Co-Workers with the Truth

3 John 1–15 HCSB

1 The Elder: To my dear friend Gaius: I love you in the truth. 2 Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health physically just as you are spiritually. 3 For I was very glad when some brothers came and testified to your faithfulness to the truth—how you are walking in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 5 Dear friend, you are showing faithfulness by whatever you do for the brothers, especially when they are strangers. 6 They have testified to your love in front of the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God, 7 since they set out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from pagans. 8 Therefore, we ought to support such men so that we can be coworkers with the truth. 9 I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have first place among them, does not receive us. 10 This is why, if I come, I will remind him of the works he is doing, slandering us with malicious words. And he is not satisfied with that! He not only refuses to welcome the brothers himself, but he even stops those who want to do so and expels them from the church. 11 Dear friend, 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 a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. And we also testify for him, and you know that our testimony is true. 13 I have many things to write you, but I don’t want to write to you with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace be with you. The friends send you greetings. Greet the friends by name.

3 John 1-

3 John is a personal letter John wrote to a man named Gaius. It’s here we can compare the letter to John was written generally to the whole church. It was written to all Christians telling them how they could test the validity of their faith — How they can be sure they are saved. So, we saw the tests of doctrine and living, what they believed and how they lived. So, 1 John was written to the whole church.

2 John was written to a family in the church, identified by the “Elect Lady and her children, and the children of her chosen sister.” It was written to emphasize the importance of the truth when it comes to being hospitable.

That theme continues from 2 John to 3 John, although 3 John is written to a single individual. 2 John was sort of negative, why it was important and essential to regulate hospitality by the truth. In other words, don’t show hospitality to those who do not preach the truth because that helps spread a lie. 3 John is positive in nature showing how important it is to be co-workers with the truth.

Verse 8

3 John 8 HCSB

8 Therefore, we ought to support such men so that we can be coworkers with the truth.

So again, it’s a letter that emphasizes the truth, 6 times here in 3 John. This is so important because everything in the church is built on the truth — Always.

3 John can be simply outlined by three people — Gaius, who gave hospitality, Diotrephes, who refused hospitality, and Demetrius, who was a godly example.

He affirms the importance of bearing witness to the truth in verse 3.

He affirms the importance of walking in the truth, also in verse 3 and 4.

He affirms the importance of being co-workers with the truth in verse 8.

And especially of receiving a good testimony from the truth.

At the foundation of everything in the church is the truth.

3 John is about loving and living in the truth.

I. Gaius — Gave Hospitality

The letter is from John to Gaius, who is a member of a local church somewhere in Asia Minor, which is modern Turkey. John is writing probably from Ephesus. And he begins his letter in typical fashion — “The elder to the beloved Gaius.” It was a great way to write. You know exactly who writing you from the beginning. “The elder” is literally, the old man. But everyone knows who this is — This is John the Apostle, the only one still alive.

And John is writing to Gaius. Now, Gaius is a very common name. There was a Gaius in Corinth we read about in the Bible. But this is not that Gaius. There was one in Macedonia who was one of Paul’s companions who was there at the riot of Ephesus. There was Gaius from Derbe, who traveled with Paul on his last missionary tour. These are not the Gaius being addressed here. He was some leader in the church, important, and visiting preachers and evangelists of the Gospel stayed with him.

He was “Beloved.” This identifies his character. He was loved by those in the church, in the community. But most importantly — he was loved by God. All who Christ’s are chosen and beloved by God, is that not true?

Colossians 3:12 HCSB

12 Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

So, while John could be referring to Gaius as loved by the church community, he points out much more and it’s that he belongs to God. He is beloved of Christ. So, it really identifies that Gaius is a Christian, a believer.

But not only is he Gaius loved by God and the church, but personally by John. And look why?

“I love you in the truth.” He qualified his love for Gaius. In the Truth — the truth is the sphere in which their love existed. This was the ultimate qualifier for John — the Truth. There is no love, no connection, no fellowship for John with Gaius outside of the truth. Why? Because the truth is the sphere, the realm of life and living for the Christian.

Do you find this to be the case?

Someone who comes into my life who I’m drawn to irresistibly is someone who loves and holds to the truth of God’s Word. The truth is like a magnet for the Christian. It’s the divine force of love because love is built on the truth. And this is why truth is spoken of in verses 1, 3, 4, 8, 12. They were both in the Truth and so they had a special love, a unique bond, a family love in Christ.

