3 John: Jesus Christ is the Sole Head of the Church

The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love [1S Pres Act Indic] in truth. 2Beloved, concerning all things I pray [1S Pres Mid Indic] you to be prospered [Pres Pass Inf] and to be in health [Pres Pass Inf], just as you prosper [3S Pres Pass Indic] in your soul. 3For I rejoiced [1S 1 Aor Act Indic] greatly when the brothers came [MPl Gen Pres Mid Part] and bore witness [MPl Gen Pres Act Part] to your truth, just as you are walking [2S Pres Act Indic] in truth. 4Greater than these not I have [1S Pres Act Indic] joy, that I hear [1S Pres Act Indic] my little children walking [MS Acc Pres Act Part] in the truth. Beloved, faithful you do [2S Pres Act Indic] that if you work [2S 1 Aor Act Subj] unto these brothers and this stranger, 6who testified [3Pl 1 Aor Act Indic] to your love before the church, which good you will do [2S Fut Act Indic] having sent before [MS Nom 1 Aor Act Part] worthy of God. 7For over [For the sake of] the name they went out [3Pl 2 Aor Act Indic], receiving [MPl Nom Pres Act Part] from the Gentiles. 8Therefore we ought [1Pl Pres Act Indic] to support [Pres Act Inf] such as these, that fellowworkers we may become [1Pl Pres Mid Subj] in truth. I wrote [1S 1 Aor Act Indic] something to the church, but the lover-of-putting-first [MS Nom Pres Act Part] himself Diotrephes does not admit [3S Pres Mid Indic] us. 10For this reason, when I come [1S Pres Act Subj], I will bring to remembrance [1S Fut Act Indic] his works that he is doing [3S Pres Act Indic], wicked words prating against [MS Nom Pres Act Part] us, and not content [MS Nom Pres Mid Part] with [on - epi] these, neither he receives [3S Pres Mid Indic] the brothers, and the desiring-ones [MPl Act Pres Mid Part] he forbids [3S Pres Act Indic] and from the church he casts them out [3S Pres Act Indic]. Beloved, do not imitate [2S Pres Mid Impv] the evil, but the good. The doing-good-one [MS Nom Pres Act Part] from God is [3S Pres Act Indic]; the doing-evil-one [MS Nom Pres Act part] has not seen [3S Perf Act Indic] God. 12Demetrius has received a good testimony [3S Perf Pass Indic] from all and from the truth herself. And we also bear testimony [1Pl Pres Act Indic], and you know [2S Perf Act Indic] that our testimony is [3S Pres Act Indic] true.
11 9 5

Many things I had [1S Impf Act Indic] to write [Pres Act Inf] to you, but I do not wish [1S Pres Act Indic] through pen and ink to you to write [1 Aor Act Inf]. 14But I hope [1S Pres Act Indic] straightway you to see [1 Aor Act Inf], and face to face we will speak [1Pl Fut Act Indic]. 15Peace to you. The friends greet [3Pl Pres Mid Indic]. Greet [2S Pres Mid Impv] the friends by name.

