Sermon Tone Analysis

Sermon

June 22, 2003

 

*Introduction*: the message, today, is the letter or the epistle of 3rd John.

3rd John is a letter written by the Apostle John after he wrote the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

John is about 90 years old, he has been released from the island of Patmos, and he is communicating through 3 letters to the early churches in Asia Minor.

Historically, we know that John died in Ephesus, where he was the Bishop or Elder leader of that church.

John could have written this letter to that local church telling of his imminent visit.

*1st John* was written to tell the Christians that the Body of Christ, the church, is marked by love, love for the Lord, love for the brothers and sisters.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ are to love each other because they are in the family of God. 

*2nd John* was written to warn the Body of Christ that there were antichrists preaching lies, and that the Christians were not to love those who were preaching lies against the Lord.

*3rd John* was written:

·        to inform the Christians in a certain church of John’s plan to visit them

·        to commend Gaius for his hospitality

·        to encourage faithful brethren to continue to live lives that were imitating good and not evil.

·        to rebuke and warn Diotrephes for his sinfulness

·        to commend Demetrius for his good testimony.

*The Outline*:

1:1 Greetings

1:2-8 Gaius the beloved

1: 9-11 Diotrephes who desires preeminence

1: 12 Demetrius is introduced as a good witness

1:13-14 the closing of the letter

 

*The argument*: John urges the church to support traveling missionaries and imitate good conduct.

*The Key verse*: verse 11 – beloved, do not imitate that which is evil, but that which is good.

He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has stopped seeing God.

Now let’s look into the verses of 3rd John.

(I quote what is underlined in each of the following verses)

 

*1*: the elder, to Gaius, the beloved, whom I love in the truth.

John does not call attention to his title as Apostle, or even to his name, but to his position as an Elder in God’s church.

The Apostle John only placed his name in one of his writings, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”.

John never tried to place the focus on himself.

(Verse 1-The elder, to Gaius, the beloved, whom I love in the truth) and in verse 4 we learn that Gaius is the spiritual child of John.

As in any healthy family, the children are loved by the parents.

The parents love the children and would do anything to see them prosper.

But John says he loves him in the truth.

We see this phrase “in the truth” used 5 times.

So what is truth?

In John 14:6 we see Jesus saying “I am the way, *the truth* and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me”.

John 17:17 thy Word is *truth*

John 15:26 Jesus said “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of *Truth*, which proceeds from the Father, He shall testify of me”

John 4:23 – Jesus said “the true worshippers of  God shall worship the Father in spirit and in *truth*”

 

So we see in verse 1 that John loves his spiritual son, Gaius, who is walking in the truth of Jesus, revealed in the word of God, by the Spirit of God. 

 

*1 * Ὁ πρεσβύτερος Γαΐῳ τῷ ἀγαπητῷ, ὃν ἐγὼ ἀγαπῶ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ.



The Elder, to Gaius, the beloved, whom *I* love in the truth.

Notice in verse1 - the emphatic “I”- this indicates that John loves Gaius, and implies that some do not.

But John is saying “I” love you Gaius, my beloved son.

“The beloved” can be translated “dear to my heart”.

Just as John is referenced by the other Apostles as the one whom Jesus loved: and this same John rested his head on Jesus’ chest in the upper room during the last supper; even now, this same John refers to his spiritual children as “dear to my heart”.

“Love” is an active Indicative verb which indicates a fact that it is active now, at this time.

John declares “I love, am loving” Gaius in the truth.

*2 * Ἀγαπητέ, περὶ πάντων εὔχομαί σε εὐοδοῦσθαι καὶ ὑγιαίνειν, καθὼς εὐοδοῦταί σου ἡ ψυχή[1]

Beloved, concerning all things, I pray for you to prosper and to be in health even as your soul prospers.

Pray = is an indicative verb stating a fact and means “to wish for something for someone, but leaving the result to the Father”.

John again emphasizes his love for Gaius – beloved, (dear to my heart), and prays that Gaius might have a prosperous journey in this life and be in good health just as his soul prospers.

The term “prosperous” can be a business term or just a general term of “have a good journey”.

In either case, John is praying for God to give Gaius everything in this life, which is needed, in the material world, just as Gaius is prospering in his spiritual life.

It is not wrong to desire to be prosperous in this life as long as “things” don’t become our drive, our main desire, our god in life.

Gaius had the right attitude of “God first”.

John hopes that God will give Gaius any physical prosperity that is needed to help give out the truth of God’s Word.

This same John loves those who love the Lord.

John wanted Gaius to be prosperous in every aspect of his life.

