Welcome to Day 2759 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Day 2759– A Confident Life – Balancing Truth and Love – 3 John 1:1-15

Putnam Church Message – 11/16/2025

Sermon Series: 1, 2, & 3 John

“Balancing Truth and Love”

Last week, we explored the letter of 2 John and learned how to have “A Confident Life: Balancing Love and Truth.”

This week, we will focus on the letter of 3 John, and as we explore the fine art of “Balancing Truth and Love” from 3 John 1:1-15 in the NIV.

  The elder,

To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

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. 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. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.

 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. 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.

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. 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.

I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.

Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.

Sometimes I hear Christians talk about returning to the simplicity, innocence, and purity of the early church. Before doctrinal decline. Before moral corruption. Before power-hungry leaders started wrangling over position. Before the sun set on the golden age of the apostles. The idea seems to be that the first generation of Christians could focus their attention on preaching the gospel without constantly dealing with problems in the churches.

Not true. Not even close. As wise King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 7:10, “Don’t long for ‘the good old days.’ This is not wise.” It only takes a few page flips through the New Testament to see that such a period never existed. A simple glance reveals that the church in Corinth was fraught with conflict, the churches in Colossae and Galatia wrestled with doctrinal error, the Jerusalem church teetered on the brink of financial collapse, and the church at Laodicea was almost ruined by tepid obedience. From the very beginning the apostles themselves had to contend against false teachers (2 Pet. 2:1), exhort believers to live holy lives (Eph. 4:1), and, yes, even confront leaders amid a power grab (3 Jn. 1:9). Problems from the outside, problems on the inside, problems from below, and problems at the top … the church has always faced challenges that threaten to undo the work of proclaiming the gospel and building up the church.

The fifteen verses that comprise 3 John testify to and typify a conflict that has been faced by genuine Christian churches throughout history. It may be the best snapshot of the fact that we don’t want to return to the days of the first-century church. Instead, we need to look back to the examples preserved for us in Scripture to help the twenty-first-century church handle its own church conflicts.

1:1–8

After introducing himself as “the elder” (see 2 Jn. 1:1), the apostle John directly addresses his recipient as “Gaius, my dear friend.” His genuine declaration of “whom I love in the truth” (3 Jn. 1:1) leads immediately into a prayer for Gaius’s welfare—physically and spiritually, in body and soul (1:2). Knowing what we do about the challenges facing the churches in the late first century, this prayer for Gaius’s physical health is significant. Many false teachers at the time looked down on material things, viewing them as at least irrelevant and trivial, if not actually evil. The body itself was regarded merely as a disposable shell for the real spiritual being inside—a distraction to spiritual progress. As I mentioned last week, the teachings of the Gnostics. But John’s concern for Gaius’s physical well-being reveals a superior theology: God is not merely a God of the soul; He’s God of the body as well.

Perhaps John’s prayer was in response to reports that Gaius was in poor health, either from a physical ailment, stress over church conflicts, or both. Maybe Gaius, like Paul, had been burdened by a “thorn in the flesh” that constantly drove him to find his sufficiency in Christ (2 Cor. 12:7–10). Despite these possible afflictions, or perhaps because of them (Ps. 119:71), Gaius’s devotion to Christ had flourished.

One day God will vanquish sickness and suffering when our bodies are resurrected and glorified (1 Cor. 15:53–54; Rev. 21:4). In the meantime, it isn’t God’s will that every believer always be healthy. That lie of prosperity theology seems to have infected almost every corner of the church today. Though it’s right and proper to pray for the health and healing of those who are suffering and to lend aid where we are able, sometimes it’s God’s will that his children grow spiritually in and through their physical suffering. However, it’s always God’s will that our souls prosper. And this kind of prosperity was true of Gaius. Regardless of the state of his physical strength and health, which apparently needed some prayer support, Gaius was spiritually “living according to the truth,” which filled John’s heart with joy (3 Jn. 1:3–4).

How did John know of Gaius’s condition? Apparently, that aged apostle had a steady stream of visitors who brought word about the conditions of the churches and believers. With this information, John knew when and how to pray for others, when to send a letter, and when to make a personal, /in-person visit (see 2 Jn. 1:12; 3 Jn. 1:13–14). This reveals the depth of John’s constant care and concern for the churches and for his own converts. Up to the end of his life, John exerted all his energy to pray for and care for others.

In 1:5–8, the apostle provides a glimpse into the inner workings of ministry during the first century as the church transitioned from the foundational, temporary era of the apostles to the permanent era of pastors and teachers. In the New Testament church, there were basically two kinds of ministers. We might categorize them as “pioneers” and “settlers.” We in Marietta are very familiar with these terms. I am blessed to be directly linked to both the pioneers and settlers of Marietta in my ancestral line and can easily trace them. (For more historical background on this, see “From Pioneers to Settlers,” page 153.) For our lesson today, the pioneers included traveling apostles, prophets, and missionaries, along with their envoys and associates. These individuals proclaimed the gospel in new territories and established new churches. Often, these pioneers continued to travel to various churches, training and ordaining leaders (Acts 14:23), until the congregation became self-sustaining. Paul refers to these types of ministers in Ephesians 4:11 as apostles, prophets, and evangelists.

