3 John 1 (MSG) · OmniBible

1Chapter

^1-4The Pastor, to my good friend Gaius: How truly I love you! We’re the best of friends, and I pray for good fortune in everything you do, and for your good health—that your everyday affairs prosper, as well as your soul! I was most happy when some friends arrived and brought the news that you persist in following the way of Truth. Nothing could make me happier than getting reports that my children continue diligently in the way of Truth!

Model the Good

^5-8Dear friend, when you extend hospitality to Christian brothers and sisters, even when they are strangers, you make the faith visible. They’ve made a full report back to the church here, a message about your love. It’s good work you’re doing, helping these travelers on their way, hospitality worthy of God himself! They set out under the banner of the Name, and get no help from unbelievers. So they deserve any support we can give them. In providing meals and a bed, we become their companions in spreading the Truth.
^9-10Earlier I wrote something along this line to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves being in charge, denigrates my counsel. If I come, you can be sure I’ll hold him to account for spreading vicious rumors about us. As if that weren’t bad enough, he not only refuses hospitality to traveling Christians but tries to stop others from welcoming them. Worse yet, instead of inviting them in he throws them out.
¹¹Friend, don’t go along with evil. Model the good. The person who does good does God’s work. The person who does evil falsifies God, doesn’t know the first thing about God.
¹²Everyone has a good word for Demetrius—the Truth itself stands up for Demetrius! We concur, and you know we don’t hand out endorsements lightly.
^13-14I have a lot more things to tell you, but I’d rather not use pen and ink. I hope to be there soon in person and have a heart-to-heart talk. Peace to you. The friends here say hello. Greet our friends there by name.

Study

Chapter 1

CSB

TWISTED SCRIPTURE

3 John 2

Prosperity preachers say that as children of the King every Christian has a right to wealth and health, and that these can be ours if only we’ll have enough faith. These preachers often wear expensive clothes and drive expensive cars, and they have television ministries in which they promise prosperity to anyone who financially supports them. While it is not wrong for a Christian to be healthy and wealthy, this verse does not promise that Christians will experience these benefits. In the context of John’s letter we can see that prosper means spiritual prosperity, which he primarily measures by a disciple’s faithfulness to the truth. In fact he mentioned truth three times in verses 3-4. Looking outside John’s letters, we see that the other apostles never promised riches to Christians. Paul, for example, suffered many bad experiences. He was lashed, beaten, stoned, and shipwrecked. He faced dangers and often lacked the finer things that accompany wealth (see 2Co 11:22-27). And yet judging by 3 John 2 we would say that Paul prospered.

CSB

John encouraged Gaius to continue his hospitality toward the missionaries. Such a ministry was important because these ministers were laboring on behalf of God. Underlying this discussion is a contrast between Christian missionaries and false teachers. An individual who welcomes a false teacher basically shares in his evil deeds (v. 11; 2Jn 10-11), but those who receive Christian missionaries are “coworkers with the truth” (v. 8).

CSB

Most likely the words “I wrote” refer to a previous letter now lost. It probably contained instructions from John that Diotrephes disregarded. Diotrephes, a man of influence and authority in the church, evidently was hostile toward the apostle John. The nature of his rebellion was observable in three distinct areas. (1) He loved to be in the first position. (2) He spread malicious gossip about John. (3) Failing to be content with those evil actions, he refused to receive believers from other assemblies and cast out of the church those who did receive the brethren. The sins of pride, gossip, and intolerance are frequently found together, and they compromise witness to the gospel.