Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

We are beginning a new book today

It’s 3 John

It appears after 2 John and before Jude

It is written by the same author as the gospel of John, first and second John and Revelation

That man is the apostle John, disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ

John is committed to two inseparable things: truth and love

Those two inseparable virtues are found in all of his writings but specifically in 1, 2 and 3 John

John begins his letter in verse 1 by identifying himself as “the elder”

He used this same title in 2 John 1:1, “The elder”

The Greek word is presbyteros which is a term used to identify age and leadership

One writer says “it likely indicates ‘a position of great dignity’” (BDAG)

The term conveys his advanced age and his authority in the church

His audience is “the beloved Gaius” whom he loves in truth (v.1)

Gais is not the only individual mentioned in this letter: Diotrephes (9-11), Demetrius (12)

3 John is the shortest of all the books in the NT with only 219 words in the Greek text

There are some interesting similarities between 2 and 3 John:

In both letters...

The author describes himself as “the elder” (2 John 1; 3 John 1)

The recipients are those whom he “loves in the truth” (2 John 1; 3 John 1)

The recipients are the occasion of “great rejoicing” (2 John 4; 3 John 3)

The recipients “walk in the truth” (2 John 4; 3 John 3)

The elder has received good reports about both (2 John 4; 3 John 3, 5)

Both letters contains a warning (2 John 8; 3 John 9)

The elder desires to see both face to face (2 John 12; 3 John 14)

Others sent their greeting (2 John 13; 3 John 14) (Lexham Bible Dictionary)

The structure of the two letters overall is also similar

The brevity of each would have allowed them to fit on a single piece of papyrus paper

In 2 John the greeting & salutation appears in verses 1-3

In 3 John the greeting & salutation appears in verses 1-4

In 2 John, vv.4-6 is an exhortation to love

In 3 John the exhortation to love appears in verses 5-8

In 2 John there is a warning concerning false teachers in vv.7-9

In 3 John there is a warning concerning Diotrephes in verses 9-10

In 2 John there is a charge to reject false teachers in verses 10-11

In 3 John there is a commendation to receive Demetrius in verses 11-12

In 2 John the letter concludes with a greeting in verses 12-13

In 3 John the letter concludes with a greeting in verses 13-15

Listen and follow with me as I read 3 John 1-15.

Read 3 John

There are three individuals named in this letter

They are Gais (1-8), Diotrephes (9-11), and Demetrius (12)

The letter is written to Gais about Diotrephes who wanted to be “first among them” and who “does not accept what we say” (v.9)

Before he addresses the problem with Diotrephes, he commends Gais for his treatment of his fellow workers for the gospel as well as his service to the church

Notice...

LESSON

I.

The Commendation of Gais (vv.1-8)

John tells us 3 things about Gais:

First...

He was “beloved” by John (vv.1-2)

“beloved” (agapetos, adj.), means, “dearly loved and cherished”

It is translated “dear friend” in the NIV

This is the same word that God uses about His Son in Matthew 3:17 and each time it appears in the Gospels: “and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.””

Paul also uses it of the believers at Rome and adds the preposition “of God” to it in Romans 1:7, “to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

It is used by Luke in Acts 15:25 to speak of “our beloved Barnabas and Paul”

Paul said the Corinthians were his “beloved children” in 1 Corinthians 4:14.

He referred to Tychicus as “the beloved brother” in Ephesians 6:21, Onesimus as “our faithful and beloved brother” in Colossians 4:9, and Epaphras as “our beloved fellow bond-servant” in Colossians 1:7.

The use of this term indicates that believers are to “object of [God’s] affection, one who is loved” (Louw-Nida)

Paul uses it again as he begins 3 John in verses 2, 5 11

Verses 1-3 is a common form of writing at that time

It is the salutation or greeting

It includes the name of the author (elder), the reader (Gaius) and the greeting itself (thanksgiving)

But...

There are two principles here we can glean from in this salutation:

First...

Christians love Christians (John makes that point in all 3 of his epistles)

1 John 2:10, “The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”

1 John 3:10-11, “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;”

1 John 3:14, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren.

He who does not love abides in death.”

1 John 3:16, “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”

1 John 3:18, “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”

1 John 3:23, “This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.”

1 John 4:7, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”

1 John 4:11-12, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.”

1 John 5:1, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.”

2 John 1:1, “The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth,”

2 John 1:5, “Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.”

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

3 John 1:6, “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.”

Not only do Christians love Christians but...

When you are loved or the object of one’s affections, you become the object of their prayers

Paul said to Gais, “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.”

Paul cared about his spiritual brother Gaius

He was concerned for his physical well being

The word “prosper” (euodoo, pres.pass.inf.) is a reference to “good health” or physical well being not to money like the prosperity preachers say today

In an article entitled “How to Prosper from the Inside Out,” Kenneth Copeland asks, “How does God prosper His people?”

The answer, he says, is in 3 John 2: God “blesses you materially as your soul prospers on His Word.”

Copeland asserts that most Christians believe that God will make them prosper “as the economy prospers or even as [their] employers decide to promote [them].”

This is wrong, he says; instead, “as the seeds of prosperity are planted in your mind, in your will and in your emotions…they eventually produce a great financial harvest.”

Gloria Copeland interprets the verse in a similar way.

She writes, “God’s plan is for us to grow financially as we grow spiritually.”

The reason: God “knows it is dangerous to put great wealth into the hands of someone who is too spiritually immature to handle it.”

She, too, interprets John’s wish as a divine promise: “God wants us to increase financially at the same rate we increase spiritually.”

(https://www.equip.org/articles/how-much-does-3-john-2-promise)

Paul was not saying any of this.