There is no question that the apostle John dearly loved this man! He called him “the well beloved” in his greeting, and “beloved” in 3 John 5. It is unlikely that these were merely formal terms, like our “Dear Mr. Jones.” (We may not even know Mr. Jones personally!) Third John 4 suggests that Gaius may have been one of John’s converts, and, of course, those we lead to faith in Christ are especially precious to us. However, the beloved apostle looked on all the believers as his “little children” (1 John 2:1, 12, 18), so we must not press this too far.
If Gaius were a member of a church that I pastored, I would certainly have no trouble loving him! Consider the personal qualities of this excellent man.
Spiritual health (v. 2). John may be hinting here that his dear friend was not well and that John was praying for restored health: “I want you to be as healthy in body as you are in soul!” If this is the case, then it is evidence that it is possible to be spiritually healthy and physically sick. However, this kind of a greeting was very common in that day, so we must not build too much on it.
However, it is clear that Gaius was a man whose “spiritual health” was evident to all. “Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16). Physical health is the result of nutrition, exercise, cleanliness, proper rest, and the disciplined order of a balanced life. Spiritual health is the result of similar factors. We must nourish ourselves with the Word, and then “work out” that nourishment in godly exercise (1 Tim. 4:6–7). We must keep ourselves clean (2 Cor. 7:1) and avoid the contamination and pollution that is in the world (2 Peter 1:4; James 1:27). While exercise and service are important, it is also important that we rest in the Lord and gain new strength through fellowship with Him (Matt. 11:18–30). A balanced life is a healthy and happy life, a life that honors God.
A good testimony (vv. 3–4). Gaius was recognized as a man who obeyed the Word of God and “walked in truth” (see 2 John 4). Some of the brethren had made several visits to John, and they had joyfully reported that Gaius was a glowing example of what a Christian ought to be. In my own pastoral experience, I must confess that I have often been a bit “on edge” when people have said to me, “Is Mrs. ___ a member of your church?” Or, even worse, “I know one of your members quite well!” John never had to fear when Gaius’ name came up!
What made Gaius such a good testimony? God’s truth. The truth was “in him” and enabled him to walk in obedience to God’s will. Gaius read the Word, meditated on it, delighted in it, and then practiced it in his daily life (see Ps. 1:1–3). What digestion is to the body, meditation is to the soul. It is not enough merely to hear the Word or read the Word. We must inwardly “digest it” and make it part of our inner persons (see 1 Thess. 2:13).
It is clear that Gaius’ entire life was wrapped up in the truth. True living comes from the living truth. Jesus Christ, the truth (John 14:6), is revealed in the Word, which is God’s truth (John 17:17). The Holy Spirit is also truth (1 John 5:6), and He teaches us the truth. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to reveal the Son of God, and then to enable us to obey the will of God and “walk in truth.”
Practical ministry (vv. 5–8). Gaius was also a “fellowhelper to the truth” (3 John 8). In practical ways, he assisted those who were ministering the Word. We have no indication that Gaius himself was a preacher or teacher, but he opened his heart and home to those who were.
We have learned from John’s second letter the importance of Christian hospitality in that day. John warned “the elect lady” against entertaining false teachers (2 John 7–11), but in this letter he commended Gaius for showing hospitality to the true ministers of the Word. Gaius was an encouragement, not only to the brethren in general, but especially to “strangers” who came to fellowship with the church and to minister (see Heb. 13:2).
In this day of fear and violence, it is not easy to welcome strangers into our homes. Of course, in the early church, traveling ministers carried letters of recommendation from their own assemblies (Rom. 16:1); so it is important that we know something about the people we plan to entertain. However, it does take faith and love. As much as my wife and I enjoy sharing our home, we must confess that there have been times when bidding our guests goodbye brought a sense of happy relief! For the most part, however, our guests have truly been “angels unawares” whose presence was a blessing in our home.
Gaius not only opened his home, but he also opened his heart and his hand to give financial help to his guests. The phrase bring forward on their journey means “to assist on their journey.” This could have included providing money and food as well as washing and mending clothing (see 1 Cor. 16:6; Titus 3:13). After all, our faith must be proved by our works (James 2:14–16), and our love must be expressed by deeds, not just words (1 John 3:16–18).
What is the motivation for this kind of practical ministry to the saints? First of all, it honors God. The phrase after a godly sort in 3 John 6 means “worthy of God, as befits God.” We are never more “godlike” than when we are sacrificing to serve others. “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing” (Col. 1:10). Since these itinerant ministers were representing the name of the Lord, any ministry to them was really a service to Jesus Christ (Matt 10:40; 25:34–10).
A second motive is that the support of God’s servants is a witness to the lost (3 John 7). Keep in mind that there were many wandering teachers in that day, sharing their ideas and begging for money. While the Lord Jesus taught definitely that God’s servants deserve support (Luke 10:7), the standard in the New Testament is that this support comes from God’s people. “Taking nothing of the Gentiles” means that these itinerant workers would not solicit help from the unsaved. Abraham had this same policy (Gen. 14:21–24), though he did not force his associates to adopt his policy. Many pastors make it clear, when the offering is being received, that they are not asking anything from the unbelievers in the congregation.
When God’s people adequately support God’s servants, it is a powerful testimony to the lost. But when ministers, churches, and other religious organizations go about soliciting from unsaved people and various businesses, it makes Christianity look cheap and commercial. This does not mean that God’s servants should refuse a voluntary gift from an unconverted person, as long as the person understands that the gift will not purchase salvation. Even then, we must be very cautious. The king of Sodom’s offer was voluntary, but Abraham rejected it (Gen. 14:17–24)!
The third motivation for serving is obedience to God. “We therefore ought to receive such” (3 John 8). This ministry of hospitality and support is not only an opportunity, but also an obligation. Galatians 6:6–10 makes it clear that those who receive spiritual blessings from the minister of the Word ought to share with him in material blessings; 1 Corinthians 9:7–11 further explains this principle. As a deacon expressed it to me in the first church I pastored, “You pay your board where you get your food!” It is unbiblical for church members to send their tithes and offerings all over the world and neglect to support the ministry of their own local church.
John gave a fourth motivation in 3 John 8: “That we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.” Gaius not only received the truth and walked in the truth, but he was a “jointworker” who helped to further the truth. We do not know what his spiritual gifts were or how he served in the congregation, but we do know that Gaius helped extend and defend the truth by assisting those who taught and preached it.
In my itinerant ministry, I have stayed in many homes and been encouraged in my work. The host and hostess may not have been especially gifted people, but their ministry of gracious hospitality enabled me to exercise my gifts in the church. Whatever blessings came in the ministry will certainly be credited to their accounts (Phil. 4:17)!
It is one thing to fight apostasy and refuse to entertain false teachers but quite another thing to open our homes (and wallets) to promote the truth. We need both the negative and the positive. We need more people like Gaius who are spiritually healthy, obedient to the Word, and sharing what they have for the furtherance of the truth. But, alas, not everybody is a Gaius! We turn now to an entirely different kind of Christian.