THREE MEN AND A CHURCH – NOW WHAT IS THE RESULT? – 3rd LETTER OF JOHN
Here are three glimpses of a church that could be any church but it is specific to the little group where Gaius was fellowshipping. We are going to look at three men mentioned in John’s letter to that church synonymous to Gaius. The start of the letter to Gaius -
[A]. AN OLD FRIEND OF JOHN’S – GAIUS
{{3John 1:1-5 “The elder to the BELOVED Gaius, WHOM I LOVE IN TRUTH - Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers, for I was very glad when brethren came and bore witness to your TRUTH, that is, how you are WALKING IN TRUTH. I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children WALKING IN THE TRUTH. Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers”}}
{{3John 1:6-8 “and they bear witness to your love before the church, and you will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God, for they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men, that we may be fellow workers with the truth.”}}
There was a loving relationship between John and Gaius. He calls him, “beloved”. He loves him in the truth, meaning each of them shares a common connection, and that is, the mutual connection with Christ. The truth is the word of God, for God’s Word is true, the inspired word of God. Also each man was indwelt by the Holy Spirit, for it is He who will lead us into all truth. This world is incredibly untruthful and is devious, and propagates and believes lies whether from religious organisations or politicians, or especially these days, the scientific community. The world is sadly very deluded because it has rejected the truth of the bible.
John and Gaius knew truth for they were founded in the One who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Truth must be taught and nurtured. How quickly the early church turned from the truth and to lies, and to what was false in both doctrine and practice. At the same time John was writing to Gaius, he was also writing to 7 churches in Asia and four of them had serious battles with the truth as the decay began to settle in.
John introduces himself as the elder for he was; and it is supposed, he was in his 90s. Gaius, it seems, was a resident of Derby at least when we first hear of him. Whether he was in Derby when John wrote to him, we can’t be certain, but we are looking at 35 to 40 years after the first instance of the mention of his name. Paul and Barnabas visited Iconium with the gospel resulting in a good number of believers, but trouble ensued from the agitating Jews and the apostles fled to Lyconia, Lystra and Derby. The Acts tell us they continued to preach the gospel in the places to which they fled. The first time we catch up with Gaius is in Acts 19:29. There he was described as one of Paul’s travelling companions along with Aristarchus, but these two had been set upon by the frenzied crowd at Ephesus to drag them into the theatre where there was an uproar instigated by the craftsmen. What are our conclusions about Gaius from Acts 14 and 19? We have just read where he was in company with Paul for the sake of the gospel, but where did he join the apostles?
Before we try to answer that, let us look at Acts 20:4. The uproar at Ephesus has ceased and Paul set out for Macedonia, then Greece, and had intended to return to Macedonia and he was accompanied by Sopater, Aristarchus, Secundus, Gaius, Timothy, Tychicus and Trophimus. There we read Gaius was from Derby. I think we can conclude that Paul met Gaius in Derby when he fled there from Iconium. Was Gaius a convert in Derby, or a Christian who was already living there? We can’t be certain but I feel it might be the latter as he soon came into ministry with Paul. Having said that, we must note the verse in 1Corinthians 1:14 where Paul says he did not baptise anyone in Corinth except Crispus and Gaius. That would indicate that Gaius became a Christian under Paul. Corinthians suggests Gaius was a resident there, and this is confirmed from Romans 16:23 where Tertius the writer of the Romans letter was staying with Gaius in Corinth from where the Roman letter was written. As well verse 23 says Gaius was host to the whole church suggesting that the church at Corinth met in Gaius’s home.
Verse 4 in John may give the impression that Gaius was a convert under the apostle John, as one of his children, but this term was used by the apostle frequently as in 1John 4:4 “you are from God little children”, 1John 5:2 “we love the children of God.” 1John 5:21 “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.” 1John 2:1 “my little children I am writing these things.” 1John 2:12, 18, 28, and there are more in chapter 3. Having gone around in that circle, what could we conclude about where Gaius was located? A former resident of Derby, but after his ministry with Paul, he settled in Corinth where he was when Paul wrote his letter to that church. In A.D. 96 when John wrote to Gaius, both men were elderly, John more so. It was in this same year that Clement of Rome wrote to the Corinthian Church a very lovely letter showing great insight. What else is contained about Gaius in this small letter? In his greetings John wishes him to prosper and to be in good health equating that with the good prosperity of his soul. We should all know that prosperity is not to be rich, but to have sufficient, and to live in great contentment with God, productively, and doing God’s will in our lives. We have already mentioned THE WALKING IN TRUTH when brethren returned to John with that good news about Gaius. Walking in the truth was the cause of the greatest joy for John – {{2John 1:4 “I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father.”}} Also these verses from 3John 1-5.
