3 John. John’s second letter was delivered to an anonymous church that was seeking wisdom and guidance regarding hospitality towards traveling preachers and dealing with false teachers. Now John’s third letter (also very short!) is on the same topic but directed to a pastor or church leader by the name of Gaius.

John is delighted with Gaius – he is walking in the truth and his church has been faithfully making efforts to support these brothers. John urges Gaius and his congregation to continue to entertain traveling teachers, and especially to extend hospitality to itinerant missionaries who pass through the area.

These missionaries have gone out for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ and are due honor from local congregations. John urges local congregations to offer all financial and other support as needed. “Send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God… they accept nothing from the gentiles. Therefore, we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.” We are called to do for missionaries what other non-believers cannot or will not do.

Herein lies an excellent principle of Christian giving: Christians should finance Christian enterprises and activities which the secular world will not, or should not be expected to, support. In partnering with missionaries and those who are working for the gospel, congregations are doing their part as fellow workers in the kingdom of God.

As John encourages Gaius and the congregation to support missionaries, he identifies one individual by name who has been a problem and created opposition: “Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first”. Yikes! Imagine having your name recorded for all of history as the person who created conflict by always trying to put himself first?! It reminds me of someone else who was shamed publicly: “Demas, who deserted Paul and the ministry because he loved the world” (2 Timothy 4:10).

May we humble ourselves and never have to be called out by church leadership for loving the world more than ministry, or for always seeking to put ourselves first! And may we be supportive of missionaries and other ministries that are doing the good work of the kingdom of God.