Epistles (written)

Monday, 13 July 2020

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. 3 John -11

John now begins a new thought, as indicated by the word, “Beloved.” This is the fourth and final time he uses this word in the letter. As with each instance, it is referring to the main addressee of the letter, Gaius. John has just referred to Diotrephes, noting his disgraceful conduct towards those he interacts with. Understanding this context, John now says, “do not imitate what is evil.”

The word mimeomai, translated as “imitate,” is seen only four times. This is its last occurrence. It is the root of our modern-day word “mimic.” Thus, the translation as “imitate” is well-founded. Gaius (and also we who apply John’s wisdom to our lives) is encouraged to not imitate what is evil. This implies that what Diotrephes was doing is, in fact, evil. The word translated as “evil,” however, is not the same as the previous verse. This word is a more universal word signifying morally bad. One can think of rot in wood which eats away at the tree.

Therefore, rather than imitating such conduct, John next says, “but what is good.” In this, Gaius needs to look no further than the example of Christ. Diotrephes had rejected that. Instead of being vibrant and healthy, his actions were rotten and in a state of decay.

John next says, “He who does good is of God.” The idea here is that the good a person does shows that he is out of, or from, God. His actions demonstrate the character, and the source of, who he is. Jesus referred to this in Luke 20 –

“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. ⁴⁴ For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. ⁴⁵ A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

Understanding this, John then finishes with, “but he who does evil has not seen God.” John’s words are to be taken in a general sense. There are people who do things which are “good,” which may be even more admirable than that of Christians. And there are Christians who do things which are not so good. They may be worse than those who are not Christians. What John is conveying is a state of being similar to that found in 1 John 3 –

“Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. ⁸ He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” 1 John 3:7-9

A person who is in Christ has moved from the authority of the devil to the authority of Christ. His actions are reckoned in an overall state.  Without being dogmatic on the matter, it appears that John believes Diotrephes had never truly believed in Christ. His actions are contrary to what a true believer would do. However, he does not question his salvation. He simply makes the observation that what Diotrephes is doing reflects the character of someone who has not seen God (meaning believed in what God has done in Christ).

Thus, when he comes, John indicates that he will deal with the matter. It will probably be an action similar to what Paul exhorted the Corinthians to take in 1 Corinthians 5:13. By putting him out of the congregation.

Life application: One may question, “Why would John say the words of this verse to Gaius if he had been acting in a Christian and responsible manner so far?” The answer is that just as a stone wears down to a pebble in a river by the continued slow grinding of the water and turbulence, we are equally susceptible to wearing down in our Christian conduct.

Bad company and bad examples will always bring down those around them unless they are diligent in maintaining their good behavior. This is abundantly evident in the political landscape of America. As people practicing perversion, and others with less than moral behavior, move into positions of power, those around them tend to degenerate into like-mindedness. The exceptions are belittled for their morality and defense of godliness. Eventually, only the most resolute and determined souls maintain their strong morals – usually at the expense of any true influence. This then is what John is warning against.

When he says “does good,” he is using a term which describes moral and spiritual goodness, just as mentioned in the example of those in politics above. The Greek word translated as “does evil” refers to something which lacks the necessary qualities that it should otherwise possess – like a lemon in a car lot. This was Diotrephes – the lemon on the lot, inferior and unworthy of any true value in the kingdom of God. We know this because John says that he who acts this way has not seen God in any heartfelt way which would qualify him for glorification.

Glorious and Almighty Heavenly Father – the world is a difficult place filled with perversion, wickedness, and unrighteousness. It is so very easy to become overwhelmed by the ungodly living around us. Please be our Shield and our Defender against the fiery darts which are constantly thrown at us. Keep us wholesome and healthy in our walk with Jesus. Amen.

Sunday, 12 July 2020

Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. 3 John -10

We just read about Diotrephes and his highhanded takeover of the church. Because of his attitude, John now says, “Therefore.” Because of what was happening, corrective action was needed. A letter would not suffice, and so he says, “If I come.” Though it is in the subjunctive mood, it appears that it is certain in his mind that he will come. In verse 14, he says, “but I hope to see you shortly.” The intent, unless he is unable to make it, is that he will come to rescue the church from Diotrephes.

John next says, “I will call to mind his deeds which he does.” As the previous verse makes it seem likely that he has already sent a letter which was ignored by Diotrephes, the only remedy left is to openly call him out for his misdeeds. John then defines them by first stating, “prating against us with malicious words.”

