CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
The Letters of John

1–3 John

Orientation

The Letters of John are among the most neglected parts of the New Testament, especially 2 John and 3 John, which are the two shortest books in the Bible. They tend to be neglected because of their brevity, and because on the surface they don’t appear to offer much instruction for today. First John tends to be neglected because it is difficult to navigate and even more difficult to preach. And yet together the three letters offer very rich theology, practical application, and some of the most profound statements about the love of God in Christ.

The twin themes shared across the three letters are love and truth. A believer cannot claim to know the truth about God and Christ and at the same time not show love to others. A lack of love is incompatible with truth. By the same token, the person who truly loves demonstrates truly knowing God, since God is love. God’s love is most profoundly demonstrated in the sacrificial gift of his Son as an atoning sacrifice, and believers likewise must demonstrate love in practice—not in word alone.

The Historical Origins of the Letters of John

Figure 27.1. The seven churches of Asia Minor [© Baker Publishing Group]

One way that love and truth come together in these letters is through the theme of fellowship. Especially in 1 John, believers share in fellowship with God and with one another. In 2 John and 3 John, fellowship is expressed in practical ways through hospitality. Hospitality is an expression of love toward those who hold to the truth. In the same way, withholding hospitality is a way to prevent false teachers from spreading their deceptions. In this case, the withholding of hospitality is ultimately a loving act because it serves to protect others from falsehood.

Exploration—Reading 1 John

This We Declare to You

READ 1 JOHN 1:1–4

First John begins unlike a normal letter, without any kind of greeting, diving straight into the deep end. It opens obscurely so that the first-time reader does not know exactly what the author is talking about. Something “was from the beginning” (1:1a); it was heard, seen, observed, and touched by the author and whomever else the “we” refers to (1:1b). And this something concerns the word of life (1:1c).

The Structure of 1 John

1:1–4	Prologue
1:5–10	Walking in the light versus walking in the darkness
2:1–6	Avoiding sin and keeping God’s commands
2:7–11	Love versus hate
2:12–17	Love of the Father versus love of the world
2:18–27	Remaining in the Son versus being led astray
2:28–3:10	Being and acting as the children of God
3:11–18	Love expressed in action
3:19–24	Reassurance and confidence before God
4:1–6	Recognizing the Spirit of truth versus the spirit of falsehood
4:7–21	Loving one another because love is from God
5:1–12	Theological conclusion
5:13–21	Pastoral conclusion

1 John, a Strange “Letter”

Like Hebrews, 1 John lacks most of the features of a normal letter. There is no greeting, no author is mentioned, and the recipients are not named. Nor does the document become more like a letter as it progresses, with its recurring themes that twist and turn on one another. While clearly it was originally written (rather than spoken, as Hebrews may have been; see 1 John 2:1, 7, 8, 12–14, 26), it is not a letter in any normal sense. It is better to regard 1 John as a theological treatise or encyclical. Without specific addressees, it is possible that 1 John was intended to be circulated to several churches in the region of Asia Minor, where John spent the last decades of his life.

The second verse reveals a little more of the subject matter, so that the something of the first verse is now called the “life” (1:2a). This life was revealed, has been seen, and “was with the Father and was revealed to us” (1:2b). At this point, the reader probably realizes that the author is talking about Jesus, though he is still spoken of in an abstract, impersonal way. In this way, the first two verses are similar to the opening of John’s Gospel in the way that it refers to Jesus as the “word” (John 1:1). This impersonal title is slowly unpacked as the reader eventually discovers that it refers to Jesus (John 1:14). In 1 John, the “life” refers to Jesus, and this is whom the author has heard, seen, observed, and touched.

Who Are the “We”?

John’s eyewitness account of Jesus is declared to his readers for a specific purpose: that they may have fellowship with John and other believers (1:3a). And this fellowship is not just for those who believe in Jesus, but is with Jesus and his Father (1:3b). Indeed, one of the major themes of the letter is the idea that believers can have fellowship—a deep, intimate relationship—with God himself through faith in Jesus Christ. Perhaps more than any other letter in the New Testament, 1 John depicts the Christian life as one of deep relationship with God.

