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Past Ponderings

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

PONDERING... A Little 3 John Context

A Little 3 John Context
This is by far John's most personal letter. It was written to a specific individual, Gaius, and is full of heartfelt encouragement and warning, while being the shortest book in the Bible (coming in at just under 220 Greek words).

I have gotten a lot out of this study. Though short, it's packed. The elder, John, the last living apostle, continues to expound on one of the central themes of his other writings: Walking in Truth and Love. In this third letter, however, he illustrates this by way of examples. Gaius, the beloved receiver of the letter, is walking in the Truth by showing hospitality to traveling missionaries. Demetrius, too, is an example of a life committed to the Truth, but Diotrephes is not. He is slandering John's name, refusing to accept his letter, and not only turning away missionaries, but kicking people out of the church who try to help them.
There are a lot of ways to dissect this text, but over the next few weeks, we'll be looking at it through the lens of four testimonies:
  1. The Greeting: A Testimony of Christian Friendship
  2. Gaius: A Testimony of Faithful Service Through Hospitality
  3. Diotrepheus: A Testimony of Self-Serving Destruction
  4. Demetrius: A Testimony of a Worthy Life


In studying this, I have found Alistair Begg's sermons especially helpful. For a better exposition than you"ll find in my scribblings, check out these links!

Likewise, this sermon by D.A. Carson is worth a listen.

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