In school, a test reveals how much the student knows about a subject. Tests are not limited, of course, to school; nor are they limited to revealing a student's mastery of the subject. Sometimes they reveal other things as well.
John writes three letters to churches in Asia Minor. He addresses the first letter to several congregations facing the rise of Gnosticism, a way to God that makes no ethical demands, and exhorts his readers to walk in the light of what God has revealed and to walk in the love that God expects from His people. He addresses the second letter to a particular congregation, warning about itinerant Gnostic teachers, and admonishes his readers to walk in obedience to what God expects. In John's third letter, he addresses a particular person, Gaius, an elder in one of the churches where Gnosticism does not seem to be a problem. Please turn to 3 John and follow as I read, beginning in 3 John 3, where the apostle mentions reports he has received from visitors to the congregation Gaius oversees, because Gaius is Walking in Truth, and...1
I. It impresses those who watch...who see the truth in others (3 John 3).
That is John's satisfaction as he writes this letter. Look at...
I enjoyed my days as a college and graduate student, except for having to take tests. I enjoyed my days as a teacher of college and graduate students even more, except for having to grade tests. In the educational setting, though, students and teachers process information differently.
Despite appearances, even when you think no one is looking or listening, people notice what you do and say, and they form an impression of you accordingly.... How are you impressing those who watch you, as you represent the church? If they were to describe what you do, what would they say? ...Whatever it might be, your devotion to God's truth should certainly be prominent enough to have a place in their report.
The visitors to this church in Asia Minor return with a favorable report. Gaius is Walking in Truth, and...
II. It pleases those who wait...who started others in the truth (3 John 4).
...like John, whose satisfaction is evident as he writes this letter. Look at...
That response is common to people who have had a role in the spiritual development of others. Well aware that many who start on the path to God eventually stray from it, upon hearing that some not only remain on the path but make steady progress, like John...
The visitors to this church in Asia Minor return with glad news. Gaius is Walking in Truth, which pleases John. The apostle then relates another effect of his friend's faithfulness that has come to his attention...
III. It helps those who work...who spread the truth to others (3 John 8).
That is John's observation as he writes this letter. Look at...
Some of these teachers are still with the congregation, but they need to move to their next assignment, and the apostle exhorts Gaius to see that...
You probably receive numerous requests in the mail for money from different organizations. Many are ostensibly worthy causes: Save the Children, The Cancer Society. The list is almost endless. Often an ad agency designs their literature to tug both your heart strings and your purse strings. If you succumb and send a contribution, your name is forever on the list of that organization, and its solicitations will likely increase.
A woman in the brick church sent some money to a political candidate in one presidential primary. He did not make the final cut, but his office continued to send monthly requests long after he had lost. Moreover, he made his mailing list available to other organizations with a similar political agenda, multiplying the appeals she received.
While it is possible to contribute to a cause without committing yourself to indentured servitude, the shear number of requests means that you need to be selective about what you support. Although there are many worthy causes, there is one that has eternal benefit. Moreover, by investing in God's kingdom, you join with those who labor as "fellow workers with the truth."
The Lord possesses sufficient resources to support any project He wants. Great or small, it makes no difference to Him.
So, how much should you contribute in support of the church, whether for needs here or elsewhere? John does not specify an amount, saying only that it should be "in a manner worthy of God" (3 John 6). In other words, the level of your financial commitment—as well as your contribution of energy and time—shows how much you value what He has done in your life. Your giving to God's program is a measure of your gratitude to Him.
Truth is not just about what people believe; it is also about how they behave. Do their actions reflect the clarity knowing God brings to the extent that other people notice? Gaius has embraced whole-heartedly the truth of what God has revealed about His plan and His priorities. This elder's application of the truth has impressed observers, has pleased John, and has helped those in need.... What do visitors notice when they come to this church? What do they report to others? I certainly hope it would include the news that you are Walking in Truth.
Even in the absence of a pastor, the ministry of a church goes on in the lives of its members. In fact, a pastor may be a detriment to the ministry of a church if his presence discourages the members from taking an active role or if the members themselves assume that the pastor ministers for them, relieving them of responsibility.
Even if you are not an elder like Gaius, you have a responsibility to be Walking in Truth. That is what pleases God, promotes His agenda, and strengthens the church.