What Exactly Was Witnessed?

Given that John later talks about the error of denying the human nature of Christ, that he came “in the flesh” (4:2–3), the opening of the letter (1:1–4) has been understood as a testimony to Jesus’s humanity. He was heard, seen, and touched. While this testimony certainly does affirm the physical humanity of Jesus (he is no ghost or spirit), 1:1–4 could also refer to the post-resurrection appearances of Christ. The seeing, hearing, and touching fit very well with, for example, John 20:24–29, in which the resurrected Jesus invites Thomas to touch his hands and his side in order to believe.

Finally, John says that he writes these things “so that our joy may be complete” (1:4). In other words, John and his fellow witnesses are ultimately interested in bringing about this fellowship mentioned in 1:3. This is what will bring them joy. They do not testify to the reality of Jesus’s incarnation and resurrection just for the sake of theological information or historical credibility. The whole goal of their testimony is to draw others into the fellowship that believers have with God. Doing so brings them complete joy.

What Fellowship with God Looks Like

READ 1 JOHN 1:5–10

John passes on a message from Jesus, that God is pure light without any darkness within him (1:5). Light is a common metaphor used throughout the Bible to indicate God’s glory and holiness as well as the revelation of truth. Because God is pure light, it is not possible to have fellowship with him if we walk in darkness (1:6). Though the light/darkness metaphor refers in part to truth versus falsehood, it also refers to holiness versus sin, as 1:7 makes clear: walking in the light enables fellowship with one another, and all sin has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Jesus’s blood enables sinners to walk in the light and to have fellowship with God, because it removes our sin. If sin remained, we would still be in darkness.

Figure 27.2. The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Caravaggio [Wikimedia Commons]

God Is Light

The Old Testament is full of connections between God and light. He brought light into the world (Gen. 1:3), and believers walk in his light (Ps. 89:15). God wears light like clothing (Ps. 104:2), and it is connected to his glory (Isa. 60:1). While light is described only as an attribute of God in the Old Testament, in John’s Gospel Jesus refers to himself as the light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5). He came to dispel the darkness and make people into children of the light (John 12:35–36, 46). In this sense, Jesus is the personification of God’s divine light.

Walking in the light demands that we be honest about ourselves, and this means admitting that sin is in our lives. So John says that if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1:8). But if we recognize and admit the sin in our lives, we are able to confess it. And if we confess our sins, God will forgive us and cleanse us (1:9). But, again, if we claim to be without sin, we not only deceive ourselves but also call God a liar (1:10). God has judged us sinful, so to claim otherwise would be to regard his word as false. Perhaps this comes as a surprise for some readers: the person who really knows God and who walks in his light is the person who freely acknowledges being a sinner! God doesn’t want us to pretend otherwise. Only by acknowledging the truth can we be cleansed and restored.

The Forgiveness of Sins

Included in many of the Christian creeds is the statement that we believe in “the forgiveness of sins.” This is rooted in the whole Bible’s witness that even though humanity has dishonored and disobeyed God, beginning with Adam and Eve, God is gracious, kind, and willing to forgive sins. In the Mosaic covenant there were many sacrifices that could be made so that one’s sins could be forgiven, and the priesthood was established to oversee and perform these sacrifices (see especially Leviticus). In the New Testament Jesus is understood to come into the world, to suffer and die, as the final and perfect sacrifice that secures eternal forgiveness (Heb. 10:14). Jesus describes the ritual meal of bread and wine as a picture of his broken body and spilled blood “for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:28). One can err on either side of this truth, either denying that one is sinful or that it matters to God (1 John 1:8), or despairing such that one’s sins are too great to be forgiven (Ps. 103:12). Central to the Christian understanding of the Bible is that Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection are sufficient to forgive all sin (1 John 1:9).

The Good Advocate

READ 1 JOHN 2:1–6

It is good to acknowledge our sinfulness, but that does not mean it is good to go on sinning! John writes so that his readers would not sin. But if we do sin—and John has already established that we will—he comforts his readers with the reassurance that Jesus Christ serves as our “advocate with the Father” (2:1). Christ is like a defense lawyer who pleads your case in a court of law. He is on your side. Furthermore, he is a righteous advocate (2:1c). He is not like a corrupt defense lawyer who seems just as shady as the crooks he represents. Christ himself is in good standing before his Father, so his representation is effective.

