The Grands Letter (3 John/GLJ)

Dear Grands,

3 John 1:1-12, “The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.

2 Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

3 For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth.

4 I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.

5 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers;

6 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.

7 For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.

8 Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.

9 I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.

10 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.

11 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.

12 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.”

It’s no wonder that the Apostle John wrote such warm and loving letters. It’s easy to commend friends when their activities are commendable. That’s not to say that those to whom John wrote were all that they ought to have been. Seldom is that true of any of us. We all need that time-to-time encouragement from loving, competent friends like the beloved Gaius.

In this Scripture, we are to understand not that everyone had spiritually slipped, but that everyone needs encouragement from time to time to keep from slipping. Don’t you sometimes feel a little “out of it”? No, you’ve not abandoned the faith that was “once delivered to the saints”; you just haven’t been “on your game” like you know you should have been. Start imitating what is good! Share with others your testimony of encouragement just like the one you received from Demetrius.

Let’s rededicate ourselves to our LORD Jesus Christ and to the work He has assigned us to do! In both the long and short run, we’ll find that we’ve renewed our dedication to Him; and with that renewal, we’ve also grown to love Him more!

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all that we need,

Until He becomes all that we have.”

– Corrie ten Boom