3 John 9  KJV [9] “I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.” John has several things to say in this verse. First, that he had written unto the church before, but his letter was intercepted or hindered by a certain member. He also reveals who that member was by calling his name out in the text. I believe this is what should happen anytime someone tries to hinder the man of God from doing the Lord’s work. They should immediately be called out so everyone will know of their …

3 John 8  KJV [8] “We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.” John says that we ought to contribute to men of God when they pass by our way, so that we can be fellow helpers in the ministry. I want you to see some reasons in this verse why it is so important to help the preacher.  First, because there are those who will not receive them. The command is given to receive the preacher, but there are many who will not obey the scriptures. There are people and churches who will …

3 John 7 KJV [7] “Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.” We could say many things about our topic in today’s devotional, but our verse gives us one thing in particular. The preachers who passed through the home of Gaius greatly enjoyed his fellowship and hospitality. He had refreshed them on their journey and encouraged them to keep traveling.  He witnessed firsthand what the life of a preacher is all about. It is a life of living by faith. Now, while this is true for all believers, we must keep in mind that …

3 John 6 KJV [6] “Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:” The name Gaius means “of the earth”. He was no doubt an ordinary man, with a heart to serve the Lord. His testimony can be clearly seen in our verse for today. The Bible says that the brethren had spoken highly of his charity before the church. He was known to be a down-to-earth kind of man. I think this is a testimony that every believer should have.  The family …

3 John 5 KJV [5] “Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;” John is still praising Gaius in our verse, but he turns his attention from his faithfulness in the book, to his faithfulness to the brethren. This servant had proven to be a faithful help and blessing to the men of God who would pass by. He knew some of these preachers on a personal level, such as the apostle John. Other preachers passing by were strangers to him, but he offered to them the same faithful spirit and service. They discovered two …

3 John 4 KJV [4] “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” John was responsible for bringing Gaius to Christ. In our verse he calls him one of his children. It is a tremendous blessing when God uses you to help bring someone to Christ. It is an even greater blessing when you hear that they are growing and walking in the truth of God’s Word. John was overjoyed at the testimony of his convert.  We must not forget, as believers we are to both evangelize and equip others in the ministry. Discipleship is …

3 John 3 KJV [3] “For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.” I heard a preacher say years ago, “you cannot win every battle, everybody and every brother”. I think this is a statement that has proven to be true in my life. In regard to the brethren, there are some that, seemingly, can never be satisfied. We go crazy trying to please them, or meet their standard of approval. When I make these statements I am not talking about lowering our standards of …

3 John 2 KJV [2] “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” In this verse the apostle uses the phrase, “I wish above all things”. This phrase seemed to catch my eye as I read it. I’m interested in what his number one wish would be concerning our brother Gaius. We can clearly see that John wastes no time in revealing what he wished for.  John desired for him to prosper financially and physically, just as he had prospered spiritually. I’m sure the health and wealth, name it …

3 John 1 [1] “The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.” There is no doubt that John is an aged apostle in this brief epistle. He is in the final stretch of his ministry, and is preparing to make his grand exit soon. He uses the word “elder” in this verse, which can describe the apostle both spiritually and physically. He has something to say to a dear Christian brother that will certainly be a great encouragement to him.  I thought about how important it is to have the encouragement of elders. I use the …