But Christ is not just our advocate before the Father. He is also our “atoning sacrifice” (2:2). His death by crucifixion paid the penalty for our sins, and indeed for the sins of the whole world. This means that Jesus not only represents us before the Father as our advocate but also makes amends for our failures and sins. He has done all that is necessary to secure our status with God.

Our Atoning Sacrifice

Debate has swirled over the nature of Christ’s sacrifice, especially as to whether it is one of expiation or of propitiation. Expiation is the type of sacrifice that removes guilt from the sinner, such as the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:20–22). The sins of the people were laid on the head of the goat, which was then sent away into the wilderness carrying Israel’s sins with it. Propitiation refers to the redirection of God’s wrath away from the sinner toward the sacrificial animal. This kind of sacrifice was exercised daily in Israel as bulls and goats were killed for sins. The animals took the penalty of sin in place of the people, thus redirecting God’s wrath away from them. While propitiation has been criticized because of association with pagan religious practices, it is most likely in view in 1 John 2:2. Jesus’s advocacy with the Father (2:1) implies a context of judgment and averted punishment for sin. In such a context, propitiation is the best way to understand the sacrifice of Christ.

The Sins of the Whole World?

The great French Reformer John Calvin famously claimed that Jesus’s sacrifice for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2) meant not that Jesus died for everyone, but only for the elect of the whole world. This view became known as limited atonement, or definite atonement, and is a key characteristic of the movement known as Calvinism. The main argument for limited atonement is that God intended Jesus’s death to save the people he predestined. If Jesus died for everyone, and yet not everyone will be saved, then God’s purposes are not fulfilled. This is an unacceptable conclusion for adherents of limited atonement, since all of God’s purposes are fulfilled in Christ. First John 2:2 became a “difficult” text for Calvinism, since it seems to say that Jesus’s death was for the whole world, and Calvin’s own explanation is still the most popular. However, in its context, there is no evidence to suggest that John intended to limit the reference of Jesus’s sacrifice.

Jesus is on our side. He is our advocate and atonement. But the question is, Are we on his side? This is one of the key questions that 1 John addresses: How do believers know whether they really know Jesus? John says that we know that we know Jesus if we keep his commands (2:3). Of course, this raises the question of what these commands are, but John will address that later. His point here is that a believer cannot claim to know Jesus and at the same time not do what Jesus has commanded. Such a person is a liar (2:4). There is a connection between knowing and doing. In the same way, someone who keeps his word has the love of God completed within. And so, believers can know that they are in Jesus: the one who remains in him will walk as he walked (2:5–6).

The Old and New Command

READ 1 JOHN 2:7–11

John has just referred to the importance of keeping Jesus’s commands. Now John begins a discussion about a command that is old, but also new. He first states that he is not writing a new command but an old one that his readers already know about (2:7). Then he states that he is writing a new command (2:8a). This apparent contradiction can be resolved only once we know what command(s) John is talking about. Given that he goes on to address love and hate (2:9–11), it is clear that the old/new command is concerned with love. This then makes sense of the old/new contradiction. Jesus said, “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another” (John 13:34). He called this a “new command.” But this command is also “old” because Israel was instructed to love God (Deut. 6:5) and neighbor (Lev. 19:18). In other words, Jesus’s “new” command is a reissuing of an old command. That’s why John can call the instruction to love one another both old and new. The one who loves lives in the light, but the one who hates is in the darkness (2:9–11).

John’s Readers Have Been Changed Already

READ 1 JOHN 2:12–14

This poetically structured section in the middle of chapter 2 is arguably the centerpiece of the letter. John speaks to three groups within his audience: little children, fathers, and young men. The “little children” probably refers to all of John’s readers (the whole group), just as he addresses them elsewhere (e.g., 2:1). The fathers and young men are subgroups that may represent leadership within the churches. Each group (little children, fathers, young men) is addressed twice. John addresses each group first with “I am writing to you . . .” (2:12–13) and then with “I have written to you . . .” (2:14). This structure enhances its poetic shape and provides a multifaceted rationale for John’s letter.

