Sender, Recipients, Walk
[Verse 1] “The elder” is John in his status as an old man. He writes to the “beloved Gaius”. Beloved is a word which he uses three more times, but it is missing in the second letter, which he wrote to a lady.
There are three persons in the New Testament to be found who are named ‘Gaius’ [1Cor 1:14]; [Rom 16:23]; [Acts 19:29]; [Acts 20:4]. None of these three person seems to be the man to whom John is writing. It is also not that important in order to understand the message of this letter. Of this particular Gaius, John writes five positive characteristics:
1. his soul prospers;
2. he has a good testimony;
3. it can be testified that ‘the truth’ is in him;
4. he walks in the truth;
5. he acts in faithfulness.
These are the characteristics that you may strive for that they may be found with you too.
John loves Gaius “in truth”. He certainly appreciates the hospitality of Gaius very much, but still, that is not the reason for him to love him. John does not love Gaius for natural reasons, but on the basis of the truth of God. It is a love between two persons who have the same Divine nature. That goes much further than only appreciating somebody for his hospitality. It means that the heart has been captured by the truth. It is about truth in the inner man, about truthfulness which is shown in a sincere act and walk.
[Verse 2] John starts with a personal wish to Gaius. That wish is not a small wish. He wishes Gaius that “in all respects” he “may prosper”, that means on every area of his life. Thereby the health of his soul is at the front. The health of his body, his appearance, is not unimportant, but that of his inner man is still more important.
It is not be taken for granted that if your soul prospers your body automatically prospers. You could taste from what John is saying here, that there is no automatic connection between the condition of the soul and that of the body. The argument, that when your faith is alright it is automatically also alright with your body and you therefore do not need to become sick, is not correct.
You also need to be very careful with the reverse case, that when you are sick there must be something wrong with your faith. You are not to derive from the physical condition of a man how his spiritual condition is. The friends of Job have experienced that to their shame when God blamed them for the hard, judging words they spoke to Job.
[Verse 3] John can say that the soul of Gaius prospers because other people have told him about what they saw with Gaius. Some “brethren” came to John who have been with Gaius. These brethren have seen the way Gaius lives and that has impressed them. They told the old apostle about that. In their message they testified of “your truth”, that is the truth of God, which was accepted by Gaius and which he familiarized himself with (cf. ‘his treasure’, [Matt 13:52], where the Lord Jesus speaks about a person whom has familiarized himself with God’s Word).
Therefore it is also applied to you that it is not the question about you having the truth, but it is about you to become identified with God’s truth. God gives His truth to His own. That is being seen in the life of Gaius, in his words and deeds. That is something that others can testify of. You may read books about something and tell something about it, but that is not your truth. Your truth is what you have lived through of God’s truth.
This has got nothing to do with what you indeed hear today, that everyone has ‘his own truth’. That refers to people who do not submit themselves to God’s Word, but believe their own opinion about all kinds of things to be ‘truth’. John speaks about the truth of God, but which becomes ‘your truth’ when you have familiarized yourself with it through faith and practice. You see that with Gaius. He ‘walks in the truth’. The brethren testified of him that he walks in it, and therefore his whole life is in accordance with the revealed truth of God.
When John heard that from those brethren about Gaius, he “was very glad”. Just like in [Verse 4] of the second letter, here also ‘rejoiced greatly’ indicates the intense joy and the depth of compassion with the spiritual health of the other person. This great joy relates to what John heard about a fellow believer. That is not an opposite of the joy in the Lord, but it is on the contrary inseparably connected with it.
Hopefully you rejoice not only in the Father and the Son, but also in everything you see of the Lord Jesus in another person. You also rejoice when believers visit you and tell you good stories about other children of God. Unfortunately the stories are often more focused on what the brother lacks or what his failures are. Try to focus on the positive things that are present with your brother and sister.
