seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
3 John 1:1 The elder,
To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. 6 They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God. 7 It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.
9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. 10 So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.
11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.
13 I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
15 Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.
This is where I get the commentary I read.I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers: John used this common phrase in his sending of best wishes and blessings to Gaius. Some have wrongly taken this as a guarantee of perpetual wealth and perfect health for the Christian.
Taking nothing from the Gentiles: The ancient world of the early church was filled with the missionaries and preachers of various religions, and they often supported themselves by taking offerings from the general public. But John said that these Christian missionaries should take nothing from the Gentiles (non-Christians). Instead of soliciting funds from the general public they were to look to the support of fellow Christians.
Who loves to have the preeminence among them: Simply, the problem for Diotrephes was pride. In his pride, he did not receive the apostles such as John. This was in contrast to the humble hospitality of Gaius, who walked in the truth.
We can imagine a man like Diotrephes, a leader in the church in some city, looking at John and saying to himself, “Why should these big shot apostles get all the attention and honor? Look at my ministry! Isn’t it just as good?” And pride would lead him, like many others, to destruction.
Putting them out of the church: Diotrephes not only used his influence to forbid others from showing hospitality to John or his associates; he even tried to excommunicate those who tried to show such hospitality.
Do not imitate what is evil, but what is good: John gave us two clear examples, one good (Gaius) and one bad (Diotrephes), and he now applies the point — follow the good, for we serve a good God and those who follow Him will likewise do good.
Diotrephes was a big-headed preacher. He thought his poop didn't stink and he would throw anyone out of his church who said otherwise. I guess people had to be careful about what faces they made when they went around this big-headed stinky preacher. As I post this... another big-headed stinky character is going on and on about how he was mistreated by the courts. People are lapping up every word as if it were a new gospel. He passes the hat too.
Verse pickers use these verses to throw good people out of their church. If it was good enough for Diotrephes and he made it into the Bible, then it must be good for our church. Don't say the preacher is a big-headed stinky prick or you will be thrown out of the church too.
Oh, and in the church of Diotrephes the best part of the service [for him] was when they would pass the hat to anyone.... where most of the churches didn't ask the visitors to contribute... only those who accepted Jesus and joined in the church contributed to the cause. They wanted to contribute. Well, maybe if you were in Peter's church you might be put to death for not contributing as you said you would. But Peter was only dealing with the lies Ananias and Sapphira expounded about their contribution. as opposed to the amount of the contribution.
The idea was to share the Gospel, not make a living at it. But others pick the words "anyone" and in some churches... anyone who didn't put cash in the cap was booted out. Members would turn them in.
Avoid churches with big-headed stinky preachers. They will smile when their church is shot up... even though they really don't mean too... because they smile all the time. Avoid churches with big-headed stinky pricks running the show, they only want to get in your wallet. Avoid churches that check your credit score before "allowing" you to join their church.
There are some people who cannot share the Gospel. They are anti-Christ. They can't say Jesus' name. They can't do it... it's not in them. They are good at picking verses that suit their purpose... which is to make a living out of your wallet.
This is about....
Big-headed stinky preachers....
