INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY: BOOK OF THIRD JOHN
By Dennis Schmidt 12/2000
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This paper discusses the book of 3 John. Third John discusses Christian hospitality (to supply all their needs) to the traveling missionaries to gentiles. All scriptures are from the King James' version Bible.
THIRD JOHN THEME:
- HOSPITALITY TO CHRISTIAN MINISTERS.
CHAPTER THEMES & ELEMENTS
BOOK STRUCTURE |
OUTLINE | CHAPTER(S) THEMES |
| Author & salutations | Elder (Apostle John) Greetings | (1) Love in truth which = Jesus |
| Prosper Christians walk in truth | Christ Center Walk or Life leads to good health and prosperity | (2-4) - Key faith promise of prosperity & health as soul prospers - Walk in truth = Jesus |
| Hospitality to ministry | Supply lodging, food, money, etc. so they don't take from gentiles | (5-8) Hospitality to Christian ministry who may be strangers |
| Warnings | False self love & preeminence to one who lies & stops others from showing Christian hospitality | (9-12) Warning against self centered Christianity. Evil vs. good |
| Visit by John & greetings | John trust he will visit & blesses them with peace | (13-14) Visit from John & greetings from John & others. |
AUTHOR: Apostle John DATE: 90-96 AD FROM: Ephesus TO: Gaius in Asia Minor
PURPOSE: TO ENCOURAGE HOSPITALITY TO TRAVELING CHRISTIAN MINISTERS.
KEY VERSES:
- 3 John 1:2 "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."
- 3 John 8 "We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth."
KEY WORD(S)/VERSES:
[ Truth ] (1, 3, 4, 8, 12); [ Good ] (11, 12)
OUTLINE FOR THIRD JOHN
I) SALUTATIONS: {3 JOHN 1}
II) PROSPER CHRISTIAN WHO WALK IN TRUTH & HEALTH AS THEIR SOUL PROSPERS: {3 JOHN 2-4}
III) CHRISTIAN HOSPITALITY: {3 JOHN 5-8}
IV) WARNING AGAINST SELF CENTERED CHRISTIANITY: {3 JOHN 9-12}
V) VISIT BY JOHN: {3 JOHN 13-14}
Third John: uses the words truth or Jesus (5 times). The Apostle John is the last surviving original apostle. The epistle is small as he wants to visit them and speak face to face about Christian hospitality to the traveling ministers to the gentiles and the evil attitude of a leader in the church.
I) SALUTATIONS: {3 JOHN 1}
WHO: John, the elder, to WHOM: The beloved Gaius
3 John 1 "The elder unto the well beloved Gaius, whom I [ love ] in the [ truth ]."
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KEY WORD: {3 John 1-12} TRUTH = JESUS
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(1) {1} Whom I love in the truth (Jesus)
(2) {3} Testify of the truth that is in you.
(3) {4} Walk in the truth.
(4) {8} Receive ministers and be fellowhelpers to the truth.
(4) {12} Good report of the truth and our record is true.
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Elder: The Apostle John call himself the Elder (he is quite old at this time). John used this address also in 2 John 1. He also uses this title to define his office as Pastor. Elder=Pastor=Bishop etc.
See my papers: "Church Officers and their Qualifications" for more information on this subject.
See my papers: "Apostle" for more information on this subject.
See my papers: "Disciples and Others of Jesus Family" for more information on this subject.
Acts 14:23 "And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed."
Gaius: Meaning joy or gladness. Gaius could be all or any of these:
Acts 19:29 "And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre."
Acts 20:4 "And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus."
Romans 16:23 "Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother."
1 Corinthians 1:14 "I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;" Paul baptized only two people.
1 Corinthians 1:17 "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect."
Love:
See my papers: "Love" for more information on this subject.
Truth: is used as an association with Jesus and his teachings. The Holy Spirit is truth also.
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
1 John 5:6 "This is he that came by water and blood, <even> Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth."
II) PROSPERITY & HEALTH TO CHRISTIANS WHO WALK IN TRUTH AS SOUL'S PROSPERS: {3 JOHN 2-4}
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MISC: {3 JOHN 2} PROSPER, HEALTH, & SPIRITUAL LIFE
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3 John 2 "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth".
WANT: YOU TO PROSPER & BE HEALTHY AS YOUR SOUL PROSPERS
John's wish is a prayer to God. We can claim this promise also because it is in God's word. Like most promises of God it has conditions. God promise us prosperity and health as our spiritual life grows.