The word translated as “malicious” literally means “evil,” but “malicious” is sufficient to convey the appropriate meaning because it deals with his intended influence over others concerning those he is targeting. His intent is to malign others, thus gaining influence over the congregation.

In order to do this, John uses a word, translated as “prating,” which is only found here in Scripture, phluareó. It is derived from phlyō, meaning “to boil” or “bubble over.” Thus, the words of Diotephes are well placed, probably quite eloquent, and yet – like a bubble – the are empty. Diotrephes is a man of self-promotion, false accusation, and used his tongue to acquire the position of authority he desired. But there is more. John continues by saying, “And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren.”

This is probably referring to the visiting missionaries already noted by John. But it may mean any brother who showed up at the church to share in the fellowship. In order to maintain his heavy hand on those he had sway over, he would not welcome anyone else who could perceive his wicked ways and say, “This isn’t right.” He is the David Koresh or Jim Jones of the early church, ruling over those who had no understanding of his true intents. This is perfectly certain because John next says, “and forbids those who wish to.”

Those in the congregation who understood Christian compassion and the need to welcome strangers were forbidden to do so. They knew that what was happening was amiss, and so they probably came forward to say, “This just isn’t right. We need to welcome these fellow Christians.” Instead of taking the admonition to heart and welcoming them, he would turn his evil ways on those who would so dare to challenge him, “putting them out of the church.”

This is exactly what an authoritarian ruler will do. He will simply cut off the source of perceived trouble. In this, he will then have an even tighter control over those who remained. Eventually, those in the church who remain will be completely under his control. It is the classic design of cult leaders to act in this manner.

Life application: Unfortunately, even though these words seem almost impossible to believe, they occurred as early as John’s day, and they still occur in churches all around the world. This person, Diotrephes, was an arrogant and abusive person with no heart for anyone who would dare disagree with him. John says, “if I come.” However, as noted, the “if” certainly means “when.” When he does, he will make sure to get control of the situation. It was his determined purpose to set things straight and highlight the perverse nature of Diotrephes for everyone to see.

Diotrephes’ “prating” is comparable to vinegar bubbling over when mixed with baking soda. He was the epitome of the “perverse man” so often mentioned in Proverbs – “the perverse man sows strife” (Proverbs 16:28). His perverse nature went beyond mere words though. He wasn’t only content to be a backbiter, but he was an active control freak as well – not receiving true believers and even putting people out of the church who wanted to receive them. In Romans, Paul warns believers to not think too highly of themselves –

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Romans 12:3

We are admonished to not think of ourselves “more highly than” we ought. Diotrephes never learned this lesson and so his life and actions testify against him, even to this day. If our deeds, our words, and our hearts were open for all to see, what would others find out about us that we would be ashamed of? Think it through as you deal with those you fellowship with.

Lord, there are certainly times when we act in ways that must be displeasing to You. We can look back on our day and think of how we could have handled things differently. Give us wisdom so that our hearts will be right in all of our dealings with others. May our lives be faithful and wholesome in our service to others and to Your glory. Amen.

Friday, 10 July 2020

We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth. 3 John -8

John just said that the people he has been speaking about went forth “taking nothing from the Gentiles.” He now contrasts that thought by saying, “We therefore ought to receive such.” The word “we” is emphatic. Because these people are not receiving anything from the Gentiles, it is incumbent upon those in the church to ensure they are taken care of – completely and properly. They are to be welcomed and received in a way that tends to them without them needing to be personally put out in any way.

John then gives the reason for this, saying, “that we may become fellow workers for the truth.” The sense is obvious. In receiving and tending to these missionaries, they will not be spending their own money and resources. Thus, by tending to them, those who do so actually become participants with them in their ministries.

John is making a logical point based on the last few verses. We “ought,” or are “bound to,” receive such people. These visiting missionaries and evangelists are carrying out God’s will in furthering the gospel, and are doing it without being a burden on those they minister to. Therefore, it should be obvious that if we receive such people, we will be an active part of what they are doing.

Life application: Concerning missions work, there is an old saying – “Either go with your person or go with your purse.” Not everyone can set aside their life to head out into the mission field, nor would that be realistic. Instead, there are those who are called to missions, and there are those who support missions. In both instances, the people are filling different parts of the necessary roles for accomplishing the task. People who conduct the actual mission work are no more important, but they are worthy of the respect and honor of those who send them. This is the same as a pastor. He is merely fulfilling a different role than others, but he is still entitled to the respect of the position.