13

V. 1: Although I still think that the elect lady and her children in 2 John refers to a church and the churchs congregation, and not an individual woman and her offspring, 3 John is clearly written to a person with the name Gaius. Just as in 2 John, the elder writes that Gaius is someone whom I love in truth. Lenski has a fascinating theory on the relationship between 2 John and 3 John: Although this letter is called Johns third epistle because it is a trifle shorter than the second, the two letters were probably written on the same day and were sent to the same place, the second to the congregation, the third to one of the members.1 The thought is that 2 John was written to drive out false teachers from their midst, whom Diotrephes was hosting, while encouraging Gaius in 3 John to welcome the missionaries that John was sending, whom Diotrephes was trying to cast out. Frankly, that makes a lot of sense to me, especially if you read this as following up on themes that he had written in 1 John to the same church. V. 2-4: John prays specifically for the health of Gaius, that his health might go as well as his soul is going. Specifically, John expresses his great joy over hearing the brethren come to him and testify to your [singular] truth, as in deed you are walking in the truth. John makes the reason for his rejoicing explicit: I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth (v. 4). Burdick makes an insightful point about the health of Gaius: The contrast between Gaiuss physical and material condition, on the one hand, and his spiritual condition, on the other, was [page] rather striking. His spiritual prosperity seems to have exceeded his material prosperity. Too often in that day, as well as this, just the reverse was true.2 Verse 4 sets the tone for the letter, for through it John reveals that his joy is radically Christ-dependent. The truth, of course, is the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If John sees his children walking in the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he rejoices; if they do not, John does not rejoice. He is not interested in money, power, sex, or anything elsehis chief concern is the glory of Jesus Christ. V. 5-8: This theme of Johns concern for the glory of Christ continues when John commends Gaius for extending hospitality to the brothers (apparently the same brothers as in v. 3, for they testified to your love before the church v. 6), even though they were strangers. John says that Gaius will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of Godin other words, John suggests that the way we treat workers of the truth is the way we treat God. This is similar to what Jesus says at Sauls conversion: Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? (Acts 9:4). Moreover, John notes that these brothers had gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. They were not in it for the money that they might gain as traveling philosophers and teachers; they refused to take anything from those who were not genuinely in the faith. Their sole motivation was the sake of the name. The glory and fame of Jesus Christ was the preeminent reason for their mission. Finally, John gives what I find to be a powerful verse in support of missions: Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth. Not all of us are called to do the work of missions; however, that doesnt mean that we are disconnected from those who are. We should
1

R.C.H. Lenski, The interpretation of the Epistles of St. Peter, St. John and St. Jude (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1966), 577. 2 Donald Burdick, The letters of John the Apostle : an in-depth commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1985), 460-61.

pray for them and provide them with whatever resources we can so that they can continue their mission for the sake of the name. To do so makes us fellow workers for the truth with them. V. 9-12: Apparently, John has expressed similar sentiments earlier: I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. Those sentiments have been altogether ignored by Diotrephes, whose motivation is not the sake of the name of Jesus Christ, but simply of putting himself first. So power-hungry is he that he not only refuses to welcome (i.e., to show hospitality to) the brothers, but he also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church! This is a man who sees himself as the head of the church. So, John vows to bring up (or bring to remembrance) what Diotrephes is doing if he comes, his talking wicked nonsense against us. Now, someone might ask what makes John any different from Diotrephes. Isnt this just a power struggle all-too-typical of churches, where one person asserts authority to try to get his own way, and another person defies authority in order to get his own way? Is there really any difference between the attitude of both, since they both want to get their own way? Nothe difference is that John is a man over authority of others because he is a man under authority. He has authority in the church, but not to throw his weight around and to get his way. His authority is to ensure that the church brings glory only to the name of Jesus Christ, and to no one elsenot to Diotrephes, not to John, not to anyone. This is always the litmus testdoes the authority of the Lord Jesus in your life cause you to insist upon some things you care about as well as keep you from speaking out against others? If the glory of Jesus Christ is your chief concern, then you will be as bold as a lion concerning issues that strike at the heart of Christs glory, but you will be as meek as a lamb concerning issues that might be your pet peeves, but that are not essential to the faith. Over against Diotrephes, John commends Demetrius, who does not imitate evil, but imitates good. Perhaps Demetrius had done all he could to help the brothers, and was one of those put out of the church for doing so. John might be trying to restore his good name in the face of unjust treatment. Actually, Burdick has a much better suggestion: It is virtually certain that he [Demetrius] carried the letter, a thought also held by Marshall. The most plausible reason for commending him would have been that he was coming to Gaius from John. In view of Diotrephes rejection of Johns messengers, the apostle wanted to make sure that Demetrius was well received.3 V. 13-15: John again says that he wishes to tell them all that he has to say face to face, rather through pen and ink. He closes with a general benediction and greeting.

Donald Burdick, The letters of John the Apostle : an in-depth commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1985), 458.