...agape love...total self-sacrificing love of God...

Salutation

1 The elder (John) to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.

Gaius Commended for His Hospitality

2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. 3 I was overjoyed when some of the friends arrived and testified to your faithfulness to the truth, namely, how you walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

5 Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the friends, even though they are strangers to you; 6 they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on in a manner worthy of God; 7 for they began their journey for the sake of Christ, accepting no support from non-believers. 8 Therefore we ought to support such people, so that we may become co-workers with the truth.

Diotrephes and Demetrius

9 I have written something to the church; but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing in spreading false charges against us. And not content with those charges, he refuses to welcome the friends, and even prevents those who want to do so and expels them from the church.

11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil but imitate what is good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. 12 Everyone has testified favorably about Demetrius, and so has the truth itself. We also testify for him, and you know that our testimony is true.

Final Greetings

13 I have much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink; 14 instead I hope to see you soon, and we will talk together face to face.

15 Peace to you. The friends send you their greetings. Greet the friends there, each by name” 3 John 1:1-15.

Dear friends, this is the third of three letters we have written by John. This is the shortest letter, and all of it appears above. “…the beloved Gaius is undoubtably the traveling companion of Paul referred to in Acts 19 & 20, as well as in 1 Corinthians 1 and Romans 16. Gaius is from Derbe and was baptized by Paul in Corinth where he lived and hosted Paul. John considers him a “beloved friend, whom I love in truth.” 

I love what John says about Gaius, namely, that he treats friends and strangers alike…and that Gaius is faithful to all his guests. And Gaius treats friends and stranger with a most particular kind of LOVE — “6 they have testified to your love before the church.” The love that Gaius portrays is the love that both Jesus IS — and HAS for others — AGAPE LOVE — TOTAL SELF-SACRIFICING LOVE.

Nearly 30 times in John’s three letters he refers specifically to AGAPE LOVE! It is the most important kind of love — ever! Jesus IS AGAPE LOVE…and Jesus’ love IS AGAPE LOVE — TOTAL SELF-SACRIFICING LOVE. When I look at the Cross I see the AGAPE LOVE of Jesus!

Well, AGAPE LOVE is the love God calls us to have in our hearts and the love we give away to others. So today I call upon you and me to pray for each other that we will love as Jesus loves.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.