3 John is the shortest letter in the New Testament. In just a few lines, though, it carries a huge invitation: to live and serve in the truth, in the ordinary daily life of the church.
The apostle John, already an old man, writes to a personal friend named Gaius. He identifies himself only as “the elder,” and treats Gaius with an affection that has crossed the centuries.
John tells him what brings him the greatest joy: hearing, through the report of other brothers, that Gaius continues to walk in the truth. For a pastor, few pieces of news are worth more than that.
The letter also praises Gaius’s generosity. He welcomes and supports brothers who travel proclaiming the gospel, even without having known them personally before.
But not everything in the church was going well. A man named Diotrephes loved to be first in everything. He rejected John’s authority, spoke maliciously against him, and even put out of the church anyone who wanted to welcome the traveling brothers.
John does not hesitate to call this by its right name. Seeking power and excluding people is not leadership according to God, even when it occupies a prominent place in the church.
By contrast, Demetrius receives a simple compliment: everyone speaks well of him, and the truth itself testifies in his favor. A consistent life speaks louder than any speech.
Behind these few brief stories lies a question that remains current. How do we treat those who serve the gospel, and how do we deal with those who seek control within the church?
3 John shows that hospitality, humility, and faithfulness to the truth walk together. Read this short letter and discover how small gestures of love sustain great causes of the Kingdom of God.