3 John 1-15 - Walking in The Truth
Introduction: A Faith Lived Out Loud
It is so good to be with you all today. For those of you joining us live at Clovis, I’m grateful you’re here, and for those of you joining us online, we are so glad you’re part of this. But let me just say, the water’s warm—come on in! We would love to meet you in person if you ever have a hankering to stop by. My name is Mike, and I’m one of the teaching pastors here at The Well. Today, I have the privilege of landing the plane on our series through the letters of John. We’ve walked through First and Second John, and today we finish our journey in Third John.
If you have your Bible, I invite you to turn to Third John. As we’ve seen, these books are closely tied together. They were written by the Apostle John—the same John who wrote the Gospel of John and the book of Revelation. Last week, we talked about how believers are tethered to the truth. Just like an astronaut in space needs to be tethered to the space station to avoid drifting off into the void, we need to be tethered to something bigger than ourselves. John argued in his first letter that those who profess Christ should show evidence of a transformed life. Now, Third John is essentially the application of everything he has been teaching. If you want to know what a life transformed by the gospel actually looks like, you look at this book.
Long before I ever heard the gospel in college, I understood what it meant to be a Christian. I didn’t know the theology, but I saw it lived out in front of me for four years by my high school soccer coach, Coach Blakely. Now, you need to know that Coach Blakely knew almost nothing about soccer; he was a football coach. I have no idea how he ended up as our soccer coach, but he was my favorite coach of all time. It wasn’t because of his knowledge of the game; it was because of who he was. I watched how he treated his kids and how he interacted with his wife. He led Bible studies for us when that was still a “cool’” thing to do in Texas. He was a disciplinarian who commanded respect, but he also respected us. I saw the gospel on display in him, even though I didn’t have the words for it yet. When I finally heard the gospel in college and someone explained that a Christian is someone whose life is transformed by belief in Jesus, I thought, “Oh, that was Coach Blakely. I get it now.”
I imagine many of you have someone like that in your life—someone who represents the epitome of living out the truths the Bible proclaims. That is exactly what Third John is all about. As we dive in, here are a few quick facts: this is the shortest book in your Bible by word count. Interestingly, Jesus is never mentioned by name, though His presence is everywhere. You’ll also notice some cryptic, almost “mission impossible” underground language. John calls himself “the elder” and refers to the church as “the chosen lady.” This was likely due to the intense persecution the church was facing; John used symbolic language to protect the believers from outside scrutiny. Finally, this letter is intensely personal. While most New Testament letters were written to entire churches, this one is a private letter written to a specific individual.
We’re going to look at this book through the lens of three different people: Gaius, who is affirmed for his faith; Diotrephes, who is the “chump” of the story; and Demetrius, who gets a brief but honorable mention.
Gaius: A Soul That Prospers
John begins by addressing his friend Gaius. He calls him “beloved” four different times in this short letter. That word comes from the Greek agape, meaning to love in a God-like way. John has deep respect for this man because Gaius is a man of integrity. The things he claims to believe are in perfect alignment with the way he lives his life.
3 John 1:1 (NASB)
The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.
John goes on to offer a beautiful prayer for Gaius. He prays that Gaius would prosper physically just as his soul prospers. Think about that for a second. If your physical health were a direct mirror of your spiritual health, what would you look like? For Gaius, John says, “Man, you are so white-hot for the Lord that if your body matched your soul, you’d be the healthiest person on earth.” Gaius lived an undivided life. His public life and his private life were integrated.
3 John 1:2 (NASB)
Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.
John is thrilled because he has received reports from other believers about how Gaius is “walking in the truth.” For John, the goal isn’t just to teach facts. He isn’t impressed if someone can spank people at Bible trivia. That means nothing if it doesn’t lead to action. What lights John’s fire is seeing the gospel take root in a soul and manifest in outward behavior.
3 John 1:3 (NASB)
For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, [that is], how you are walking in truth.
John expresses his heart here: “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.” He’s likely talking about spiritual children—people he led to the Lord. As a parent of three girls, I understand this on a physical level. There is no greater joy than seeing your kids make good decisions and love God on their own. But John is celebrating spiritual life change.
3 John 1:4 (NASB)
I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.
I want you to know that we do the same thing here at The Well. We talk about you guys behind your backs! In our staff meetings, when we hear stories of you living these things out, it is fuel to our fire. We celebrate when we hear about people in Regen dealing with their addictions and hurts. We celebrate when we see marriages on the brink of divorce decide to give it one last shot and let God do a work. We celebrate when students walk with God in a difficult environment, or when retirees decide to invest their time in the kingdom rather than just living for a margarita on a beach somewhere. We celebrate those stories because, like John, we have no greater joy than seeing you walk in the truth.