In each case, John writes to these groups because of what God has already done in their lives. The little children have had their sins forgiven (2:12) and have come to know the Father (2:14a). The fathers have come to know the one who is from the beginning (2:13a, 14b). The young men have conquered the evil one (2:13b), and God’s word remains in them (2:14c). In other words, John writes to these believers because God’s work is already evident among them. One of John’s main goals in writing this letter is to reassure believers that they are in the truth and in fellowship with God. He assures them of these things because the evidence is already there.

Johann Bengel and the Tradition of Annotations

Rooted in ancient traditions of education, Christians have always written commentaries based on Scripture, explaining what the texts are saying to clarify and emphasize for later readers. Similar to but somewhat distinct from a full commentary is the tradition of writing annotations—a list of short notes that explain phrases or verses in an isolated manner. Annotations can be more devotional or more scholarly, depending on their purpose. One such scholarly version is the five volumes of notes on the New Testament written by the important Christian teacher Johann Albrecht Bengel (1687–1752) that are still in print today, called the Gnomon (“index” or “arrow pointer”). Bengel’s notes show his breadth and depth of knowledge of Greek and Latin, textual criticism, and literary and rhetorical devices. These have long served to teach more academically oriented Christians how to read Scripture in a very close and detailed way.

So Stay in the Truth

READ 1 JOHN 2:15–29

Since God is already at work in the lives of his readers, John now encourages them to remain in the truth. First, they should not love the world or anything in the world (2:15a). John means the world in rebellion against God, not literally everything in the world, which would also include fellow believers—whom John insists they ought to love! If someone loves the world, including lust and pride, then the Father’s love is not in them (2:15b–16).

Second, believers must beware that antichrists have gone out from among the churches (2:18–19). These are people who have turned away from the truth about Christ and thus are now anti-Christ. This reality is evidence that it is “the last hour,” which is a way of referring to the last period of salvation history.

But unlike these antichrists, genuine believers have an anointing from God and know the truth (2:20). This anointing probably refers to the gift of the Spirit, who leads believers in the truth (cf. John 14:16–17). While the antichrists deny that Jesus is the Christ, genuine believers accept Christ and therefore have fellowship with the Father too (2:22–25). Believers’ anointing of the Spirit teaches them to reject the deceptions of deceivers (2:26–27) and enables them to remain in Christ with confidence (2:28). When Christ comes, believers will have no reason for shame, since all who do right have been born of God (2:29).

Who’s Your Father?

READ 1 JOHN 3:1–10

Throughout this section John contrasts the children of God with the children of the devil. God’s love has made believers his children (3:1), and this means that they will become like him (3:2–3). But those who continue in their sinful ways do not know God (3:4–6). Such people actually belong to the devil, who is the original sinner and the one whose works the Son of God came to destroy (3:7–8). The true children of God, however, are not able to live according to sin because they have been born of God (3:9), and they reveal themselves as God’s children by their love for one another (3:10).

Love, Not Hate

READ 1 JOHN 3:11–18

John has already shown that love reveals the children of God, and this is illustrated by Cain and Abel. Cain was the world’s first murderer, killing his righteous brother, Abel (3:11–12; cf. Gen. 4:1–16). In the same way, the world opposed to God will hate the children of God, and all haters are murderers, like Cain (3:13–15). On the contrary, those who love do not murder but rather lay down their own lives for others, as Jesus did (3:16–17). Such love is expressed in practical ways, not only in word (3:17–18).

Figure 27.3. Cain Leadeth Abel to Death by James Joseph Tissot [The Jewish Museum. Gift of the heirs of Jacob Schiff.]