Prosper:
Luke 18:29-30 "And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, {30} Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting." Matthew 19:29 & Mark 10:29-30
Matthew 21:22 "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
Mark 11:24 "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive <them>, and ye shall have <them>."
Health: Healing for sickness is in the atonement.
Romans 8:11 "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." Quicken: Makes alive.
1 Peter 2:24 "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." Purpose of stripes
Matthew 8:17 "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare <our> sicknesses." Isaiah 53:4 fulfillment.
Isaiah 53:4-5 "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. {5} But he <was> wounded for our transgressions, <he was> bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace <was> upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
Psalms 103:3 "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;"
3 John 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 ]." Walk = live, the normal Christian life.
3 John 4 "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in [ truth ]."
My children: John's converts or his guiding them.
Other walks in scriptures:
See my papers: "Walk as Jesus Walked" for more information on this subject.
Walk in Spirit:
Galatians 5:16 "<This> I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."
Galatians 5:25 "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
Walk in the light:
1 John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."
Walk in the newness of life:
Romans 6:4 "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
Walk after his commandments:
2 John 1:6 "And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it."
III) CHRISTIAN HOSPITALITY: {3 JOHN 5-8}
WHAT: DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO HELP THE BRETHREN AND THE STRANGERS
3 John 5 "Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;"
Doest to the brethren/strangers: Hospitality to all.
Hebrews 13:2 "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
1 Peter 4:9 "Use hospitality one to another without grudging."
Matthew 25:40 "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done <it> unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done <it> unto me."
3 John 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:" Charity: Love shown by action.
See my papers: "Love" for more information on this subject.
During the early church period, the gospel was taken place to place by traveling evangelists and teachers. Homes where used by these missionaries to preach the word and provisions for their journey. John urges supporting the traveling teachers and evangelists.
3 John 7 "Because that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles."
Nothing of the Gentiles:
Missionaries received no money from non-believers lest he appear to be selling the gospel.
Matthew 10:5-9 "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into <any> city of the Samaritans enter ye not: {6} But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. {7} And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. {8} Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. {9} Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses," Later God allow preaching to the Gentiles.
2 Corinthians 11:7 "Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?"
[ CONCLUSION: ] [ THEREFORE ]
3 John 8 "We [ therefore ] ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the [ truth ]." Key verse on Christian hospitality.
WAY: WE OUGHT TO RECEIVE SUCH THAT WE MIGHT BE FELLOW-HELPERS TO THE TRUTH.
IV) WARNING AGAINST SELF CENTER CHRISTIANITY: {3 JOHN 9-12}
3 John 9 "I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not." Another letter?
Preeminence among them: Preeminence = pride.
Matthew 20:27 "And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:"
Matthew 23:11 "But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant."
Diotrephes only found here. Meaning nurtured by Zeus or Jupiter.
3 John 10 "Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth <them> out of the church."
Prating: Talking nonsense with malicious (wicked) words.
Apostle authority: John could come with his authority.
2 Corinthians 13:2 "I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare:"
2 Corinthians 13:10 "Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction."
WHY: DO GOOD NOT EVIL
3 John 11 "Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is [ good ]. He that doeth [ good ] is of /\ God /\: but he that doeth evil hath not seen /\ God /\."
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CONTRAST: {2 JOHN 9-12} {11}: GOOD -> GOD; EVIL -> NOT OF GOD
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(1) Follow not evil as i.e. Diotrehes {9}, but that which is good i.e. Demetrius {13} & Gaius {1}.
(2) {11} He that does good is of God. He that does evil has not seen God.
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Follow that which is good:
Hebrews 6:12 "That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises."
1 John 2:29 "If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him."
James 4:17 "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth <it> not, to him it is sin."
Doeth evil hath not seen God: 1 John 1:8 seems to contradict this.
1 John 1:8 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Commit sin continually - practice evil
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us <our> sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
3 John 12 "Demetrius hath [ good ] report of all <men>, and of the [ truth ] itself: yea, and we <also> bear record; and ye know that our record is [ true ]."
Probably not the Demetrius in Acts 19:24. Only found here. A comparison between Demetrius and Diotrephes (9) above is obvious.
John 21:24 "This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true."
V) VISIT BY JOHN: {3 JOHN 13-14}
WAIT: UNTIL JOHN COMES
3 John 13 "I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee:"
3 John 14 "But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace <be> to thee. <Our> friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name."
Peace: Hebrew word Shalom used for hello, good-bye & God bless you. Only God gives peace to ones spirit of forgiveness & restoration.
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