You can listen to this sermon at https://www.npbc.org.au/podcasts/media
3 John 1-14
“Disempowering Power-Brokers”
John the Apostle is well into his 90’s – yet he hasn’t retired. John’s ministry is based in Ephesus from where he gives apostolic oversight, and pastoral leadership, to a group of churches which are located in and around Ephesus … and beyond. Smyrna. Pergamum. Thyatira. Sardis. Philadelphia. Laodicea.
Approximately 15 years ago John distributed his Gospel. In the not too distant past these churches have all received a copy of the letter which we know as 1 John, this was followed a little later by the letter we know as 2 John.
In one of these churches which John overseas, we do not know which one, there is a faithful Christian servant named Gaius.
He could be a leader. He certainly is highly regarded and respected within the church.
Gaius has just received a personal letter from John the Apostle – a letter which we call 3 John. This letter gives us an insight into a day in the life of one of the churches in the first century. Let’s read the letter.
You will notice up the top of the screen the reference is 3 John 1-14 (15).
That is because some English translations have a different numbering system for the last four sentences.
1 The elder, (that is John the Apostle)
To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, just as you are progressing spiritually. 3 It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. 6 They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honours God. 7 It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.
9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. 10 So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.
11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone – and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.
13 I have much to write to you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. (15) Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.
This is the letter which, initially, was only read by Gaius.
Notice in verse 9 this letter says I wrote to the church. John refers to a previous correspondence which has been sent to all the churches. There are good reasons to believe the previous correspondence is the letter we know as 2 John. Especially when a description of the sinful actions of Diotrephes is that “he will not welcome us,” “he refuses to welcome other believers,” and “he puts those who offer such welcome out of the church.”
As we saw last week, welcoming and offering hospitality are a key element of 2 John. To briefly summarise
Offering hospitality and welcome meant the teacher would go from being an outsider to becoming part of the community.
Through 2 John John is calling us to discern if we are giving credibility and welcome to people in our lives who are deceptively moving us away from the foundational truth that Jesus is the Christ.
This means that there are times when the believers need to be inhospitable. And there are times when you can judge as wicked the work of those who show hospitality to the ones to whom we should be inhospitable.
You can see the thematic connection between 2 John and 3 John. In 3 John Diotrephes thinks his actions are correct – but they are not. We will come back to Diotrephes in a moment, for now let’s keep our attention on Gaius.
Why does John write to Gaius?
We ask the question because John does not ask Gaius to deal with Diotrephes.
The letter doesn’t tell Gaius to sort Diotrephes out. John will do that when he comes to visit. So, what is the purpose of writing to Gaius
John, through Gaius, is equipping the church with a visual example of the biblical character and actions of faithful kingdom member.
Gaius has served in the kingdom in relationship and community with the beloved.
Four times in this letter John describes Gaius as “a dear friend”. Older translations use the word “beloved”.
It is a word which Paul often uses to describe his fellow ministry colleagues. Persis, a woman who worked very hard in the Lord, is “beloved” by Paul. Also, when John, and Paul, and James and Peter write to the churches they call these people “beloved”.
“Beloved” is not just friendship, or even being in the same church together. “Beloved” is not us just doing our own thing our own way or being loose cannons. “Beloved” flows out of walking alongside one another in a ministry relationship. “Beloved” is the result of mutually understanding the challenges, and sacrifices, and joys, and grief, and blessings, and frustrations that are connect with kingdom ministry. Relationship. Community. Working together in service to the Lord to build his kingdom.
Gaius has had this ministry. And even though it may have been some time since John has seen Gaius, John knows that Gaius continues to be a faithful beloved kingdom worker. It is another important biblical character and action. How does John know that Gaius continues to be faithful? There is an ongoing testimony about Gaius.
Gaius could have been one of those people who walked around telling everyone about the times he and John were ministering together. Where perhaps Gaius was one of the first converts in the area and then Gaius offered his place for John to stay. We don’t know … but it is the kind of ministry where Gaius could have told stories about what he and John achieved together for the kingdom. Kind of letting the church know that, because of the past, Gaius should be given some sort of credibility.
Gaius could have done that, but he doesn’t. What does happen is the rest of the community gives a testimony to the current Christian life of Gaius. Everyone else keeps testifying that Gaius is faithful to the truth and continues to walk in the truth.
Gaius still continues to honour the relationship and the community where he serves.
Gaius also is an example of a person who consistently applies the Scriptures.
How do we know this is the case?
(put up but don’t read)
5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. 6 They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honours God. 7 It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.
Gaius read the letter of 2 John. Or perhaps Gaius already understood what was required even before 2 John came out. Either way, everyone can see that Gaius is consistently applying the Scriptures.
When itinerant strangers come to Gaius’ town … they are not really strangers. Gaius knows that they are teaching the Name … teaching Jesus
… as the only One who can give eternal life.
… as the fully-human fully divine Saviour.
