REPUTATION AND IMITATION
Opening Prayer
Gracious Father, I come to you asking that you fill me to overflowing with your Spirit. Help me to live every moment of this day in ways that glorify you and that show the love of Christ in my every word and action.
Read 3 JOHN
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
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, even as your soul is getting along well. 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,[a] 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 honors 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 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.
15 Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.
Footnotes
- 3 John 1:5 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What sort of reputations do key figures in your church have? Maybe someone is known for their generosity, another for great teaching, or another for …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 traveling believers (see vv. 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 seemed 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 (vv. 11, 12). John urged 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!
Apply
Does Gaius or Demetrius remind you of anyone in your church? Perhaps they would appreciate an encouraging message from you.
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, help me to be a source of encouragement and blessing. If there are any ways that I’m not representing who you are, convict me and bring me to repentance, ready to serve you with grace and mercy.
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