The Big Little Books of Truth and Love - Part 6
Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; 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. For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth. 3 John 5-8 (NASB95)
Intro: In our series we’ve been looking at a man the Apostle John thought much of, a man named Gaius. Gaius, as we’ve seen already, was a model Christian.
He was spiritually fit because he lived within the balance of truth and love. He had a good testimony because he lived within the balance of truth and love. Today, in our last message about him, we’ll see that he was a man involved in practical ministry because he lived within the balance of truth and love.
James wrote of those who claimed to know Christ, claimed to be living out the balance of truth and love but did not act upon it. Those who were heavenly minded but no earthly good…
If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. James 2:15-17 (NASB95)
It could not be said of Gauis that he was so heavenly minded he was no earthly good. Gaius’ faith turned up in his actions. Remember, one key characteristic of agape love is… ACTION.
The Apostle John showed us that Gaius’ actions were found in…
I. Gaius’ ministry of hospitality
Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; 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. 3 John 5-6 (NASB95)
As we’ve discovered already, in the early church there were many who traveled from city to city, church to church teaching doctrine and building up the saints. John, in his second epistle, warned believers that some claiming to be legit were in truth false teachers who had gone out to lead God’s people astray. He even went so far as to say, “Don’t let them into your home, don’t entertain them or give them room and board.” Thankfully, many were legit and much welcomed in the church.
Much like to day there were evangelists, those gifted at winning souls, who ministered to the churches (Eph 4:11). There were others gifted at preaching the Word of God who ministered to the churches. I’ve been reading and studying the Bible for 14 years and just the other day discovered something new to me…
But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you. For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going to you of his own accord. With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. 2 Corinthians 8:16-18 (ESV)
Even in the early church there were those well known for preaching the gospel – the Spurgeons, the Adrian Rogers, the Billy Grahams of their day.
When these traveling ministers arrived in a city they needed a place to stay and they needed someone to provide for their needs. Why not stay in the local EconoLodge? There were inns and lodges even in ancient times. Remember the story of Jesus’ birth?
The problem was that no respectable person wanted to stay in them. William Barclay explains why…
“In the ancient world inns were notoriously unsatisfactory. The Greek had an instinctive dislike of taking money for the giving of hospitality; and, therefore, the profession of innkeeper ranked very low. Inns were notoriously dirty and flea-infested. Innkeepers were notoriously rapacious so that Plato compared them to pirates who hold their guests to ransom before they allow them to escape.”[1]
Even worse, many inns doubled as brothels, with all kinds of godless things taking place within them. To answer this need, “The ancient world,” Barclay went on to explain, “had a system of guest—friendships whereby families in different parts of the country undertook to give each other’s members hospitality when the occasion arose. This connection between families lasted throughout the generations and when it was claimed the claimant brought with him a sumbolon, or token, which identified him to his hosts. Some cities kept an official called the Proxenos in the larger cities to whom their citizens, when travelling, might appeal for shelter and for help.”[2]
If the pagan world was kind and gracious enough to minister to those traveling through, how much more so should Christians. And this is why throughout the NT you’ll find references to believers showing hospitality to “strangers” most of the time referring specifically to traveling preachers, teachers, and evangelists.
John ran into some of these ministers who gave a glowing report of Gaius’ testimony and how he had ministered to their needs, giving them a place to stay and the text even suggests providing them with money as he sent them on their way.
In verse seven John explains…
II. The motivation of those Gaius ministered to
For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 3 John 7 (NASB95)
The traveling ministers did what they did for the sake of the Name. Peter gives us insight on this…
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (ESV)
As does Paul…
For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11 (NASB95)
This should be the motivation for every Christian to live out a balance of truth and love that leads to action, to practical ministry. That’s why our Glorifiers are in MS. That’s why our missionaries go to the ends of the earth. That’s why our preachers stand behind the pulpit, our SS teachers sit at a desk, our men build ramps and roof roofs, our church hosts a VBS every year, and more. It’s because of the Name!
Now note the second phrase of this verse, “accepting nothing from the Gentiles.” That means they trusted God to supply their needs through the grace and support of believers. This is important and takes us to the last thing John shows us…
III. The partnership in ministry Gaius enjoyed
Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth. 3 John 8 (NASB95)
John said that Gaius’ support of those who traveled around preaching, teaching, and proclaiming the truth of the gospel, the truth of God’s Word, and the Truth found in the person of Christ made him a partner in their ministry. He didn’t travel with them, but he did support them with hospitality and that made him a fellow worker with them.
Once again, Barclay brings this into focus for us: “There is a great Christian thought here. A man’s circumstances may be such that he cannot become a missionary or a preacher. Life may have put him in a position where he must get on with a secular job, staying in the one place and carrying out the routine duties of life and living. But where he cannot go, his money and his prayers and his practical support can go. Not everyone can be, so to speak, in the front line; but by supporting those who are there, he can make himself an ally of the truth. When we remember that, all giving to the wider work of Christ and his church must become not an obligation but a privilege, not a duty but a delight. The church needs those who will go out with the truth, but it also needs those who will be allies of the truth at home.”
This should ring a bell for all Southern Baptists. This is why we support the Cooperative program. This is why we give to Lottie Moon, Annie Armstrong, and other missions offerings. This why we give to the local church so their can be pastors, and ministers of ed and worship. Because in so doing we are partnering with those who have devoted their lives and livelihood to ministry for the sake of the name.
Conclusion : If we were to sum of the Christian life of Gaius, a man who exemplified the balance of truth and love, we’d say that he walked his talk. Now I know that saying is old and a little tired but I can’t think of a better way say it. The way he lived his life was a reflection of who he was in Christ.
He was spiritually fit in the kingdom. He had an exemplary testimony because he walked in the truth. His love for Christ and love for the truth manifested itself in action. His faith was joined with works. He was involved in practical ministry.
Are you living in the balance of truth and love?
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[1]The Letters of John and Jude. Edited by Barclay, William, lecturer in the University of Glasgow, 149. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 2000, c1976.
[2] Ibid.