3 John: A Case Study
October 20, 2002
Dear Friends,
God, in His divine wisdom, provides us with case studies. A case study, for those who have not had the “pleasure” of enduring them in school, are examples of situations where we need to apply what we have learned. Abraham is a case study in faith. The book of Job is a case study in human suffering. The book of Third John is a case study in polarity in an ecclesia.
In this short letter from the Apostle John, we are introduced to three individuals in the same ecclesia. Two of the three stand opposed to the third. As John is apparently sending brethren to visit this ecclesia, we see John paving the way for their visit. They will face some opposition when they arrive.
The first individual we are introduced to in 3 John is Gaius. He is the recipient of the letter and is well acquainted with the Apostle from whom it is sent. We instantly know what kind of a man Gaius is as the first verse states “The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.” By the repetition of love (agapetos) in the first verse, we know that not only is he loved by John but well loved by all.
Why is Gaius loved so much? What inspires people to such strong feelings? One aspect of this man’s character is that he walks “in the truth.” Walking in the truth is more than just being good. It is consistency in so doing. It is a constant pressing forward toward godliness. Naturally, the virtues espoused by Christ bring out affection in others who are similarly driven. When they are consistently employed by the believer, people are drawn to that individual. Even among non-believers, compassion, honesty, humility, selflessness, joyfulness and the like are natural magnets to a race of beings that are not consistently exposed to such virtues. Make no mistake, this is not a popularity contest. Gaius was setting an example for the whole ecclesia.
We are next introduced to another man in the ecclesia, Diotrephes. Diotrephes loves “to have the preeminence” and “receiveth us not.” He is casting brethren out of the ecclesia who didn’t agree with him. John goes so far as to imply in the eleventh verse that Diotrephes is just plain evil. These are strong words for the Apostle who is best known for his thoughts on love. In short, Diotrephes was a bigheaded bully. He was so cocky and mean that he would not receive the Apostle who Jesus loved.
It would be interesting to see how Gaius and Diotrephes interacted. I can’t imagine Diotrephes liking Gaius too much. Gaius’s popularity in the ecclesia would have made him a prime target for Diotrephes. Easton’s Bible Dictionary describes Diotrephes as “a Judaizer.” This seems like an accurate assessment based on what we know of the Judaizers.
The last person we are introduced to is Demetrius. John only can say that Demetrius “hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself.” Although short on words, John’s comments are long on praise. It is possible that Demetrius is one of these visiting brethren and not a local member of the ecclesia. Of these details, we cannot be certain. However, we can be certain that he would inevitably conflict with Diotrephes too.
Just like in our modern case studies, we are not provided with the answer to this case. Was the ecclesia destroyed by Diotrephes? How was Diotrephes dealt with, if at all, by these other brethren? Did Diotrephes cast Gaius and Demetrius out of the ecclesia? The answer for them is unknown. The answer is for us is to be arrived at by diligent application of the principles being studied. In our own personal case study, we each make the choice whether we will be a Gaius, a Diotrephes or a Demetrius.
Have a great week!
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The subject for this TFTW was inspired by an exhortation by Bro. Scott Tennant. Thanks, Scott!
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