“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.”
~ 3 John 12
Hi James and Ellen,
Are you a Gaius? A Gaius is a good guy. A Gaius cares about other guys, gals and kids. A Gaius always wants to do what is right. A Gaius always wants to be obedient to God’s will. A Gaius always wants to live his or her life for God’s sake. A Gaius always wants to live out God’s truths – which are totally good, in his or her life. A Gaius always is hospitable. A Gaius always will take every opportunity to encourage another guy, gal or kid. A Gaius family will invite missionaries to stay with them in their home. A Gaius would rather hear about what is happening in the life of another guy, gal or kid than telling another guy, gal or kid about what is happening in his or her life. Do you know a Gaius? Apostle John knew a Gaius. The Gaius who Apostle John knew was a Christ-follower in an Asian province’s Christ-follower communities. When Apostle John wrote his third letter – 3 John, the name Gaius was a really popular name. The Gaius who Apostle John knew and who was a Christ-follower in one of the Asian province’s Christ-follower communities was faithful in living his life for the God’s sake, he lived his life faithfully serving God in and through his life by living out God’s truths that were taught to him and he showed love to complete strangers who visited his Asian province’s Christ-follower community. The strangers who visited Gaius’ Asian province’s Christ-follower community were probably missionaries. Do you know any missionaries?
Are you a Diotrephes? A Diotrephes is a self-centered, arrogant dude or gal. A Diotrephes does not care about other guys, gals or kids. A Diotrephes only cares about himself or herself. A Diotrephes does not care if what he or she does is good or bad. A Diotrephes does not care if he or she is disobedient to God’s will to be obedient to Him. A Diotrephes always lives his or her life to please himself or herself. A Diotrephes does not think about living his or her life to please God. A Diotrephes does not care what he or she does is wicked. A Diotrephes is not interested in having God’s truths direct his or her life. A Diotrephes is not hospitable. A Diotrephes does not encourage other guys, gals or kids. A Diotrephes has no interest in helping other guys, gals or kids. A Diotrephes will only want to talk about himself or herself. Do you know a Diotrephes? Apostle John knew a Diotrephes. The Diotrephes who Apostle John knew was associating with the same Asian province Christ-follower community that Gaius did. The Diotrephes who Apostle John knew always wanted to be first in everything. The Diotrephes who Apostle John knew did not want to have anything to do with Apostle John or with any other guy or gal who happened to show up in his Asian province Christ-follower community. The Diotrephes who Apostle John knew was a judgmental, disparaging gossiper who tried to destroy with words Apostle John and the missionaries who spent time in his Asian province Christ-follower community. The Diotrephes who Apostle John knew would find a reason to remove a guy from his Asian province Christ-follower community if the guy was a threat to him and if he did like the guy or . . . your grandpaa has used this John letter in messages that your grandpaa has preached. There seems to be to your grandpaa a Diotrephes in every Christ-follower community. There always seems to be to your grandpaa a guy or gal in every Christ-follower community who is always very critical of everything and of every other guy and gal who is in his or her Christ-follower community, who will find fault with everything that is happening in his or her Christ-follower community and who thinks that he or she needs to control everything that happens in his or her in Christ-follower community. Your grandpaa can give you lots of examples of a Diotrephes. When your grandpaa and Hector Pivaral went to Comitancillo, Guatemala to begin a Programa de Educación Biblica (P.E.B.), a guy who thought that he was going to study in this P.E.B. was the President of Sector Seis. After Cruz Bravo – who was the guy who was the President of Sector Seis, had said for the ‘hundredth’ time that as President of Sector Seis that he would have the final say about the P.E.B. that your grandpaa and Hector were implementing in Comitancillo, your grandpaa told Cruz Bravo that if he referred to himself as President of Sector Seis one more time that your grandpaa would ask him to leave. Less than a minute later Cruz Bravo again said ‘as President of Sector Seis’ . . . what do you think that your grandpaa did? Your grandpaa slapped his hand down hard on the table in front of Cruz Bravo. Your grandpaa then told Cruz Bravo to leave. About half of the guys who were in the orientation that your grandpaa and Hector were giving to the guys who were committing to study in the Comitancillo P.E.B., left with Cruz Bravo. Cruz Bravo went to a missionary couple who is still living in Comitancillo to tell them how bad that your grandpaa was and how much that he had been offended by your grandpaa. Cruz Bravo does not have a good testimony nor does he have a good reputation in the Comitancillo area but . . . Cruz Bravo still is a leader in the Christ-follower community in Comitancillo. Cruz Bravo continues to insist that everything is done his way and that he is to be given control over everything that happens in the Comitancillo P.E.B. A Diotrephes is not a guy or gal who helps a Christ-follower community to grow and mature nor who is willing to help other guys and gals live out God’s truths.
Do you want to be a Demetrius? Apostle John says this about a Demetrius in verse 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.” The Demetrius who Apostle John knew probably took this third letter that Apostle John wrote to the Asian province Christ-follower community where a Gaius and Diotrephes lived. Who do you want your lives to be like?
3 John (275)