… as the risen from the dead and paid for all of our sins Lord.
They are faithful servants of the Lord.
That is why they can’t stay at the house of a pagan.
When you offered hospitality, you were aligning yourself with the teaching and the character and the philosophy of the stranger-now-guest.
But it worked both ways.
When you accepted hospitality, you were saying, of your host, “I am acknowledging the philosophy and teaching of my host.” So, if a gospel focussed faithful itinerant Christian teacher, stayed with a pagan host. It is going to send very mixed messages.
Especially when the whole town knows that the host is a pagan.
It was not an option for a faithful itinerant gospel preacher to accept hospitality from a pagan. Gaius knows this. So, whenever faithful Gospel workers need hospitality – even if they are strangers – Gaius will take them in, look after all their needs and then send them on their way with all they need for the next part of the missionary journey, in a manner that honours God.
But how did Gaius know these strangers were faithful gospel preachers? Look at verse 12.
12 Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone – and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.
Demetrius is the one who carried the letter from John and delivered it to Gaius.
Verse 12 of the letter served as a letter of recommendation about Demetrius … a letter of credibility … from John the apostle. There is no higher ministry recommendation.
Demetrius’ reputation is affirmed by all who know him, and affirmed by the truth.
The ministry work of Demerrius is spoken well of by John.
Because Demetrius has a letter of recommendation Gaius can have 100% certainty that Demetrius will teach that Jesus is the Christ. So, Gaius can offer hospitality … in accordance with the teaching of Scripture … even if Demetrius was a stranger.
Gaius is a visual example of the biblical character and actions of faithful kingdom member.
Gaius has served in the kingdom in relationship and community with the beloved.
People continue to testify that Gaius is a faithful beloved kingdom worker, honouring the relationship and the community.
Gaius consistently applies the Scriptures.
Through this example we, today, are being equipped and called to be such people every day in the life of our church.
Are we equipped?
Where we are beloved because of the faithful kingdom ministry we have undertaken in relationship and in community with the beloved. We have participated side by side in ministry as we have served the Lord.
It may be offering hospitality.
For many of us it will be something else. Pastor care. Prayer and intercession. Teaching. Discipling. Evangelism. Administration. Serving. Building. Organising.
Whatever it is … where we are using our gifts and resources to build God’s kingdom.
We have done this because we have been living in response to saving work of Jesus in our lives.
Going out for the sake of the Name. Humbly serving, for the sake of the Name, alongside the “beloved”. Being in a relationship of humble service for the community of faith as we work together to bring about God’s purpose in this part of the kingdom.
And not just being people who did that in the past. But continue to serve in relationship and community. Does it continue to be the testimony of others that we are still faithful beloved kingdom workers?
Who we are and how we serve today, is much more important testimony then how we served and what we did in the past.
I know pastors who served faithfully for 20, 30, 40 years. In all those years their ministry was effective an appreciated. But then they retired, and they go and join a church. And the testimony of that church is that these pastors are now the biggest pains in the neck.
They interfere.
They presume position which isn’t theirs.
They constantly criticise and say things like “when I was at such and such a church, we did it this way.” For all that they have done in the past they are a hindrance to the church because they do not continue to serve in relationship and community.
What we did in the past, that is not what gives us credibility. What is the testimony of our service and character and ministry now? That is testimony which matters in the day in the life of a church.
One way to ensure this is the ongoing testimony is to ensure we are consistently apply the Scriptures.
There are many people in our time who don’t consistently apply the Scriptures.
A quick example connected with 3 John 2.
2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, just as you are progressing spiritually. (NIV)
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (KJV)
There are people who take this translation, especially seeing the word prosper, and they say things like “God is a good God who doesn’t want us to be poor or suffer ill-health. This verse is then used as a theological foundation for a theology which could be described as, “the health and wealth Gospel”, or the “prosperity Gospel”, or the “name it and claim it Gospel.”
The lesson here is, if you want to consistently apply the Scriptures, it is a good practise to read the Scripture in a few different translations.
And let’s be sure … the name it and claim people are far from the only ones who do not consistently apply Scripture.
I hear Scripture being applied in an inconsistent way all the time. In order to equip us in this very issue our next sermon series is called “Keeping It In Context”.
We will focus on 12 Scripture passages which are commonly taken out of context and misapplied in some way.
The reality is, in the day in the life of the church, Scripture is not consistently. Which brings us to Diotrephes.
(Put up but don’t read)
9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. 10 So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.
11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.
Diotrephes has read the words of 2 John 10-11 which say
10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. 11 Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.
Were someone to confront Diotrephes about his actions
… where he was not welcoming the itinerant preachers.
… where he stops those who want to welcome and puts them out of the church.
Were someone to confront him about these actions he would feel very justified in saying, “I am only doing what the Scripture says.”
Except he isn’t.
Diotrephes does not welcome people who are bringing the truth.
Like Demetrius those itinerant preachers would be carrying a letter of recommendation … a letter of credibility … from John.
