3 John
Share
This resource is exclusive for PLUS Members
Upgrade now and receive:
- Ad-Free Experience: Enjoy uninterrupted access.
- Exclusive Commentaries: Dive deeper with in-depth insights.
- Advanced Study Tools: Powerful search and comparison features.
- Premium Guides & Articles: Unlock for a more comprehensive study.
John was fearful that the aggressive opposition of Diotrephes might lead Gaius to refrain from showing hospitality to traveling believers. He urged Gaius to continue what he had been doing.
Since we cannot know whether Gaius and Diotrephes attended the same church, we are uncertain of the nature of John's warning about Diotrephes. If both men were in the same church, John may have commended Gaius for not buckling under to Diotrephes. If they were in nearby churches, John could have warned Gaius about the high-handed actions of Diotrephes.
John denounced Diotrephes for his pride, his wicked words, and his inhospitable treatment of traveling Christian missionaries. The motives for Diotrephes' actions do not seem to have been theological but personal and moral.
Diotrephes was dominated by personal ambition.
John may have feared that Gaius would follow carelessly the bad example of Diotrephes. This led him to warn Gaius to choose his examples carefully. Gaius was to follow those who practiced good, not evil.
John commended Demetrius to the care of Gaius. He complimented Demetrius with the statement that "everyone" spoke well of him.
John's heart was full of thoughts and ideas to convey to his readers, but he withheld them in anticipation of a future visit. He had much more to say than he could include on a single sheet of the writing material known as papyrus.
See books listed for 1 John.