Cain and Abel

It is striking that the only direct reference to the Old Testament in 1 John is his discussion of Cain and Abel (3:12; cf. Gen. 4:1–16). Why does John mention the infamous fratricidal Cain but make no mention of foundational figures such as Abraham, Moses, David, or Elijah? Why recount a story of murder but neglect to mention God’s promises to Abraham, the redemption of Israel out of Egypt, or the establishment of the promised land? First, the story about Cain and Abel perfectly illustrates John’s point that hate is effectively a type of murder (3:15); murder is the physical expression of true hatred. Second, although 1 John does not demonstrate other direct connections to the Old Testament, it demonstrates several to John’s Gospel. Since the Gospel is heavily indebted to the Old Testament, 1 John in effect leans on the Gospel’s connection to the overarching story of God. First John assumes the unfolding story of the Old Testament by adopting the framework of John’s Gospel.

Having Confidence before God

READ 1 JOHN 3:19–24

One of John’s concerns in this letter is to reassure believers of their standing with God, and here he does so directly. If our hearts condemn us—meaning that we know we have failed and feel guilty about it—God’s forgiveness is bigger than that (3:19–20). And if our hearts don’t condemn us—meaning that we don’t feel guilty—we can have confidence before God too (3:21–22). The basis for such confidence, whether we feel guilty or not, is belief in Jesus Christ, which leads to love for one another (3:23). By trusting in the Son and by loving one another, believers fulfill God’s commands and have confidence before him by the Spirit he has given (3:24).

Test the Spirits

READ 1 JOHN 4:1–6

Speaking of the Spirit given by God, John warns about false spirits. Believers should “test” the spirits to determine their origin, because there are many false prophets in the world (4:1). The existence of false prophets indicates false spirits because the false spirits empower the false prophets. The Spirit from God empowers believers to confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, while false spirits do not empower such a confession (4:2–3). These are the spirits of the antichrists—those who deny the truth about Jesus (2:18–22). God’s children, however, overpower false spirits because the Spirit in them is greater than those under the devil’s charge (4:4). Whereas they are from the world and listen to the world, believers are from God and listen to John’s message by the power of the Spirit of truth (4:5–6).

Ultimate Love

READ 1 JOHN 4:7–21

John reissues the call to love one another, which is evidence that we have been born of God and know God, since God is love (4:7–8). But calling God “love” is not an empty description. He has revealed his love by sending his Son into the world to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins (4:9–10, 14, 16a). God’s love is expressed in self-sacrificial action, and we must love others in the same way (4:11). When we love like God loves, his presence is made complete within us by his Spirit (4:12–13, 16b).

Love made complete in us is a further reason for confidence on judgment day, because those who love will resemble God’s character (4:17). Love drives out fear, and there is comfort in the fact that God first loved us (4:18–19). Anyone who does not love fellow believers does not truly love God, since the one who really loves God will love others too (4:20–21).

Bringing It All Together

READ 1 JOHN 5:1–21

In the final chapter John draws together all the various threads that he has woven throughout the letter. He reminds his readers that everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father will love his children too. They will overcome the rebellious world by their true faith in the Son of God (5:1–5).

In the most confusing little section of the letter, John speaks of Jesus Christ coming by water and by blood, which together with the Spirit testify about him (5:6–8). While the details of these verses require further explanation (see the sidebar “Water, Blood, and the Spirit”), the overall point is clear: God’s testimony (represented by water, blood, and Spirit) is greater than human testimony about Jesus (5:9). Believers accept God’s testimony about Jesus, while those who reject it make God a liar (5:10). And God’s testimony is that he has given us eternal life in his Son (5:11–13).

Water, Blood, and the Spirit

First John 5:6–8 are confusing verses with three main interpretations. Jesus “came by water and blood” could refer to (1) his baptism and death, (2) his crucifixion (remembering John’s account of water pouring out from Jesus’s side [John 19:34]), or (3) his birth and death. The first option is most likely, meaning that Jesus enters his ministry through baptism (note also the testimony of the Spirit at that moment [John 1:32–33]) and enters his role of Savior through his death. The water and the blood testify that Jesus came to serve and die for humanity, while the Spirit testifies that he is God’s divine Son.