Two young engineering graduates with the same academic qualifications applied for a single position at a computer company. To determine which individual he should hire, the department manager gave the applicants a test. Both men missed only one of the ten questions: the last one. After informing them of their scores, the manager went to the first applicant and said, "Thank you for your interest, but we've decided to give the job to the other applicant." "And why would you do that?" asked the rejected graduate. "We both answered nine questions correctly." "We based our decision not on the nine questions you got right," said the manager, "but on the one question you missed." "And just how would one incorrect answer be better than the other?" the rejected graduate inquired. "It was simple," said the manager. "In answering the last question, your fellow applicant wrote: 'I don't know.' You put down... 'Neither do I.'"Of the many subjects students encounter, ethics is rarely one of them. If they do not learn the value of truth elsewhere, they will not likely get it in school. Where can they study this virtue? They should, of course, encounter it at home; they should also get exposure to it in church, especially as they see the members Walking in Truth.
John writes three letters to churches in Asia Minor. He addresses the first letter to several congregations facing the rise of Gnosticism, a way to God that makes no ethical demands, and exhorts his readers to walk in the light of what God has revealed and to walk in the love that God expects from His people. He addresses the second letter to a particular congregation, warning about itinerant Gnostic teachers, and admonishes his readers to walk in obedience to what God expects. In John's third letter, he addresses a particular person, Gaius, an elder in one of the churches where Gnosticism does not seem to be a problem. Please turn to 3 John and follow as I read, beginning in 3 John 3, where the apostle mentions reports he has received from visitors to the congregation Gaius oversees, because Gaius is Walking in Truth, and...1
I. It impresses those who watch...who see the truth in others (3 John 3).
That is John's satisfaction as he writes this letter. Look at...
3 John 3 ...I was very glad when brethren came [to me] and testified to your truth, [that is], how you are walking in truth.There are at least two stages in the learning process of any subject, and an individual must pass through both before he can claim to know something in more than a superficial way. One must not only understand an issue, he must grasp the implications of it for his life, making it his own. Gaius has apparently done that, which is why John says he is "walking in truth." He has not only come to understand the truth—in this case, the truth of God's word—he is living it.
I enjoyed my days as a college and graduate student, except for having to take tests. I enjoyed my days as a teacher of college and graduate students even more, except for having to grade tests. In the educational setting, though, students and teachers process information differently.
- A student learns the material in order to pass the course. As such, he can store most things in short-term memory and dump them after the final exam to make room for what the next class will cover. He assumes he will not need the information again. Taking that approach, though, a student never adopts the subject as his own.
- A teacher learns the material in order to present the course. As such, he must store most things in long-term memory and be able to retrieve them at a moment's notice. He knows he will need the information again. Taking that approach, a teacher adopts the subject as his own.
A. They notice its appropriation.Some courses seem more theoretical than practical, especially for students who would rather be elsewhere. When a class grabs their attention, though, it is often because they sense the teacher's enthusiasm and see the positive affect the subject has had on his life.2 Gaius apparently reached this point in his spiritual walk. The information he received about God has not only excited him, it has motivated him, having had a positive affect on his life, and the visitors mention to John how...
B. They notice its application.You may think that no one pays attention to what you say or do, that people are too preoccupied with their own lives to notice what God is doing in your life. I assure you that is not the case. For those who have ever taught children, you know that they have an uncanny ability to seem occupied with something else when they are supposed to be listening to you. Later, you discover that they understood you quite well. This is a highly selective quality, of course, that is rarely in effect when you want it to be, but it does demonstrate the potential people have to process more than one thing at a time, and it is something we do not entirely lose as adults.
Despite appearances, even when you think no one is looking or listening, people notice what you do and say, and they form an impression of you accordingly.... How are you impressing those who watch you, as you represent the church? If they were to describe what you do, what would they say? ...Whatever it might be, your devotion to God's truth should certainly be prominent enough to have a place in their report.
The visitors to this church in Asia Minor return with a favorable report. Gaius is Walking in Truth, and...
II. It pleases those who wait...who started others in the truth (3 John 4).
...like John, whose satisfaction is evident as he writes this letter. Look at...
