• We must be careful who we imitate. Even in Christian circles there are bad examples like Diotrophes. Demetrius was worthy of imitation, but not Diotrophes. This was probably encouragement from John not to give in to Diotrophes or to descend to his level of dirty “politics.”

Verse 12 - Demetrius had a threefold recommendation – all men, the truth, and John.

• Some have the recommendation of men, but not of the truth.

•  The note in the ESV Study Bible sheds some light on why John entrusted Demetrius with task of probably delivering the letter to Gaius: ‘Normal postal service could not be entrusted with Christian correspondence like this letter (and possibly other letters from John as well. Demetrius served as a courier. Phoebe probably served this function delivering Romans (Rom. 16:1-2), and Tychicus likely hand-carried Ephesians (Eph. 6:21-22) and Colossians (Col. 4:7-8).

Verse 13 – John trusted that he would shortly see Gaius. The word “shortly” suggest that John has placed this visit high on his list of things to do. 3rd John is, in reality, a bare outline of many more things John wanted to communicate.

Verse 14– John is planning on coming to see the church there. I’m sure that Gaius was happy; but not Diotrophes.

Verse 15: Friends An unusual term for fellow believers; but see John 15:15. “Every one of them.” Literally this means “by name.” John’s pastoral care is not remote and bureaucratic but personal, as Jesus commended and modeled (John 10:3,14)

What can we learn from the character of these 3 men?Similar Posts:

• Contrasting Gaius and Diotrophes
• 3rd John – A Prayer For Health (3 John 1-4)
• A Pat On The Back For Hospitality (3 John 5-8)

1. Inn-keepers were notoriously hard to deal with.
2. Josephus records that there were no fixed payments at check-in and disputes almost always ensued at check-out.
3. According to the Mishna the word of an innkeeper could be doubted.
4. Roman laws even acknowledged their dishonesty.

Verse 6 Those who preached were dependent upon brethren to support them as they preached the gospel. They didn’t want to take help from Gentiles or unbelievers to avoid the appearance of evil.

Gaius helped friend and stranger alike (3 John 5). Hospitality literally means “love of strangers.” Gaius had a record of faithfulness. Brethren had borne witness of Gaius’ charity before the church (3 John 1:6). Clearly, it is Biblical for a missionary to give an account of a missionary trip to the church.

By receiving travelling preachers into his home, Gaius was a fellow helper or partner in the truth (3 John 1:8; cf. 1 Cor. 3:9). Fellow helper comes from a word (sunergos) used by Paul in 1 Cor. 3:9 and translated as “laborers together.”

Verses 7 & 8 It should be noted that hospitality involved more than taking someone into your home. It included bringing them forward on their journey (3 John 6). In other words, it meant supplying them with whatever they needed to help them to get to where they were going next (cf. Rom. 15:24; Tit. 3:13; Acts 21:25). Churches that have missionaries in should do the same today.

Furthermore, showing hospitality involved taking care of them after “a godly sort” (KJV); “a manner worthy of God” (NKJV & ESV). (3 John 1:6). In other words, you were to treat them as you would have treated God if he were staying with you (Mt. 25:34-40).

In Our next lesson we will talk about the 2 remaining men named in the book; one commended and one condemned. There is also more on how Gaius is to interact with these 2.

Also, we will be talking about the Apostle John a little more.Similar Posts:

• 3rd John – A Prayer For Health (3 John 1-4)
• Contrasting Gaius and Diotrophes
• 3rd John (Intro)

1. To confirm the young converts in Thessalonica in the foundational truths

2. To exhort them to a life of personal holiness pleasing to the Lord.

3. To comfort them concerning those who had died; and

4. To instruct them concerning their own hope of the Lord’s return.

Paul commended the believers there because, according to I Thes. 2:13, they accepted the message.  because it came  from God, not men.  There are many  things we can take from this congregation. 

The word “example” can  have both  a positive and a  negative aspect. We see the “positive” aspect  in this  account. The believers not  only accepted the  teaching that  Paul gave and became a  congregation of  faithful ones, but  they did not  keep the   “Good news” to themselves.  

They embodied  the  Lord’s teaching in the Great Commission to “go into all the  world and preach the gospel…”  They had been  called out  of the darkness of the  kingdom of Satan and were now in the kingdom of the Lord Jesus, the  Church of Christ.

Their  faith was  known not only in their own  city, but  it  spread  to other parts of the  country. Paul tells  about that in I Thes. 1:8-10.  

Verses 9-10, especially show the transformation that the Gospel can  accomplish in the   hearts and  minds of  those willing to learn more about  Jesus and be  used  to  bring  Him  glory.  They believed in  letting their  light shine for their Lord.  They had  left the life of  serving  idols and  had  replaced that with “the living and  true God.” (I Thes. 1:9)

Paul tells us in I Thes. 1:10 that they were “waiting for  His  Son from Heaven…”  The  belief  that the Lord Jesus is coming again motivated this congregation, and  should  motivate  us to greater service for our Lord.   We must be  found not only looking for and waiting for the  Lord’s return, we must be actively working  for Him.

Similar Posts:

• Waiting For The Lord’s Return
• What It Means to “Wait for His Son from Heaven.”
• What It Means To “Wait For His Son from Heaven.”