Day 332 – Third John

Today’s reading for study: 3 John

Today we read another short letter from, John.  Again we see him making two great points.

I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth. Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the friends, even though they are strangers to you; they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on in a manner worthy of God; for they began their journey for the sake of Christ, accepting no support from non-believers. Therefore we ought to support such people, so that we may become co-workers with the truth. I have written something to the church; but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing in spreading false charges against us. And not content with those charges, he refuses to welcome the friends, and even prevents those who want to do so and expels them from the church.

3 John 4-10

First, John refers to the people in the Church as “his children”.  Of course, that implies that he is their father.  Elsewhere in scripture Paul also refers to Christians as his children and himself as "father".  Second, John explicitly states that he has authority.  He is having a problem with someone known as Diotrephes.  Notice, he states that he will correct Diotrephes when John sees him.  That shows that the authority of the Apostles is not just spiritual but disciplinary.  Further, it is clear that Diotrephes is exercising some lesser authority within in the local church.  That means even the earliest Churches has hierarchy and authority. 

Tomorrow: Revelation 1