One might think it was to hear that Christians love one another that thrilled John, and that would have been true, but you see, there can be no proper love unless the framework of truth is in place. That is why John mentions truth several times in his letter, because truth is part of the greatest of the “I Ams” – the WAY the TRUTH the LIFE. Pure truth with pure love is the highest standard a Christian can reach.
The name Gaius or Caius was a very common name in the Roman world and the name occurs four times in the New Testament. Many commentators believe the names represent three or four different individuals while others think there may be two, and a small number think they all applied to the one man. It cannot be confirmed one way or the other, but I have written this account as if there was but one man. I see no reason for rejecting that. In any case what is said about this man, all these men, is still applicable to the lessons we can learn from him or them. Keep in mind that Gaius may not have been in Corinth when the John’s letter was written. Strong possibility he was not, for John mentions about coming to visit him, which means he was probably close. We learn something wonderful about Gaius in verse five, one of the most honourable things Christians do for each other. He looked after strangers, Christians who were visiting, or needed a place to be accommodated. Great hospitality.
[B]. SATAN PLACED HIS MAN - DIOTREPHES
{{3John 1:9-11 “I wrote something to the church but DIOTREPHES, who LOVES TO BE FIRST among them, DOES NOT ACCEPT WHAT WE SAY. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, UNJUSTLY ACCUSING US WITH WICKED WORDS, and not satisfied with this, NEITHER DOES HE HIMSELF RECEIVE THE BRETHREN, and he forbids those who desire to do so, and PUTS THEM OUT OF THE CHURCH. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God. The one who does evil has not seen God.”}}
The second man to come to our notice is Diotrephes, and this man was so brazen and forward that all were afraid of him, and he took control over the whole group domineering them. I wonder what the interaction between Diotrephes and Gaius was. It would not have been harmonious anyway, for light and darkness have no fellowship, and I suggest this man was unsaved but had entered in to take control. More to the point, I think it was Satan who enlisted him and commissioned him.
The Apostle John singles him out as a troublemaker because of his many adverse conflicts with true Christianity. These are –
(a). A DICTATORIAL ATTITUDE. He loved the preeminence. People like that love to be noticed and get puffed up when attention is given to them. They are the type who sit on seats out front and just love the importance. That sort of person very rapidly causes division in churches and the problems that proceed from all that.
These men are dangerous and if left unchecked, cause much damage. Who though, can take them on? Yes, the Apostle could, but in our own churches, who? IF a church functions according to the New Testament principle of a mature and strong eldership, men of good and wise standing with God according to the qualifications found in Timothy, then these divisive matters can be nipped in the bud. The true servant of the Lord is a humble man.
(b). A REJECTER OF GOD’S TRUTH. How common it is to have a dictator or overbearing person not aligned to the truth or correct doctrine or correct practice. Diotrephes rejected what John had written. He threw it out, no better than the king in Jeremiah’s time who burnt the scroll of the Lord. Such people are a law unto themselves. You may wonder how such people can have leadership among God’s people, but it is no mystery. They are Satan’s tares sown to create discord. If you have a Diotrephes influencing your church, then it is a sad situation. Need I say that a few ministers are like that themselves, similar to King Saul, self-willed and proud. In the congregation these people can surface as well.
(c). AN UNJUST ACCUSER OF THE BRETHREN. Men like Diotrephes are quick to attack the true people of the faith. He had the audacity to accuse the Apostle John of many things, unjustly. When I think of Diotrephes my mind goes to the description that is found in Jude – {{Jude 1:8 Yet in the same manner these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties, Jude 1:12 These men are those who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit doubly dead, uprooted; Jude 1:13 wild waves of the sea casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever. Jude 1:19 These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit,”}}
How do you deal with these men of arrogance? In our churches it becomes near impossible unless you have godly men in oversight who know how to rule the flock of God with wisdom.
(d). A REJECTER OF GOD’S MINISTERING BRETHREN. Those gifted men who had the itinerant ministry among the churches were rejected and refused to minister in the church. What a horrible man this was in the church, but history is littered with these demanding, overbearing men who eventually grew up into a clerical order ultimately to the Pope. God’s people should gather together in simplicity and uncluttered fellowship. There is no place for those who would try to dominate others. We are to esteem others before ourselves and seek the welfare and growth of our fellow Christians.
