John’s 3rd epistle is written to his close friend Gaius. Although we know little of Gaius, it is clear the bond between him and John was strong. But not for natural reasons; it wasn’t that they just ‘hit it off’ or had things in common. That may all have been true, but this relationship was built on Christ. There is nothing more precious than friendship with a believer who stirs your heart toward Christ. Someone with whom the central topic of conversation is Jesus. Someone who ‘gets it’ and shares your passion for Christ, Someone who makes you want to be more like Jesus. That was evidently the bond between these two men.

John writes to encourage Gaius to continue showing love and hospitality to Christian preachers who would pass through, and who would need somewhere to stay for a few days. ‘Hotels’ in the first century were dangerous places, but John encourages Gaius to bless these brothers in Christ and so play his part in the furthering of the gospel. We all can do something to fulfil the Great Commission – to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19-20). You may not be called to the mission field; you may not see yourself as an evangelist (although that should never be used as an excuse to not share the gospel!), but you can support financially if you have the means, or like Gaius, show hospitality, or even simply pray! There is no excuse for doing nothing!

In contrast to Gaius loving and generous heart, John also writes of another individual in the church, Diotrephes. He had already rejected John’s apostolic authority and had no time for visiting preachers – and even threw out of ‘his church’ anyone who tried to show love and support to them!

Some years ago my parents had arranged for the late New Zealand evangelist Barry Smith to come and speak at a local leisure centre on a Saturday night. He was a wonderful godly man with a passion to see souls saved and taught powerfully about the reality and imminence of the LORD’s return. Hundreds of people attended the evening (many were saved!). He was then due to speak at the local Anglican church on the Sunday evening. However, the minister of the Anglican church attended the Saturday night event and at the end of the evening stood up and declared “I’m not having that man speak in my church!” Diotrephes was just like that. He did not want anyone to come and teach in his church, he did not want anyone to question his authority or what he was teaching. In truth, both the Anglican minister (renowned for watering down and undermining the authority of scripture) and Diotrephes were afraid of a challenge to their position, their ‘calling’.

But scripture tells us that perfect love casts out fear, and that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. If we are ‘In Christ’ we will have confidence in our calling, we will not fear man, for our trust will be in God. We will not be intent on defending ourselves or constantly trying to vindicate ourselves. It is not our ministry or our church, it’s His!

Are you ordained? It’s a question I’ve heard a number of times. But the question is not ‘have you been ordained by men’ but ‘have you been ordained by God’! Gaius was clearly ordained of God, Diotrephes was not!

If we are ordained to ministry  in Christ, if we are in His will (and that’s the key – to be in His will, not our own)  we will know that He has called us (we will not be afraid if someone challenges us), He makes us stand (it’s His Gospel not our agenda we are to proclaim), He sustains us (it is not our natural resources that we are relying on), He provides for us (it is not our education or wisdom that got us here in the first place!), He guides us (it is not our 5-step church-planting growth-plan that we are following!), He protects us and deals with all who would be against us. It is not our battle, it is His!

The lessons are clear: Be ‘in-Christ’, walk with Him, show love and hospitality to your brothers and sisters in Christ and do all you can to further the preaching of the Gospel to a lost and dying world in the days we have left before Jesus comes!

May you be blessed and encouraged by this study. (PowerPoint slides used for this study are available for free download).

For the record, Barry Smith was subsequently invited speak at a local Baptist church on the Sunday instead! Barry Smith is now home in Heaven with his LORD, having no doubt heard those words “Well done good and faithful servant!”.

The post 3 John first appeared on Calvary Chapel Portsmouth.

1^ST JOHN

Many scholars now believe that John’s three letters were actually the last books written in the Bible. After John had returned from Patmos (where he received the Revelation) he wrote his gospel, in part to be an intentional rebuttal to the gnostic heresy being bandied about saying that Jesus wasn’t really God. In his gospel John destroys that false doctrine. Probably by now back at Ephesus, where he was the pastor, John continues his defense of the faith with his first letter. John starts by reminding his readers he was an eyewitness, and then proceeds to give us seven contrasts:

1) Light vs. Darkness,

2) The Father vs. The World,

3) Christ vs. Antichrist,

4) Good works vs. Evil works,

5) Holy Spirit vs. the spirit of error,

6) Love vs. pious pretense,

7) Those born of God vs. all others.

The basis of our walk with God is Love. We love because God first loved us, and we can love each other because of that love. John reminds us that relationship is the key.

In conclusion John states his reason for writing: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (5:13)

2^ND JOHN

It has long been debated who the intended recipient was for John’s second letter. Some have tried to make ‘the elect lady’ a title of the church; but that falls down because she has children & a sister – hardly a fitting model for a ‘chaste virgin’ (2 Cor 11:2). The most plausable answer is that it was Mary. Mary was indeed elect, having been the chosen vessel to bring Christ into the world; and we know that John was intrusted with caring for her (John 19:26).  John opens by expressing his love and joy that this womans’ children were walking with the Lord (we know that James and Jude did not believe until after the resurrection). John then focusses on the love that should characterise us, before warning of false teachers who were denying that Jesus was God in the flesh. John says in effect, ‘don’t listen to these people’. If Mary was the recipient, it is no wonder that John seeks to protect her. A key for all of us is v8 – see that we don’t loose our rewards, so remain faithful.

3^RD JOHN

John’s third letter bears similarities to his second in some ways. It is very personal in character, and it carries the same theme of truth. Truth again is presented as all-important. When truth and love come into conflict, truth must survive. Walking in truth is all-important. In the second epistle, John says that the truth is worth standing for, but in this third epistle, John’s emphasis is that the truth is worth working for. Someone has put it like this: “My life in God—that’s salvation. My life with God—that’s communion and fellowship. But my life for God—that’s service.” This epistle deals with my life for God, and it has to do with walking and working in the truth. Love can become very sloppy; it can become misdirected, and it certainly can be misunderstood if it is not expressed within the boundary of truth.

JUDE

Jude may only be a little one chapter book, but it is a heavyweight in content. Although Jude was a ‘half-brother’ of Jesus, he doesn’t dare to presume such a title, but rather introduces himself as the ‘servant of Jesus and brother of James’ (v1). Whilst Jude expresses his desire to ‘write of our common salvation’ (v3), he is compelled to exhort us to ‘contend for the faith’ (v3) on account of ungodly men that had crept into the church. He compares these ‘tares’ to the rebellious angels (in Gen 6) and the wicked men of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19). We know from Matthew 13 that we are not to uproot these tares, lest we damage the wheat in the process  – that is God’s business –  but Jude has no hesitation in exposing them and their methods. It is vital that we are aware of their schemes, so as not to be deceived, but we must not become obsessed with them: “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (20-21).

May this overview prompt you to undertake your own study of these divinely inspired books.

The PDF slides are from the PowerPoint presentation used during the teaching session.

You can listen to the audio on this web page, or save it for later listening.

The post Session 46 – 1 2 & 3 John Jude first appeared on Calvary Chapel Portsmouth.