The Supply Line of the Gospel
John gets specific about how Gaius was living out his faith. He was practicing biblical hospitality toward traveling teachers—missionaries who were strangers to him but brothers in Christ. John encourages him not to grow weary in this good work.
Galatians 6:9 (NASB)
Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.
In that day, there were no hotels or fast-food spots. If the local church didn’t open its doors, these missionaries had nowhere to go. John explains that these men went out “for the sake of the name”—the name of Jesus. They refused to take money from non-believers because they didn’t want the message of hope to be confused with a sales pitch. They were living for the big “C” Church.
3 John 1:5-7 (NASB)
Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially [when they are] strangers; and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.
When John speaks of “the name,” he is using a synonym for Christ. It’s that “mission impossible” code again. We know from the rest of the New Testament that there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:12 (NASB)
‘And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.’
Philippians 2:9-10 (NASB)
For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
John tells Gaius that by supporting these people, he becomes a “fellow worker with the truth.” This is the “supply line” of ministry. Our missions director, Kyle Guerrero, who served in the Army, told me that only about 7% of people in the military are on the front lines of battle. The other 93% are the supply line. If that 93% doesn’t do their job, the 7% can’t do theirs.
At The Well, we have committed 10% of our budget to missions since the day we opened. Whether you are buying a tri-tip to send a kid to camp, serving in a classroom, or coming to the Saturday 4:30 Easter service so a guest can have your seat on Sunday morning, you are part of that supply line. You are living out the gospel through generosity and sacrifice.
3 John 1:8 (NASB)
Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.
Diotrephes: The Warning of Pride
Unfortunately, not everyone in the church shared Gaius’s heart. We meet a man named Diotrephes, and frankly, he’s a bully. He is the antithesis of Gaius. While Gaius was integrated and humble, Diotrephes was self-centered and power-hungry.
3 John 1:9-10 (NASB)
I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire [to do so] and puts [them] out of the church.
John points out two major flaws in Diotrephes. First, he was selfish; he “loves to be first.” He was the center of his own universe. Second, he rejected the truth. He wouldn’t listen to the apostles and even went so far as to spread “wicked nonsense” about them. He was a liar, he withheld hospitality, and he even kicked people out of the church if they tried to do the right thing.
It is heartbreaking to realize that Diotrephes was likely a leader in the church—perhaps an elder or a pastor. The temptation to use a religious role for personal power didn’t die in the first century. Many of you have experienced “church hurt” because of people like Diotrephes. You’ve seen power wielded in ungodly ways. If that is your story, I grieve with you. I am so sorry.
We strive to shepherd well here, but we are also human and capable of making mistakes. The flesh exists in me just as it does in you. But John’s warning is clear: do not imitate what is evil. A life that produces the kind of rancid fruit Diotrephes produced is a life that has not truly “seen” God.
3 John 1:11 (NASB)
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.
Demetrius and a Final Charge
Finally, we meet Demetrius. He gets only one verse, but it’s a great one. He was likely the person who carried this letter from John to Gaius. He had a good reputation with everyone, and John puts his own stamp of approval on him.
3 John 1:12 (NASB)
Demetrius has received a [good] testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.
John wraps up by saying he has much more to say, but he doesn’t want to put it in ink. He wants to see Gaius face-to-face. He wants to get his hands dirty in the ministry and be with his people. He ends with a blessing of peace and a reminder that they are all “friends.”
3 John 1:13-15 (NASB)
I had many things to write to you, but I am not willing to write [them] to you with pen and ink; but I hope to see you shortly, and we will speak face to face. Peace [be] to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.
As we close this series, remember this: there are only two things in this world that will outlast you—the Word of God and the souls of men and women. The extent to which you invest your time, talent, and treasure in those two things will determine your eternal impact.
Gaius was an ordinary man who became a hero of the faith simply by walking in the truth and investing in people. May we be a church full of people like Gaius and Coach Blakely—men and women who live out the life-changing power of the gospel every single day.
Father, thank You for these unsung heroes like Gaius. Thank You for the reminder that even the simplest acts of faithfulness matter in Your kingdom. Help us to be mindful of our influence and to allow Your Spirit to work in us. Thank You for our Savior, in whose name we pray, amen.