John speaks about ‘brethren’ who came to him and not about some ‘gentlemen’. ‘Brethren’ is an honorary title and is a lot more affectionate than the distant ‘sir’ or ‘madam’ that at times is also used among believers. In the name ‘brethren’ you hear the sound of the family relationship of the believers that comes forth from the fact that they are children of God. It is also nice to consider that Gaius does not testify of himself. He does not need to.
We also should not speak about ourselves, about things we have done. “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips” [Prov 27:2]. You must always be cautious for the danger that you would boast on what you have done for the Lord [Mark 6:30]. Of course you may tell about what God has done through you [Acts 14:27]; [Acts 15:4-12]. Look also at what the Lord testifies of the work of Mary, a testimony that was going to be borne further by others [Matt 26:13].
[Verse 4] For the old apostle there was no greater joy than to hear that his children “walking in the truth”. It is about walking in the truth of faith, the whole truth as we find that in the Scripture. It is not about accepting an orthodox truth of faith, but about what has become visible in your walk. That’s what it is with Gaius who in spiritual sense is one of the children of John (cf. [1Cor 4:14-15]).
Generally speaking, it is a fact that when John hears that his children walk in the truth, it gives him an unsurpassable joy. He rejoices in the Lord Jesus and therefore he rejoices in all who also rejoice in that Person. For that reason he speaks about “no greater joy”. This unsurpassable joy is therefore not only to be found in the fellowship with the Lord, but also in fellowship with one another.
This joy is nothing else than the joy of heaven. In heaven all God’s children will behave themselves perfectly in accordance with God. Only the new life, which is the Lord Jesus, will be visible there. To each spiritual minded elder believer it is a joy which is non-replaceable or unsurpassable when he sees the features of the Lord Jesus in the lives of younger believers. To walk in the truth is to walk just as He has walked. He did everything just like God wanted Him to. Because He is the life of each child of God, it can also become visible in each child of God. If you listen to the voice of the good Shepherd and follow Him, it will surely become visible.
There are three persons in the New Testament to be found who are named ‘Gaius’ [1Cor 1:14]; [Rom 16:23]; [Acts 19:29]; [Acts 20:4]. None of these three person seems to be the man to whom John is writing. It is also not that important in order to understand the message of this letter. Of this particular Gaius, John writes five positive characteristics:
1. his soul prospers;
2. he has a good testimony;
3. it can be testified that ‘the truth’ is in him;
4. he walks in the truth;
5. he acts in faithfulness.
These are the characteristics that you may strive for that they may be found with you too.
John loves Gaius “in truth”. He certainly appreciates the hospitality of Gaius very much, but still, that is not the reason for him to love him. John does not love Gaius for natural reasons, but on the basis of the truth of God. It is a love between two persons who have the same Divine nature. That goes much further than only appreciating somebody for his hospitality. It means that the heart has been captured by the truth. It is about truth in the inner man, about truthfulness which is shown in a sincere act and walk.
[Verse 2] John starts with a personal wish to Gaius. That wish is not a small wish. He wishes Gaius that “in all respects” he “may prosper”, that means on every area of his life. Thereby the health of his soul is at the front. The health of his body, his appearance, is not unimportant, but that of his inner man is still more important.
It is not be taken for granted that if your soul prospers your body automatically prospers. You could taste from what John is saying here, that there is no automatic connection between the condition of the soul and that of the body. The argument, that when your faith is alright it is automatically also alright with your body and you therefore do not need to become sick, is not correct.
You also need to be very careful with the reverse case, that when you are sick there must be something wrong with your faith. You are not to derive from the physical condition of a man how his spiritual condition is. The friends of Job have experienced that to their shame when God blamed them for the hard, judging words they spoke to Job.
[Verse 3] John can say that the soul of Gaius prospers because other people have told him about what they saw with Gaius. Some “brethren” came to John who have been with Gaius. These brethren have seen the way Gaius lives and that has impressed them. They told the old apostle about that. In their message they testified of “your truth”, that is the truth of God, which was accepted by Gaius and which he familiarized himself with (cf. ‘his treasure’, [Matt 13:52], where the Lord Jesus speaks about a person whom has familiarized himself with God’s Word).
