3 John 1-2-John's Greeting (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Sunday April 16, 2023

Third John: Third John 1-2-John’s Greeting

Lesson # 2

3 John 1 The elder, to my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth. (NIV84)

3 John 1 From the elder, to Gaius, the beloved, whom I myself divinely love by means of the truth. (Pastor’s translation)

“The elder” is the adjective presbuteros (πρεσβύτερος), which signifies John’s apostolic and pastoral authority in the church.

The use of this word also indicates that the readers were familiar with John.

His apostolic authority was already acknowledged and accepted by his readers thus he does not mention the fact that he is an apostle.

“Gaius” is the proper name Gaios (Γάϊος), which is the Greek form of the Latin name Caius, which means “I am glad, rejoice.”

This name was an extremely common one in the Roman world of the first century A.D.

This proper name occurs five times in the Greek New Testament (Acts 19:29; 20:4; Romans 16:23; 1 Corinthians 1:14; 3 John 1).

The Gaius in 3 John 1 is not the same individual mentioned in Acts and in Paul’s writings.

The Gaius mentioned by Paul in Romans 16:23 and 1 Corinthians 1:14 are one in the same individual.

This individual lived in Corinth and was Paul’s host when he wrote Romans from this city.

The Gaius mentioned in Acts 19:29 and 20:4 was one of the Paul’s traveling companions during his journey to Jerusalem.

In 3 John 1, Gaius lived in Ephesus since the recipients of John’s epistles all lived in this city as we noted in our introduction of this epistle and 2 John.

He was either the host of a church which met in his home or the pastor of a church.

The latter seems more likely since John is writing directly to him about a serious matter which concerns the spiritual welfare of the church in Ephesus.

It does not appear that John was on familiar or intimate terms with Gaius.

“The beloved” is the adjective agapētos (ἀγαπητός), which is indicating the close personal relationship that existed between Gaius and those Christians who testified to the apostle John that Gaius was walking in truth by demonstrating God’s love to itinerant pastor-teachers and evangelists.

It does not necessarily refer to John’s relationship to Gaius since as we noted in 3 John 3 John received secondhand information regarding the fact that Gaius was walking in truth and demonstrating God’s love to itinerant teachers and evangelists in the church.

This adjective also speaks of Gaius’ relationship to the Trinity and designates Gaius as a Christian since it expresses the fact that he was the recipient and beneficiary of God’s love.

The adjective is a reminder to Gaius that before conversion, he was the object of God’s “impersonal” love but now after conversion, he is the object of God’s personal and affectionate love.

The verb agapaō (ἀγαπάω), “love” refers to the function of God’s love in the life of the apostle John and means “to divinely love” since John is speaking of the love which resides in the character and nature of God.

It was reproduced in the apostle John by God the Holy Spirit when he obeyed the Spirit inspired command of the Lord Jesus Christ in John 13:34 to love one another as He loved John during His First Advent.

In other words, it was reproduced in him by the Spirit when he obeyed the Word of truth and specifically the command of the Lord Jesus Christ which appears in John 13:34 to love one another as He loves.

The function of this love in the life of John was the direct result of him exercising faith in the Spirit’s revelation in the Word of God that he is the object and beneficiary of God’s love before and after conversion as well.

This faith demonstrates itself in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ’s command to love one another as He loves all Christians and all people.

The noun alētheia (ἀλήθεια), “truth” refers specifically to the Spirit inspired command of the Lord Jesus Christ to love one another as He loved since John is speaking in the context of exercising God’s love towards Gaius which is accomplished by obeying this command.

This noun is the object of the preposition en (ἐν), “in,” which is a marker of means indicating that John is telling Gaius that he divinely loves him “by means of” the truth.

This indicates that the Holy Spirit produced the love of God in the apostle John when he exercised faith in the Spirit inspired command of the Lord Jesus Christ to love one another and which command is truth.

In 3 John 1, the apostle John identifies the recipient of this epistle as “Gaius” who lived in Ephesus and was more than likely a pastor of a church.

It does not appear that John was on familiar or intimate terms with Gaius, which is indicated by writer’s statement in 3 John 3.

John’s statement in 3 John 4 seems to indicate that Gaius was a spiritual child of the apostle since this verse says that John had no great joy than to hear of his children walking in the truth.

However, in 1 John 2:1, 12, 18, the apostle John uses this designation for all the Christians he was writing to in this epistle.

In 3 John 5-6, John relates to Gaius that he heard from the Christians in Ephesus that he was faithful by demonstrating hospitality to itinerant teachers and evangelists who adhered to the apostles’ teaching.

His hospitality demonstrated God’s love to these traveling servants of Christ.

So the fact that John writes to Gaius does indicate that based upon the secondhand information the apostle had regarding this man, John felt comfortable and confident that he was orthodox in his doctrine.

John was confident that Gaius would be his ally in helping him defend the church in Ephesus from the false teachers as well as dealing with the problem of Diotrephes’ rebellion against the apostle’s apostolic authority.

3 John 2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. (NIV84)

3 John 2 Beloved, I myself make it a habit of praying that you would be prospered with regards to all things as well as that you would be in good health just as your soul prospers. (Pastor’s translation)

“I pray” is the verb euchomai (εὔχομαι), which is referring to the act of the apostle John praying to the Father on behalf of Gaius that he would prosper in all respects and be in good health just as his soul prospers.

Here John is communicating to Gaius what he prayed to the Father on his behalf in order to encourage him.

The present tense of the verb is a customary present indicating that John is telling Gaius that he makes it his habit of praying that Gaius would prosper in all respects and be in good health just as his soul prospers.

“That you may prosper” is the verb euodoomai (εὐοδόομαι), which means “to prosper” in the temporal realm in contrast to the spiritual realm, which is denoted by the phrase “just as your soul prospers.”

This verb refers to the material and financial well-being of Gaius in contrast to the spiritual realm referring to prospering materially and financially and it refers to Gaius’ temporal needs and not lusts being met.

The infinitive form of this verb is an infinitive of purpose meaning it is answering the question as to “why” John prayed for Gaius.

The neuter plural form of the adjective pas (πᾶς), “all” is referring to the various temporal blessings from God such as food, shelter, and clothing which are essential to support human life in the first century A.D. so as to execute the Father’s plan for one’s life.

“Be in good health” is the verb hugiainō (ὑγιαίνω), which means “to be of sound health” referring to sound physical health.

The apostle John shares with Gaius what he requested from the Father in prayer on his behalf.

He informs Gaius that he made it his habit of praying that he would be prospered with regards to all things as well as that he would be in good health just as his soul prospers.

The apostle’s statements in 3 John 3-6 make clear that John knew that Gaius was prospering spiritually because he was told that Gaius was walking by means of truth as a result of demonstrating hospitality to the itinerant teachers of the gospel, which reflected the love of God in his life.