By not offering hospitality in this situation Diotrephes is publicly demonstrating that he is not continuing to work in relationship and in community with the beloved. Indeed, Diotrephes is demonstrating that he has no respect for the God-appointed leadership.
He doesn’t respect John.
He doesn’t respect anyone sent from John.
Diotrephes has unilaterally decided that he knows what is best for the faith community and only his view is the correct one.
To further his agenda Diotrephes seeks to justify his position by spreading malicious nonsense.
Undercutting the authority of John with words designed to bring John’s ministry into question.
Spreading nonsense and making up unjust charges which are designed to bring division and destruction.
He peddles in gossip and slander because that is the only way he can legitimise his actions.
He may have been a faithful worker in the past – but not now.
Now everyone can see that his actions are not to be imitated.
Part of the reason this is happening is that Diotrephes is not applying the Scripture consistently.
Diotrephes isn’t a false teacher.
Rather Diotrephes has become fixated on an application of Scripture that is inconsistent with Scripture.
With no regard for working in relationship in the community Diotrephes is stubbornly pushing his own agenda. An agenda which is opposite the kingdom ministry of the church.
And the church is seeing what Diotrephes is doing and they are saying, “Diotrephes has got this all wrong.”
Why is Diotrephes behaving like this?
John provides the reason in verse 9, Diotrephes loves to be first
Every day the objective of Diotrephes is, I need to be first.
I need to win. It is my way or the highway.
My agenda has to become the agenda of the whole church.
Diotrephes wants to be elevated above everyone else – he wants to be first. It is an attitude which is the very opposite of the attitude that Jesus calls us to have.
26 (W)hoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’
Matthew 20:26-28
The context where Jesus talks about not being first is a context where James and John and seeking positions of power and authority.
Jesus had to specially remind John that this is not behaviour which is acceptable for a disciple. John heard these words of Jesus, and repented. Now John is speaking the same reminder to Diotrephes and all those who love to be first. John wants Diotrephes to understand that he is not ministering as one who is convicted by the person and power of Jesus. He is ministering in the person and power of self.
Today we call such people powerbrokers.
Powerbrokers do not want to serve, they want to be served.
Powerbrokers do not care about ministering in relationship and community with the beloved … they just love to be first.
Power brokers will adamantly say “I’m following Scripture” … “I’m doing this for Jesus”.
But, as the wider community looks on, the testimony grows, “You are just doing this for yourself.”
Powerbrokers.
In the life of the church today such people exist. And they are spiritually dangerous.
They are dangerous because they stop the faithful ministry of the Word from happening.
They are dangerous because they are a distraction from building God’s kingdom.
They are dangerous because they cause others to be lead astray, or to be silent even though they know something is wrong.
Powerbrokers, people who love to be first like Diotrephes, they are spiritually dangerous – and they need to be called out.
But who will do that?
Who is the one who calls them out?
Who has that authority?
Let’s come back to what I said earlier.
Gaius is a visual example of the biblical character and actions of faithful kingdom member.
Gaius has served in relationship and community with the beloved.
Gaius continues to be a faithful beloved kingdom worker.
Gaius consistently applies the Scriptures.
Despite all these kingdom characteristics. Gaius is not the one tasked with dealing with Diotrephes.
Nor does the task fall onto Demetrius – even though Demetrius has been certified by John. No. The responsibility to deal with this situation is the responsibility that John carries.
10 So when I come, I will call attention to what (Diotrephes) is doing.
In a day in the life of the church there are still powerbrokers.
But in the day in the life of the church we no longer have apostles.
So when there is a situation where a powerbroker is seeking to hijack the church, or has hijacked the church. Where, even in a church with people of the spiritual character of Gaius, such people are not being asked to deal with those like Diotrephes.
In that situation today, who has been appointed by Jesus to call out the powerbrokers?
That authority now rest with the elders and pastors.
At another time we will look at the Scriptures which give this authority, and how that authority is to be exercised.
But, for now in relation to 3 John, let’s understand the dynamic.
When John comes and calls out the behaviour of Diotrephes the congregation will support John in this task. It will happen because of the visual testimonies.
The visual testimony of Gaius.
Compared to the visual testimony of Diotrephes.
If we do not want to be a community hindered by powerbrokers, then we need to be a community who seek to be equipped in the same way that Gaius was equipped.
Where we are the beloved who have undertaken faithful kingdom ministry in relationship and community.
Where there continues to be the testimony that, right across our church, there continues to be faithful beloved kingdom workers.
Where we seek together to continue to consistently apply the Scriptures.
When we are that community the powerbrokers, who love to be first, may still try to hijack our ministry.
They may try … but they will not succeed.
So – does anyone here today aspire to be a powerbroker?
Through the teaching of 3 John we are being equipped and you being put on notice.
Powerbroker … Repent and seek forgiveness from the beloved.
Or get out and stop hindering and hurting our ministry.
Prayer