Therefore it is also applied to you that it is not the question about you having the truth, but it is about you to become identified with God’s truth. God gives His truth to His own. That is being seen in the life of Gaius, in his words and deeds. That is something that others can testify of. You may read books about something and tell something about it, but that is not your truth. Your truth is what you have lived through of God’s truth.
This has got nothing to do with what you indeed hear today, that everyone has ‘his own truth’. That refers to people who do not submit themselves to God’s Word, but believe their own opinion about all kinds of things to be ‘truth’. John speaks about the truth of God, but which becomes ‘your truth’ when you have familiarized yourself with it through faith and practice. You see that with Gaius. He ‘walks in the truth’. The brethren testified of him that he walks in it, and therefore his whole life is in accordance with the revealed truth of God.
When John heard that from those brethren about Gaius, he “was very glad”. Just like in [Verse 4] of the second letter, here also ‘rejoiced greatly’ indicates the intense joy and the depth of compassion with the spiritual health of the other person. This great joy relates to what John heard about a fellow believer. That is not an opposite of the joy in the Lord, but it is on the contrary inseparably connected with it.
Hopefully you rejoice not only in the Father and the Son, but also in everything you see of the Lord Jesus in another person. You also rejoice when believers visit you and tell you good stories about other children of God. Unfortunately the stories are often more focused on what the brother lacks or what his failures are. Try to focus on the positive things that are present with your brother and sister.
John speaks about ‘brethren’ who came to him and not about some ‘gentlemen’. ‘Brethren’ is an honorary title and is a lot more affectionate than the distant ‘sir’ or ‘madam’ that at times is also used among believers. In the name ‘brethren’ you hear the sound of the family relationship of the believers that comes forth from the fact that they are children of God. It is also nice to consider that Gaius does not testify of himself. He does not need to.
We also should not speak about ourselves, about things we have done. “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips” [Prov 27:2]. You must always be cautious for the danger that you would boast on what you have done for the Lord [Mark 6:30]. Of course you may tell about what God has done through you [Acts 14:27]; [Acts 15:4-12]. Look also at what the Lord testifies of the work of Mary, a testimony that was going to be borne further by others [Matt 26:13].
[Verse 4] For the old apostle there was no greater joy than to hear that his children “walking in the truth”. It is about walking in the truth of faith, the whole truth as we find that in the Scripture. It is not about accepting an orthodox truth of faith, but about what has become visible in your walk. That’s what it is with Gaius who in spiritual sense is one of the children of John (cf. [1Cor 4:14-15]).
Generally speaking, it is a fact that when John hears that his children walk in the truth, it gives him an unsurpassable joy. He rejoices in the Lord Jesus and therefore he rejoices in all who also rejoice in that Person. For that reason he speaks about “no greater joy”. This unsurpassable joy is therefore not only to be found in the fellowship with the Lord, but also in fellowship with one another.
This joy is nothing else than the joy of heaven. In heaven all God’s children will behave themselves perfectly in accordance with God. Only the new life, which is the Lord Jesus, will be visible there. To each spiritual minded elder believer it is a joy which is non-replaceable or unsurpassable when he sees the features of the Lord Jesus in the lives of younger believers. To walk in the truth is to walk just as He has walked. He did everything just like God wanted Him to. Because He is the life of each child of God, it can also become visible in each child of God. If you listen to the voice of the good Shepherd and follow Him, it will surely become visible.
Verses that belong to this explanation: 1-4
1 The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
 | Author: Ger de Koning Rank: Author Posted on: 2023-09-19 Source: Title: 3 John Author: Ger de Koning Copyright: kingcomments.com Note General: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author or the publisher. |
The listed verse explanations of the individual persons have nothing to do with the explanations of the other persons. This also applies to the Bible translations.