(e). THIS MAN IS WICKED. Those who correctly desired to receive the ministering brothers from the Lord were opposed and he actually expelled them from the church. In the centuries after this, that sort of things was happening as the church charged towards darkness and Satan’s rule, but here it was on display in the first century.
In 3John 1:11, the Apostle contrasts good and evil. By inference he compares Diotrephes with evil and asks that the saints depart from that evil; from the way of Diotrephes. There are only two paths, the good one and the evil one. We either belong to the Lord or we do not. There is light and darkness, saved and unsaved, the heavenly people and the earthly people.
[C]. THE MODEL OF A MATURE CHRISTIAN - DEMETRIUS
We come now to the third man whose name was Demetrius. Very little is said of him, and here are the closing verses of this epistle -
3John 1:12-14 “DEMETRIUS has received A GOOD TESTIMONY from everyone, and FROM THE TRUTH ITSELF, and we also bear witness, and you know that our witness is true. I had many things to write to you, but I am not willing to write them to you with pen and ink, but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.”}}
Demetrius was very special in that he had a threefold witness of a good testimony. The first came from everyone, and you can’t better that. The second came from the truth, and that is the highest you can get because the truth allies itself with “I am the Way, the TRUTH and the Life (John 14:6). The third came from John and his associates. Indeed, Demetrius could not have had greater qualifications.
Who was Demetrius? In Maclaren’s Exposition he says this, [[ “What a strange fate this Demetrius has had! He has narrowly escaped oblivion, yet he is remembered for ever and his name is known over all the world. But beyond the name nothing is certain. Who he was, where and when he lived, what he had done to earn the old Apostle’s commendation are unknown. All his surroundings are swallowed up in darkness, and there shines out only that one little point of light that he ‘hath a good report’-or, as the Revised Version better renders it,’ he hath the witness of all men, and of the truth itself.’ A great many brilliant reputations might be glad to exchange a fame that has filled the world for a little epitaph like that.” ]]
The only other Demetrius biblically mentioned is an evil man, a coppersmith, who agitated the tradesmen into a riot against Paul and Silas in Ephesus. The odd person conjectures this many have been the same man now converted, but again, Demetrius was a common name. To close this mention of Demetrius I found an excellent comment again by MacLaren speaking of the Christian witness in testimony (Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone) -
[[ “And, again, it is a very righteous and good thing that people who are not Christians should have such extremely lofty and strict standards for the conduct of people that are. We sometimes smile when we see in the newspapers, for instance, sensational paragraphs about the crime of some minister, or clergyman, or some representative religious man. No doubt a dash of malice is present in these; but they are an unconscious testimony to the high ideal of character which attaches to the profession of Christianity. No similar paragraphs appear about the immoralities or crimes of non-religious men. They are not expected to be saints. But we are, and it is right that we should be thus expected. The world does not demand of us more than it is entitled to do, or that our Lord has demanded. There is nothing more wholesome than that Christian people should feel that there are lynx eyes watching them, and hundreds who will have a malicious joy if they defile their garments, and bring discredit on their profession.
I have not the smallest objection to that; and I only wish that some of us who talk a great deal about the depth of our spiritual life could hear what is thought of us by our next-door neighbours, and our servants, and the tradesmen that we deal with, and all those other folk that have no sympathy with our religion, and are, therefore, rigid judges of our conduct.” ]]
We can’t be sure of the exact relationship Demetrius had to this church where Gaius was. Perhaps he had been put out by Diotrephes or was coming to visit.
[D]. LASTLY THE CHURCH
We do not know which assembly of Christians Gaius was associated with but we might be able to assume it was some small community or city not too far from Ephesus where John was living after his release from Patmos. I suppose it is intriguing with a number of less than concrete conclusions, but the study of the three men is instructive for our own conduct in churches.
To conclude the epistle John expresses the hope that he can shortly meet face to face with Gaius. Here is a ninety-six year old man willing to travel to meet a close friend, and at the same time, deal with Diotrephes. Some people get to the age of 60 or 70 and think it is time to retire from work. The honest Christian never retires from God’s work, and let me emphasise this fact, “You can often do greater work for God in your closing years when you can be single-minded and focussed!” God bless you all.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