3 John 4 I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.John was apparently instrumental in Gaius's early expression of commitment to God. He may have been a key figure in his friend's conversion, or he may have played a formative role in his friend's initial growth. Whatever John's contribution to the beginning of Gaius's spiritual pilgrimage, John has a special connection to him—indeed, with all those the apostle has nurtured along the way, whom he calls "my children,"3 and he rejoices upon hearing about their perseverance.4
That response is common to people who have had a role in the spiritual development of others. Well aware that many who start on the path to God eventually stray from it, upon hearing that some not only remain on the path but make steady progress, like John...
- They celebrate the accomplishment.
The visitors to this church in Asia Minor return with glad news. Gaius is Walking in Truth, which pleases John. The apostle then relates another effect of his friend's faithfulness that has come to his attention...
III. It helps those who work...who spread the truth to others (3 John 8).
That is John's observation as he writes this letter. Look at...
3 John 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.In John's first letter, which went to several churches in the region, he stressed the importance of fostering "fellowship with one another" (1 John 1:7) by demonstrating that a Christian is "one who loves his brother" (1 John 2:10). In this third letter, John commends Gaius for the specific way he has done just that. Although in the apostle's second letter he warns against welcoming itinerant teachers uncritically,5 because some are Gnostics, others are true representatives of the gospel,6 and John praises Gaius for his treatment of those true representatives.7
Some of these teachers are still with the congregation, but they need to move to their next assignment, and the apostle exhorts Gaius to see that...
A. They have some assistance.These teachers do not have government funding or corporate sponsorship. They depend on the help of God's people, and John identifies this as a good opportunity to demonstrate the church's love.8 It is also a way of identifying with their ministry, of becoming involved in their work. As these teachers do move on, they take with them more than just the financial assistance of this church...
B. They have some association....a personal connection with the people there. By supporting the ministry, Gaius and others join with these teachers to become "fellow workers in the truth."
You probably receive numerous requests in the mail for money from different organizations. Many are ostensibly worthy causes: Save the Children, The Cancer Society. The list is almost endless. Often an ad agency designs their literature to tug both your heart strings and your purse strings. If you succumb and send a contribution, your name is forever on the list of that organization, and its solicitations will likely increase.
A woman in the brick church sent some money to a political candidate in one presidential primary. He did not make the final cut, but his office continued to send monthly requests long after he had lost. Moreover, he made his mailing list available to other organizations with a similar political agenda, multiplying the appeals she received.
While it is possible to contribute to a cause without committing yourself to indentured servitude, the shear number of requests means that you need to be selective about what you support. Although there are many worthy causes, there is one that has eternal benefit. Moreover, by investing in God's kingdom, you join with those who labor as "fellow workers with the truth."
The Lord possesses sufficient resources to support any project He wants. Great or small, it makes no difference to Him.
- He owns "the cattle on a thousand hills" (Ps 50:10b).
- He can make money appear in the mouth of a fish.9
So, how much should you contribute in support of the church, whether for needs here or elsewhere? John does not specify an amount, saying only that it should be "in a manner worthy of God" (3 John 6). In other words, the level of your financial commitment—as well as your contribution of energy and time—shows how much you value what He has done in your life. Your giving to God's program is a measure of your gratitude to Him.
Truth is not just about what people believe; it is also about how they behave. Do their actions reflect the clarity knowing God brings to the extent that other people notice? Gaius has embraced whole-heartedly the truth of what God has revealed about His plan and His priorities. This elder's application of the truth has impressed observers, has pleased John, and has helped those in need.... What do visitors notice when they come to this church? What do they report to others? I certainly hope it would include the news that you are Walking in Truth.
Even in the absence of a pastor, the ministry of a church goes on in the lives of its members. In fact, a pastor may be a detriment to the ministry of a church if his presence discourages the members from taking an active role or if the members themselves assume that the pastor ministers for them, relieving them of responsibility.
Even if you are not an elder like Gaius, you have a responsibility to be Walking in Truth. That is what pleases God, promotes His agenda, and strengthens the church.
For the Bibliography and Endnotes see the pdf here.
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Relevant and civil comments are welcome. Whether there will be any response depends on whether Dr. Manuel notices them and has the time and inclination to respond or, if not, whether I feel competent to do so.
Jim Skaggs