John’s contrast between Gaius and Diotrephes offers a helpful summary of what Christ desires from His followers. Note the patterns of each:
Gaius …
• Focused on things that contributed to a godly spiritual life (3 John 2).
• Was respected by other Christians for his life and activities (v. 3).
• Made truth the core of his communication (vv. 3, 4).
• Extended hospitality to fellow Christians and others (vv. 5, 6).
• Showed generosity to traveling Christian teachers, freeing them from dependence on outside sources (v. 7).
• Shunned fame and power, unlike some others in his community (v. 9).
Diotrephes …
• Loved the spotlight (v. 9).
• Craved power (v. 9).
• Rejected John’s communication (v. 9).
• Injured John’s reputation with malicious information (v. 10).
• Refused to welcome other Christians (v. 10).
• Hindered others in the congregation from showing hospitality (v. 10).
• Expelled members who disagreed with his unkind attitude (v. 10).
The true test of our integrity is whether our actions befit a follower of Christ. Who do we resemble more—Gaius or Diotrephes? Does our faith benefit others and honor Christ?
Go to the Focus Index.
Some take John’s greeting to mean that we can count on God to enrich us physically and financially. But we should note these crucial facts:
• John prays for Gaius’s prosperity. Gaius does not speak this prayer for himself.
• John’s words are part of a formal greeting or blessing, not something that would imply an obligation from God.
• The Greek word translated here as prosper means “to travel well on a journey,” a fitting image for a Christian blessing. But this “traveling well” is not something we can earn but rather a gift that comes our way. It suggests a sense of wholeness like the Old Testament concept of shalom, a quality of life that one enjoys when following God’s precepts.
• John’s main concern was that Gaius would walk in the truth (3 John 3, 4), not that he would become a model of health and wealth.
More: Paul says that people who teach that God rewards godliness with material blessing are “destitute of the truth” (1 Tim. 6:5). See “Giving to Get” at 1 Tim. 6:3–6.
Go to the Focus Index.