{"id":567,"date":"2017-09-17T14:23:14","date_gmt":"2017-09-17T22:23:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=567"},"modified":"2017-09-17T14:23:14","modified_gmt":"2017-09-17T22:23:14","slug":"3-john-both-kinds-are-still-with-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=567","title":{"rendered":"3 John \u00a0Both Kinds Are Still With Us"},"content":{"rendered":"

3 John 1-14 <\/strong>1\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.\u00a0 2\u00a0Dear 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.\u00a03\u00a0It gave me great joy when some believers\u00a0came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.\u00a04\u00a0I have no greater joy than to hear that my children\u00a0are walking in the truth.\u00a0 5\u00a0Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters,\u00a0even though they are strangers to you.\u00a06\u00a0They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way\u00a0in a manner that honors\u00a0God.\u00a07\u00a0It was for the sake of the Name\u00a0that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans.\u00a08\u00a0We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth. 9\u00a0I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us.\u00a010\u00a0So when I come,\u00a0I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers.\u00a0He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.\u00a0 11\u00a0Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.\u00a0Anyone who does what is good is from God.\u00a0Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.\u00a012\u00a0Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone\u2014and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.\u00a0 13\u00a0I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink.14\u00a0I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.\u00a0Peace to you.\u00a0The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Apostle John here again describes himself as \u201cThe elder<\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth<\/span>.\u201d \u00a0He is writing to his dear friend Gaius, whom he loves in truth.\u00a0 Certainly John is writing that his love for Gaius is based in the truth.\u00a0 Remembering the binding relationship between love and truth as reviewed in 2 John<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cDear 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<\/span>.\u201d\u00a0 The \u201cname and claim\u201d group uses this verse to propound their false beliefs.\u00a0 They use this verse as if John is laying a doctrine. Clearly he is not doing so as he writes that he is praying that all things physical and spiritual go well with them.\u00a0 We all pray for that our beloved family and friends have things go well.\u00a0 This is a prayer and not a doctrine.\u00a0 We pray for our beloved that they have times of rest, well-being and recuperation, but we know that trying times comes to all whom God loves.\u00a0 We know that God uses tough times to mold us and teach us.\u00a0 Primarily, the Lord uses tough times to point our focus to him, or to deepen the lesson that we are completely dependent on Him. We may pray for good times, but we willingly acknowledge that hard times will also come upon all (John 16:33<\/strong>).\u00a0 The absolute peace of God resides within us through hard and good times.\u00a0 If we are focused and if we are wise and understanding in the knowledge of who and what God is peace never leaves us.<\/p>\n

\u201c3\u00a0It gave me great joy when some believers\u00a0came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.<\/span>\u201d\u00a0 The highest honor of acknowledgement is from God, who calls us His own and has His own name for us.\u00a0 Among men, the highest honor that can be expressed about a believer in Christ is that the believer is faithful and walks in the truth.\u00a0 May that be said about all of us!\u00a0 As we desire that, we must remember the binding of truth and love.\u00a0 Truth without love is no truth, it is impotent.<\/p>\n

\u201c4\u00a0I have no greater joy than to hear that my children\u00a0are walking in the truth<\/span>.\u201d John considers those that he led to the Lord, or those whom he has authority and responsibility for, his children.\u00a0 We understand that there is no higher desire for our children than that they walk closely and faithfully with God.\u00a0 We want our children to prosper financially and to be in good health, but walking with God is eternal and the others are temporary.\u00a0 We choose the higher and eternal blessing for those we love.\u00a0 We take pleasure in their obedience to the Truth.<\/p>\n

\u201cDear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters,\u00a0even though they are strangers to you.\u00a06\u00a0They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way\u00a0in a manner that honors\u00a0God.\u00a07\u00a0It was for the sake of the Name\u00a0that they went out, 8\u00a0We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth. receiving no help from the pagans.<\/span>\u201d\u00a0 John is writing that he knows that Gaius is faithful because fellow believers tell him so.\u00a0 His faithfulness is evident by his hospitality, and his love for the brethren.<\/p>\n

\u201c9\u00a0I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us.\u00a010\u00a0So when I come,\u00a0I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers.\u00a0He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church<\/span>.\u201d\u00a0 Whether it is on a job, or in the church, pride and kingdom building are ugly and unproductive.\u00a0 Especially in the church.\u00a0 They can be observed by their controlling nature and their me-first ways.\u00a0 It must be their way and they are easily threatened and usually unyielding.\u00a0 Don\u2019t get on the wrong side of these people, love of self rather than love of others rules in their lives.\u00a0 This can be observed at work, and also amongst the brethren.\u00a0 Here, Diotrephes seems to be in a position of authority and his controlling nature, with probably insecurity involved, will not even allow room for the apostle John, or his disciples, to minister. It is one thing to protect the flock, it is another to withstand the will of God.\u00a0 People who are threatened by other people will often speak wrong of they whom they are threatened by.\u00a0 That is not the will of God.\u00a0 People of the ilk of Diotrephes will even go so far as to run those who differ with them out of the church.\u00a0 Oh, they will have very \u201cpious\u201d reasons for doing so, but what is underneath is not of God. John condemns those like Diotrephes.\u00a0 We ought to be gracious, but also beware.<\/p>\n

\u201c11\u00a0Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.\u00a0Anyone who does what is good is from God.\u00a0Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God<\/span>.\u201d\u00a0 John said do not be like Diotrephes.\u00a0 Do not imitate evil, but do what is good.\u00a0 He says the person who acts like Diotrephes is not doing good as children of God do, but is practicing evil.\u00a0 Don\u2019t align with such a person.<\/p>\n

\u201cDemetrius is well spoken of by everyone\u2014and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true<\/span>.\u00a0 John first lists someone who is gracious and hospital, as he speaks of Gaius.\u00a0 Then he mentions someone working against Godly people \u2013 Diotrephes.\u00a0 Then he mentions Demetrius who is a lover of the people of God, not filled with controlling pride, and is open to guidance by the Apostle John. He commends two and opposes the third.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink.14\u00a0I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace to you.\u00a0The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.<\/span>\u201d \u00a0The Apostle John has much to say to them.\u00a0 He will encourage those who are doing well and he will oppose the proud empire builder.\u00a0 He looks forward to seeing them face to face.\u00a0 Until then, he and those with him send their greeting.<\/p>\n

People let us be gracious, be humble and love each other.\u00a0 Let us not attempt to control and build of our own will, but be led be the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 Therein is peace within and with others.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/p>\n

Psalm 150:6<\/strong>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/span><\/p>\n

Micah 7:7<\/strong>\u00a0– But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Micah 6:8<\/strong>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

3 John 1-14 1\u00a0The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.\u00a0 2\u00a0Dear 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.\u00a03\u00a0It gave me great joy when some believers\u00a0came and testified about your faithfulness to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[100,94,17],"class_list":["post-567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-john","tag-micah","tag-psalm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=567"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/567\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":568,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/567\/revisions\/568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}