And look what else he says in verse 2.

3 John 2 HCSB

2 Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health physically just as you are spiritually.

It’s a wonderful sentiment — a great way to begin a letter, don’t you think? I care how you’re doing. I hope you’re prospering in every way and in good health, but look what he compares it to — “just as you are spiritually.” That’s a gracious and kind affirmation of one’s concern for someone’s well-being. Gaius was prospering spiritually. He flourished spiritually. That’s the most important and secondary to that is his well-being and physical.

But now look at verse 3.

3 John 3 HCSB

3 For I was very glad when some brothers came and testified to your faithfulness to the truth—how you are walking in the truth.

There were some traveling preachers who Gaius opened his home to and the report back to John that was so important was that Gaius was faithful to the truth AND walking in the truth. Two things: Faithfulness to the Truth and Walking in the Truth.

Faithfulness to the Truth

John doesn’t just jump in and commend Gaius for his love, that will come. But he begins with his loyalty to the truth. He knows the truth. He’s faithful to it. He possesses the truth and not only that...

Walking in the Truth

The Truth controls his life. He is walking in the truth.

And this is what brings joy to the Apostle.

3 John 4 HCSB

4 I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

3 John

And of course, you cannot walk in the truth without knowing the truth and being faithful to the truth. That makes sense, right?

So, this is the apostle’s highest joy. There was no hypocrisy in Gaius’ life. He knew the truth, was faithful to the truth, and lived the truth.

How did he walk in the truth?

Verse 5

3 John 5 HCSB

5 Dear friend, you are showing faithfulness by whatever you do for the brothers, especially when they are strangers.

He did it by acting faithfully in whatever he did for the brethren. He acted faithfully in whatever he — and it’s literally labored in — work on behalf of the brethren.

Specifically in the context of the letter this was lodging, feeding, and financially supporting those who preached the gospel.

And so, what you had here was Gaius living out the truth, living out what he believed. But what he believed was the truth.

And here’s what’s so important for us to see. True divine, spiritual love is based on, committed to the truth. True love never ignores the Truth. In fact, our love is the product of our union in the truth. It’s the working out of the truth in fellowship. This is exactly what Christ did.

1 John 4:10 HCSB

10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:

God expressed His love to us by sending His Son in the reality of our sin before a thrice holy God to redeem us, to deliver us from sins grip, but also Christ took on Himself the wrath of God for our sin that we would not. He reconciled us to Himself through Christ.

You see. God lived out the truth of His holiness, our sin, our need for redemption, the appeasement of His wrath. Everything came into reality in the truth lived out in a full expression of love toward us.

We should do the same. Your faithfulness to the truth comes out in how you walk. Gaius walked in the truth and he did it by showing love of those who preached the Gospel. he gave Hospitality.

II. Diotrephes — Refused Hospitality

3 John 9 HCSB

9 I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have first place among them, does not receive us.

What was the real issue here with Diotrephes?

Diotrephes loved — he loved to have the power, the preeminence, the prestige, the prominence, the chief seat, the chief place. He loves to have first place among them. There are men and women like this — in churches. Our Lord taught His disciples they were to serve one another. He illustrated this by washing the disciples feet. The Bible speaks of men who took the preeminence.

Lemech who bragged of killing a man for wounding him and a boy for striking him. He bragged “If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.” This was amazingly blasphemous and arrogant. Interestingly, Lamech was Enoch’s cousin. Enoch walked with God. What a contrast!

There were men like Nimrod, Haman, Nebuchadnezzar, Herod who displayed such arrogance. Jesus identified the scribes and Pharisees as snakes and vipers who seated themselves in the chair of Moses. They loved to be noticed by men.

He explained to His disciples — If you want to be first, you should seek to be last. Be like the Son of Man who didn’t come to be served, but to serve and give His life a ransom for many.

This was not Diotrephes. He loved to have first place among them.

Let’s look at what this really means. tells us.

Colossians 1:18 HCSB

18 He is also the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything.

Christ has the True Preeminence. So here is a man competing with Christ. He was actually seeking to supplant Christ and to have the rule of the church in place of Christ. He’s like Absalom in the New Testament who was so hungry for power that he would murder his own father to take the throne.