As his children, believers can ask God for anything according to his will and have confidence that they will receive it (5:14–15). An example of such a request is to pray for a believer caught in sin, and God will restore that person, provided that the offense is “sin that doesn’t lead to death” (5:16). According to John, all sin is unrighteousness but not all leads to spiritual death (5:17). Most likely the only sin that leads to spiritual death is a refusal to repent of sin and to believe in Jesus Christ. With repentance and faith, all sins can be forgiven and therefore do not ultimately lead to spiritual death.

No one born of God continues a life of sin but is kept safe by Jesus, the original Son of God, who protects his brothers and sisters from the evil one, under whose influence the rebellious world remains (5:18–19). The Son of God keeps believers safe by giving them true knowledge of the true God (5:20). Even so, believers must beware of false gods (5:21).

Exploration—Reading 2 John

To the Elect Lady

READ 2 JOHN 1–3

Unlike its big brother, the letter of 2 John is in fact shaped like a letter, though its greeting is still strange. It comes from “the elder,” whom tradition regards as the apostle John, and it is addressed to “the elect lady and her children” (v. 1). This elect lady may be an actual person but is more likely a metaphorical person who represents the church. Her children are the believers who constitute the church.

The Structure of 2 John

John immediately launches into the intertwined themes that characterize this short letter: love and truth. He loves his readers in the truth, as do all who know the truth (v. 1). This truth lives in believers eternally (v. 2). Even the standard wish for grace, mercy, and peace from the Father and the Son is characterized by truth and love (v. 3).

Walking in Truth and Love

READ 2 JOHN 4–11

The elder’s readers are already walking in the truth, as instructed (v. 4), but now he wants them to love one another too (v. 5). The command to love is not new, but rather is one that they have had from the beginning (see 1 John 2:7–11). To love is to keep God’s commands, and his command is to love—showing that obedience to God is ultimately expressed through love (v. 6).

Opposed to the truth are the deceivers who deny that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. Such a person is opposed to the true Christ, and is therefore an antichrist (v. 7; see 1 John 2:18–22). The elder’s readers need to watch out that they too don’t lose the truth, since only those who remain in the truth will have a relationship with the Father and the Son (vv. 8–9). In striking fashion, the elder even forbids his readers to show hospitality to the deceiving antichrists (v. 10). To do so would be to participate in their evil work (v. 11).

Jesus in the Flesh

The deceivers in 2 John 7 denied “the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.” This fits with Docetism, an early form of Gnosticism. Docetism was the belief that Jesus was divine but not human. He only appeared to be so, and did not actually take on human flesh. This error is strenuously denied in 1 John and 2 John, since the humanity of Christ is essential to his role as Savior of humanity. It is not possible to know God truly if one denies the humanity of Jesus. While the elder’s instruction of antihospitality might seem ungracious, it is actually motivated by love for others, that they would not be led astray by a grave theological error that results in the loss of God’s full reward (v. 8).

Hospitality in the Ancient World

The kind of hospitality that the elder addresses in 2 John 10–11 does not refer to sharing a meal or a coffee. It refers to taking someone in as a guest, accommodating them overnight and perhaps for several nights. The ancient world did not have hotels or hostels like we do today. Whatever public accommodation was available was often unsafe and/or morally dubious. Jews, for example, would never stay in such establishments because of their unholy reputation. This explains why denying hospitality is an important defense against false teachers. Without private accommodation, such people would be forced to move on, thus limiting the influence they are able to wield in any one location.

Farewell

READ 2 JOHN 12–13

The end of 2 John shows the elder’s love for his readers as he anticipates visiting them in order to talk face-to-face. Doing so will make both his and their joy complete, since they love one another as brothers and sisters in the Lord (v. 12). The elder concludes by sending the greetings of “the children” of his readers’ “elect sister” (v. 13). This is further evidence that the elect lady of verse 1 is, in fact, a congregation rather than an actual individual. The church that the elder writes to is the “sister” of the church at which the elder is currently based. The congregations are like sisters, just as individual believers are brothers and sisters of one another.

Figure 27.4. Byzantine medallion with Saint John the Evangelist from an icon frame [The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917.]