John loves those who love the Lord Jesus.

This is not some sentimental love, but love based in the Truth of God, through God’s Word, about God’s Son, revealed by the Spirit of Truth.

When truth and love come into conflict, truth must prevail, love must be secondary.

 *3 * ἐχάρην γὰρ λίαν ἐρχομένων ἀδελφῶν καὶ μαρτυρούντων σου τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, καθὼς σὺ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ περιπατεῖς.

For I rejoiced greatly when the returning brothers bore witness of you in the truth, that you are walking in the truth.

Here John is rejoicing to the very depths: he could not rejoice any more.

The same term is used when it is said of someone weeping bitterly.

It is an action to the very depths of one’s soul.

John rejoiced deeply in hearing that his child was walking in the truth of God’s Word, concerning Jesus Christ, revealed to him by the Spirit of Truth.

John is rejoicing because brothers in Christ, who have been around Gaius and have received his hospitality, are returning to John and are able to bear witness about Gaius to John first hand.

They witnessed that Gaius was walking in the truth, the truth of God’s Word concerning Jesus Christ, revealed by the Spirit of truth.

Gaius was putting the words of Christ into actual life actions.

Gaius has a life style that is consistently walking in the truth of God’s word.

*Gaius helps those who need lodging and food, who are placing their lives in jeopardy to see that God’s message, His Good News, is being proclaimed to the lost.*

The phrase *“*that you are walking in truth” – walking is a present active indicative verb stating the fact that Gaius is presently, now, in a life style that reflects a life that is walking in the truth of God’s Word.

This is in direct opposition to the life style of those who do not believe (are not Christians) and are walking in darkness.

 *4 * μειζοτέραν τούτων οὐκ ἔχω χαράν, ἵνα ἀκούω τὰ ἐμὰ τέκνα ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ περιπατοῦντα.



I have no greater joy than this - that I hear (pres., act., subj.

used as a Substantival ἵνα clause) (that) of my children, the ones are walking (pres., act, part.) in the truth.

Is this not true of every mom and dad, every Sunday School teacher, every AWANA worker, every Pastor?

There is no greater joy, than to hear from another visiting Christian that out there somewhere is a young man or woman, living for Jesus, whom you had some part in contributing to their spiritual journey.

There is no greater joy.

*5 * Ἀγαπητέ, πιστὸν ποιεῖς ὃ ἐὰν ἐργάσῃ εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τοῦτο ξένους

Beloved, you are doing (acting) faith (dependably, trustworthily, you are faithful) in whatever you may have done (aorist, midd., subj.) for the brothers even though they are strangers.

Aorist takes a snapshot of the action, subjunctive is a verbal action that is uncertain but probable.

John again calls Gaius, “Beloved” – “dear to my heart”.

What you are doing is faith at work – you are acting out your faith, you have the true faith that produces good works, helping the brothers, in whatever need they have, even though, when they first came into your area, they were unknown – they were strangers.

And yet Gaius takes time to find out what message they are giving out, and if they are brothers in Christ, he opens his heart of hospitality and meets any need they have.

Strangers – the same word in Matthew 25: 35 - I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.

Whatever we do to strangers, we do to the Lord Jesus.

Strangers means foreigners, those from a foreign country.

They were not local Christians, whom Gaius would have known personally.

They were from a different culture, dress, and mannerisms, foreigners.

 *6 * οἳ ἐμαρτύρησάν σου τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἐνώπιον ἐκκλησίας, οὓς καλῶς ποιήσεις προπέμψας ἀξίως τοῦ θεοῦ·

They bore witness (aorist, midd, Ind) to your love, before the church (ekklesias): whom you will do well (in) sending (aorist, act, part) them forward in a manner worthy of God.

John points out that these traveling missionaries returned to tell The Church of the hospitality and love of Gaius.

John encourages Gaius to continue to do the good work in a manner which is worthy of God, Himself.

Notice that John refers to The Church as the ekklesias without any city name.

The Ekklesias is God’s church, as a whole.

We have local assemblies in cities, in neighborhoods, and in countries, but it is “The” church, with house groups or congregations.

These traveling missionaries came to report to the church, where John was living at that time.

God does not have the Baptist church of Livonia and Berean Bible church of Livonia; He has “the” church, of which we are just a little house group.

Do we, at Berean, have a love for the brethren that visit our local church, such that, when they return from their travels, they say “Those Berean Christians really love the Lord, because they treated me like I was a messenger from God, Himself”.

Gaius is doing well by sending these traveling missionaries on their way, in a manner worthy of God Himself.

John is saying “well done Gaius”.