Meditation

Hi there,

Today, we're embarking on a three-day journey through 3rd John. A brief personal letter written at the same time and in the same vein as 2 John.

It has been suggested that 2 and 3 John were originally preserved because they were part of a single packet containing all three of John's letters. With 2nd John to be read aloud to a specific house church, 1st John to be a sermon for general distribution, and 3rd John being a personal letter to Gaius who was responsible for the reading and distribution of 1st & 2nd John.

This scenario can't be fully verified, but may explain how the letters survived and also their tone. This letter is explicitly personal and addressed to the recipient's circumstances and is filled with references to specific people and situations.

The warmth of the greeting in today's letter stands out, as does the hope that Gaius' body is as healthy as his soul evidently is.

Don't miss that John repeats twice the importance of "walking in the truth." Commitment to the truth is an activity. Identifiable through, and informed by committed action.

It's entirely coincidental that the word "lie" means both falsehood and inactivity...but possibly helpful to reinforce that truth is not passive but active.

Today's text is 3 John 1-4 (and are marked in black. The full letter is included for context.)

3 John

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, 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.

Encouragement

The message of Jesus brings people into a real relationship with God and with each other. This is stressed today by John who states that he loves Gaius "in the truth."

As we saw earlier this week, for John Love & Truth are mutually sustaining and indivisible.

Andy

God's word in your hand

I've attached this explanation of the books 1-3 John from The Bible Project to help provide additional insight and an overview of the letter in the context of John's 3 epistles.

Be Encouraged. Join our 1000 strong Facebook Group

Post a picture of your completed page to our Facebook Group today.

Join over 1000 club members doing the same. Your pictures will be a great encouragement to everyone else in the club

...and don't worry about your handwriting.

It is as unique as you are, and God's word looks beautiful in it.

P.S. BCC is even better when shared

If you know someone who would also benefit from Bible Copy Club's daily prompts to copy out scripture by hand, please forward them this ​link​.​