When receiving missionaries, pastors, or others, we are to receive them as equals – without elevating them in their person. And yet at the same time, we are to acknowledge their particular position. Using wisdom in supporting missionaries is important too. From time to time, missionaries need to be evaluated to ensure they are actually accomplishing the duties they set out to do. If they aren’t, then they should be recalled, and all support needs to be withdrawn.

A mission field for the sake of a mission field, without any mission work, is as pointless as mowing a lawn without any grass. Take all things into consideration, and be sure to receive the faithful missionaries as workers for the gospel of Jesus.

Lord God, help us to be attentive to the missionaries we send forth – taking care of their needs, receiving them with honor when they visit, and keeping them in prayer for success as they labor in the fields that they have been called to. May we never fail to be attentive to caring for them as they faithfully conduct their duties in furthering the gospel. All to Your honor, O Lord! Amen.

Thursday, 9 July 2020

…because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. 3 John -7

To get the whole sense of John’s words, the context of the entire thought should be considered –

“Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, ⁶ who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, ⁷ because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles.” 3 John 1:5-7

John explains why it is good to send these missionaries forward on their journey in a manner that would be worthy of God. It is “because they went forth for His name’s sake.” It is a rather unfortunate translation, following along after the archaic KJV and not correcting their translation. The Greek reads, “for the sake of the Name.”

The force of the statement is pretty much ruined in the translation. As noted in the introduction to the book of 3 John, this is the only book in the New Testament where the name “Jesus” is not used. Instead, John says, “the Name.” It could be that by stating this, he was keeping the recipient from persecution if the letter was obtained by a person hostile to the faith.

For whatever reason, to say the simple words “the Name” is to identify Christ with the Lord of the Old Testament. Just as any Jewish believer would understand the title to refer to Jehovah, so any believer in Christ would understand this to refer to the Incarnate Lord, Jesus Christ. Thus, it is a direct reference to the fact that Jesus is God, as “God” is the nearest antecedent in verse 6.

It is the same thought reflected elsewhere in the New Testament, such as –

“They, therefore, left the Sanhedrin and went their way, rejoicing that they had been deemed worthy to suffer disgrace on behalf of the NAME.” Acts 5:41 (Weymouth)

These missionaries didn’t just go forward in the name of “God.” Rather, they went forward bearing the Name of Jesus Christ. And, it is in that Name that they made their proclamation to others. In this, John then finishes with, “taking nothing from the Gentiles.”

The word translated as “taking” signifies “accepting.” They would not accept help from those they ministered to, meaning “the Gentiles.” The word translated as “Gentiles” is ethnikos. It is an adjective used only in Matthew (three times) and in this verse. It especially refers to a non-Israelite, and thus a pagan.

The missionaries had taken the message out into the pagan world, doing exactly as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28 –

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20

The message went out from the Jewish believers to the Gentiles. From there, both Jew and Gentile continued to spread the message further. The words of John here clearly demonstrate that the teaching of hyperdispensationalism – which says there are two gospels, one to the Jew and one to the Gentile – is a false and heretical teaching. John makes no distinction between the gospel that was first brought to the church he is addressing and to the gospel that went forth to the nations from them. There is one church that is made up of both Jew and Gentile, and that one church proclaims one gospel to all people.

Life application: It is one thing to help people out that are passing through the area where you live who simply need a hand. Maybe there is a flat tire, or maybe they are on their way to visit an ailing relative and are facing financial trouble getting there. This would be a completely different issue to John than when someone is going forth for the sake of the Name of God, and specifically the Name of Jesus Christ. Such people are worthy of being sent out in a fitting and respectable manner because their duties are the most important in all of human existence.

To this day, missionaries generally receive all of their support from other Christians so as not to impose any burden on those they are ministering to. Because of this, the message of the gospel will simply never go forward without the prayer, financial, and logistical support of other believers.

These past three verses together form a sound and logical reason for supporting mission causes and ensuring that missionaries receive all the support necessary to accomplish their tasks to the glory of God. Let us remember this as we give to the mission budget in our churches.

Yes, Heavenly Father! May our hearts be geared towards the care of our faithful missionaries as they go forth and spread the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ to an unbelieving world! Even if our financial ability is limited, our prayer ability is not. And so, Lord, give us the desire to keep these faithful servants in prayer, along with any financial help we can provide. To Your honor and glory we pray. Amen.