Meditation

Hi there,

In today's verses, John contrasts Gaius's hospitality and generosity with that of another local church leader, Diotrephes, who arrogantly runs his church as his own personal fiefdom.

Compounding his arrogance with slander against John and other leaders while failing to welcome or support other believers.

Noted American memoirist Anne Lamott, famously wrote in her best-known book, Bird by Bird;

“You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.”

In the hands of the spiteful, this is bad advice, but in this personal letter, John calls out the worst kind of 'Christian' behavior that damages not just the people subject to it but also the whole church.

In so doing, he creates for us a vivid image that is familiar even today.

Today's text is 3 John 5-10(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

⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Galatians 6:9-10Andy

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​.​