Diotrephes was so proud that he was actually busy supplanting Christ.

How did he do that?

He did it by rejecting those who served Christ. He was forbidding anyone to receive these traveling preachers. He saw them as a threat to his power. He wanted to hold on to the preeminence and so he would not allow anyone to threaten his power.

Is there anything uglier than spiritual pride?

I don’t think so.

Because Diotrephes didn’t love the truth, it did not dominate his life. And so, he was ungracious and inhospitable. He was the complete opposite of Gaius. And it’s all because of the truth. Gaius knew the truth, believed the truth, and lived the truth. Diotrephes didn’t know the truth, didn’t believe the truth, and therefore — could not live the truth.

And so he rejected those of the truth.

Verse 9 — he “does not receive us.”

Verse 10 — he “slandered us.”

And he wasn’t satisfied with that. Not only did he refuse to welcome John and the others preaching the Gospel — He “even stops those who want to do so and expels them from the church.”

It’s interesting that the name Diotrephes actually means “reared by Zeus” or “nursed by Zeus.” And he lived like it. He was greedy for power because he loved himself — He didn’t love God, he didn’t love Christ, he didn’t love the truth, he didn’t love the church.

Philippians 2:5 HCSB

5 Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus,

Philippians 2:5 NKJV

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

Philippians 2:3

Philippians

Philippians 2:5 HCSB

5 Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus,

And what does John tell Gaius?

Don’t be like Diotrephes!

3 John 11 HCSB

11 Dear friend, 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.

3 John

Pretty clear statement, isn’t it?

Imitate good, not evil.

This really goes back to verse 8 and to the purpose for John’s letter.

3 John 8 HCSB

8 Therefore, we ought to support such men so that we can be coworkers with the truth.

III. Demetrius — A Godly Example

3 John 12 HCSB

12 Demetrius has a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. And we also testify for him, and you know that our testimony is true.

Don’t be like Diotrephes.

There are those who are like him. They do evil. They have not seen God. They don’t know God.

Be like Demetrius.

It’s quite probable that Demetrius was the one bringing the letter to Gaius. Demetrius was affirmed to be true.

Deuteronomy 19:15 HCSB

15 “One witness cannot establish any wrongdoing or sin against a person, whatever that person has done. A fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

Deuteronomy 17:6 HCSB

6 The one condemned to die is to be executed on the testimony of two or three witnesses. No one is to be executed on the testimony of a single witness.

IV. Patterning Your Life after Godly Examples

There are three witnesses to Demetrius in verse 12.

First — He has a good testimony from everyone.

Everyone knew Demetrius. He touched their lives and had an ongoing, continual good testimony from everyone. But it wasn’t merely that he was a nice guy that everyone liked. Look at the second witness.

Second — He had a good testimony from the truth itself. That is, Demetrius was committed to living the truth. He professed the truth, preached the truth, and lived the truth. And the truth He preached embodied his life. It was self-evident and always had been.

Third — John adds, And we also testify for him. The leadership testified of his reputation in the church community. He had a faithfulness to the truth of Scripture, and the opinion of the godly leadership was that Demetrius was faithful to the truth and it rang true in his walk as well.

Demetrius received high marks on all counts.

How do you know a man’s worth?

What does everyone say about him?

How does his life measure up with the truth of God’s word?

What do the leaders of the church say about him?

When you get a person who passes muster of all three of those, then receive him with open arms. Embrace him.

Conclusion

Verse 3, know the truth and walk in it. Second, be hospitable to others who preach the truth. Third principle, pattern your life after godly examples. And then there will be peace in the church and God will be glorified in His church.

John closes his letter with “I have many things to write.” But they are things that must be talked about face to face.

Know the truth and live by it — walk in it.

Be hospitable. Receive those who preach the truth. Don’t be like Diotrephes.

You have a great example in Demetrius. Pattern yourself after godly examples and live like him.

And there will be Peace in the church.

Let’s Pray.

Father, our God,

We thank you this morning for this small little book. How we need to know the truth and live by it. How we need to be like Demetrius and not Diotrephes. May we walk humbly, godly, selflessly, and sacrificially. May we be loyal and faithful to the truth that You would be glorified in Your Church.

Continue to bless, Lord, we pray. For this we give you praise and thanksgiving in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.