion means
being attached to nothing and no one saving Our Lord Himself, not being
detached from things externally. Our Lord was amazingly in and out among
ordinary things; His detachment was on the inside towards God. External
detachment is often an indication of a secret vital attachment to the
things we keep away from externally. The loyalty of a missionary is to
keep his soul concentratedly open to the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The men and women Our Lord sends out on His enterprises are the ordinary
human stuff, plus dominating devotion to Himself wrought by the Holy
Ghost. (Chambers, O. My Utmost for His Highest)
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3 John 9
Unity and the Spirit of Diotrephes (C H Spurgeon)
Now that we know that there is a unity of the Spirit worthy to be kept, I
want to point out that it needs to be kept. It is a very difficult thing
to maintain, for several reasons. First of all, our sins would, very
naturally, break it. If we were all angels, we would keep the unity of the
Spirit and not even need the exhortation to do so. But, alas, we are
proud, and pride is the mother of division. Diotrephes, who loves to have
preeminence (3 John 1:9), is very sure to head a faction. How envy, too,
has separated good friends! When I cannot be satisfied with anything that
is not hammered on my workbench, when another man’s candle grieves me
because it gives more light than mine, and when another man troubles me
because he has more grace than I have—oh, there is no unity in this case.
Anger—what a deadly foe that is to unity! When we cannot overlook the
smallest disrespect, when the slightest thing turns our faces red, when we
speak unadvisedly with our lips—surely then there is no unity. But, I do
not need to read the long list of sins that spoil the unity of the Spirit,
for it is lengthy. Oh, may God cast them out of us, for only then can we
keep the unity of the Spirit. (Power in the Blood)
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3 John 9
Three D's (Vance Havner)
In the New Testament family album three men whose names begin with the
same letter stand out as typical of three kinds of Christians today. The
Scripture account of them all is very brief, but a little window lets in
much light and from the meager record we immediately recognize that their
kind has not yet disappeared from the earth.
1. There was Demas, who forsook Paul, having loved this present
world (2 Tim. 4:10). Doubtless he had started out in dead earnest, maybe
with plenty of fire, but the pull of the old life and the charm of the
world were too much for him.
2. Then, there was Diotrephes, who loved the preeminence (3 John
9).... His sort is still with us in the minister who bosses instead of
shepherds his flock; in ecclesiastical overlords who reject all visiting
brethren who do not measure up to their private yardstick; in any and all
who want to rule instead of serve.
3. How refreshing it is to move from these two troublesome souls to
Demetrius, who loved the truth (3 John 12). Whether or not he was the
Ephesian silversmith, now converted, he had good report of all and of the
truth and of John; and his sort is altogether too rare today. He was no
celebrity, but we could profitably exchange some of our striking
personalities for more of his kind. What would the church do today without
his quiet, faithful, steadying testimony?
God help us in such a time to choose the Demetrius way of good report and
not the Diotrephes way of loud report! (Vance Havner)
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3 John 9-15
The third epistle of John addresses the problem of overly ambitious
and domineering church leaders. But this problem was certainly not
limited to the first century. Bible scholar A. T. Robertson wrote a
magazine article that rebuked leaders who follow in the footsteps of
Diotrephes (3 John 9). After it was published, he got numerous letters
from church leaders, demanding that their subscriptions be canceled.
Although Robertson had never met any of them and had not used any
names, they all felt that he had attacked them personally! (Today
in the Word)
