Work Together for the Truth

3 John

“Beloved, you conduct yourself faithfully when you render some service to the brethren, especially to the unknown ones” (my translation 5 from Spanish of 3 John 5).

Gaius sounds like a great brother in the church.

  • Well loved (1)
  • Prospering soul (2)
  • Good testimony (3,6)
  • Had truth (3)
  • Walked in truth (3)
  • Helpful, servant heart (5)
  • A loving man (6)
  • Helped traveling Christians (6)

God’s people do well to be loveable (1).

Those who work would work together for the truth must love one another in the truth (1).

Wish good things for others, especial those with whom you would work together for the truth (2).

Having the truth and living the truth are essential elements of working for the truth (3).

Rejoice at another’s good life and testimony (3,4).

Receive Christian workers in a hospitable, helpful way (8).

  • That way you will be a co-laborer with the truth.
  • It is a way of cooperating with the truth. (Spanish: “that we may cooperate with the truth”)
  • We can help truth along, even if we aren’t the ones taking it forth.

Diotrephes, what a contrast to Gaius (9,10).

  • Instead of speaking truth, he babbled maliciously.
  • Instead of working with the truth, he worked against it.
  • He was antithetical to Christian leadership.

Imitate good instead of evil (11).

  • It’s another way of being fellowhelpers to the truth.
  • Doing good is evidence of being of God.
  • Doing evil is evidence of not having seen God and of being contrary to the truth.

Demetrius, another brother with a good report (12).

  • Everyone, even truth itself, spoke well of him.
  • Another one — like Gaius and John — who cooperated with the truth.

Because they received not the love of the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10)

My own living must be entirely marked by faithfulness — to God, to His Word, to His ways, to His plan, to His will. That is more important than hearing anything about anyone else. (Doing All Faithfully)

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