Exploration—Reading 3 John

Walking in Truth and Love

READ 3 JOHN 1–8

The Third Letter of John is the shortest book of the Bible (2 John is the second shortest) and is also issued from “the elder.” This time, however, it is addressed to an actual individual, Gaius. We don’t know anything about this Gaius except what we find in this letter. As with 2 John, the intertwined themes of love and truth are immediately introduced, as the elder loves Gaius in the truth (v. 1). The elder prays for Gaius’s good health and praises him for walking in truth, which gives the elder great joy (vv. 2–4).

Missionaries and Hospitality

Just as antihospitality was an important way to undermine the influence of false teachers (2 John 10–11), so hospitality was an essential aid to missionaries who preached the truth (see also Matt. 10:9–14). In the ancient world, Christians and Jews avoided hotels and hostels because of their reputation for being unsavory and unsafe. This meant that travelers relied on private accommodation offered through the hospitality of individuals. Such hospitality was therefore an important way to support and to participate in missionary activity. As the elder says, it is coworking with the truth (3 John 8).

Not only does Gaius walk in truth, but also he demonstrates love to his brothers and sisters, especially those whom he does not know (v. 5). Apparently, these believing strangers were missionaries traveling for the sake of “the Name,” that of Christ (vv. 6–7). Showing hospitality and caring for these missionaries makes Gaius a coworker with the truth (v. 8). Thus we see that Gaius demonstrates his commitment to the truth by showing love to those dedicated to the truth.

Missionaries and Hospitality

Diotrephes vs. Demetrius

READ 3 JOHN 9–15

If Gaius is doing well in truth and love, there is a certain Diotrephes who is failing on both counts. He loves to have first place and rejects apostolic authority (v. 9). He is a slanderer and does not welcome believers and even rejects those who do want to welcome believers (v. 10). Although we don’t know who this Diotrephes was, we do know that he is Gaius’s counterexample when it comes to truth and love.

Though Gaius is already a model believer, the elder encourages him not to be influenced by evildoers like Diotrephes. Doing good is evidence of relationship with God, while those who do evil do not know God (v. 11). A positive example is Demetrius, whose character is praised by everyone—even, the elder says, truth itself (v. 12)! Such a person stands in stark contrast to Diotrephes and is a model to other believers, like Gaius. The elder concludes the letter by expressing his desire to say more to Gaius, but face-to-face—expressing his intentional relationship with him (vv. 13–14).

Implementation—Reading the Letters of John as Christian Scripture Today

Love and truth are serious issues. Without love, it is not possible to know God, since God is love. Believers today need to be reminded that knowledge of God is not simply about believing the right doctrines or preaching or evangelism. It is easy to think that if those things are in place, believers are doing well in the their relationship with God. But the reality is that many of these things may be in place while love is absent. And that is a huge problem for believers and the wider church at large. Furthermore, love must be more than mere sentiment or nice words. It must be expressed by sacrificial action, just as God has loved us, giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. Without love, we deny God himself.

But the Letters of John show us that love must be matched with right belief. John does not endorse a fluffy kind of love that accepts everything and causes no conflict. No, just as love emanates from God, so does truth, and without the truth no one can have fellowship with God. It is therefore a tricky balance for the church to get the marriage of truth and love right. On the one hand, we desire to show love, acceptance, and mercy to all people regardless of their beliefs. But on the other hand, it is not possible to endorse or tolerate falsehoods that strike at the core of who God is. Relationship with God must be shaped by love and by truth. The challenge of the church is to hold both together as well as we can.

My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one. He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world. 1 John 2:1–2
Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well. 1 John 2:22–23
Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. 1 John 4:10–11
Anyone who does not remain in Christ’s teaching but goes beyond it does not have God. The one who remains in that teaching, this one has both the Father and the Son. 2 John 9
Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. 3 John 11

Christian Reading Questions

What is the connection between love and truth according to 1 John?
Put into your own words what it means for Jesus to be our advocate (1 John 2:1).
Why is it bad to go beyond Jesus’s teaching (2 John 9)?
Why was it important that missionaries accepted nothing from pagans (3 John 6–7)?

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN The Letters of John

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
The Letters of John