The settlers, on the other hand, were the men and women responsible for the continued care and growth of the local churches. These were the elders and deacons, the pastors, and teachers, who ministered to a particular flock, traveled very little, and nurtured the faith of believers for years. Paul refers to these types of ministers in Ephesians 4:11 as pastors and teachers, who are the elders of the local churches assisted by deacons (Phil. 1:1). These established churches then became the primary bases of support for the itinerant pioneer ministers (1 Cor. 9:1–14).

At first, the baby churches eagerly welcomed the wise teaching of the pioneers, as they, like infants, required constant care. But as the local churches grew from infancy to the toddler stage, their wobbly legs grew stronger, and the churches entered an awkward period of transition from dependence to independence. Like adolescents and teens today who need their parents for food, shelter, and clothing but don’t want them around for anything else, some of the young church plants in the first century still needed guidance from the apostles and their associates, but sometimes they resisted outside authority. In time, a rift between the pioneers and the settlers might form, and the local church might even refuse to accommodate the traveling leadership, failing to show basic hospitality.

Gaius, was one of the “settler” leaders of the church, but he understood the continuing need for doctrinal and practical guidance from the apostles and their messengers. He kept his doors open to the dedicated pioneer ministers. He was “being faithful to God” even to apostolic messengers he had never met (3 Jn. 1:5). He treated them with the honor, respect, and even financial support they deserved, knowing that they had no other source of sustenance (1:6–7). By supporting these itinerants and showing generous hospitality, Gaius became a partner in the work they were doing (1:8). This welcoming attitude reached the ears of the apostle John. Even John’s church, probably in Ephesus, had heard of Gaius’s love for the traveling ministry team (1:6).

Not everyone was as hospitable as Gaius, however.

1:9–10

We know next to nothing about the hostile figure known as Diotrephes except for the few pieces of information given to us in this passage. But it’s enough of a snapshot to serve as a warning against this jostling for position and scrapping over turf. Like Gaius, Diotrephes was probably one of the appointed “settler” ministers in the church. However, unlike Gaius, Diotrephes rejected John’s messengers, John’s letter, and even the authority of the apostle himself!

The letter John says he wrote “to the church” (1:9) may be 1 John, but it’s much more likely that it’s a letter lost to us. How did it get lost? John’s language in 1:9 implies that instead of reading it to the church as a form of continued instruction from their apostolic leader, Diotrephes intercepted the letter. Because he did not accept what the apostle and his messengers said, Diotrephes likely destroyed the letter. Beyond this, he refused to show hospitality to any of the apostles’ delegates, made up lies about them, and even forbade other members and leaders of the church from showing any hospitality toward them. In his self-promoting rage, Diotrephes even expelled from the church anyone who tried to restore contact with the apostle’s line of communication (1:10–11).

Why would he do all of this? Because he “loves to be the leader or loves to be first” in the church. The apostles initially established a plurality of leaders (deacons & elders) in each church (Acts 14:23; 20:17; Titus 1:5; Jas. 5:14; 1 Pet. 5:1–5). Even if one of these leaders served as a chairman, presiding elder, or something akin to what we would call a senior pastor, they would still be regarded as “prime among equals” and probably not as a boss over the council of elders. Diotrephes, however, had completely lost sight of this apostolic ideal, wanting instead to call the shots like a dictator. This was utterly in conflict with the clear instructions from both Jesus and Peter that leaders should not “lord it over” those placed in their charge (Matt. 20:25–26; 1 Pet. 5:1–3)!

I’d love to be able to say the days of Diotrephes are over, that they died in the first century, and that his spirit never made it out of those two verses in 3 John. Sadly, the spirit of Diotrephes outlived that era and continues to be blatantly present in our own day. One author of yesteryear described the type well:

Seeking great things for themselves, making their personal advancement the one thing in life, scheming and plotting, blustering and sneaking, trampling on others, and bloating themselves with vain ambition, and creating their own false and poisonous inspirations by their subtle self-appreciation—all to secure some advantage for themselves.

As I have unfortunately observed throughout the years, I can attest to the fact that an acute case of “Diotrephes Disease,” with those kinds of symptoms, can bring an otherwise healthy church to its deathbed. As strong-minded but spiritually immature people weasel their way into positions of influence, they begin intimidating others to get their way. The problem usually isn’t a matter of bad theology, but pride; not false teaching, but faulty leading. If left untreated, “Diotrephes Disease” can infect a whole congregation, leading to conflict, schism, and the death of a local church.

The apostle John also knew exactly where that original outbreak of “Diotrephes Disease” would end if it didn’t get isolated and removed. This is why he mentions in 1:10, “When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us.” In fact, by the time he gets to 1:13, John seems to have settled it in his mind. He determined to set down the pen and pick up the staff for the physical journey, “we will talk face to face.” (1:14). I can imagine that if Diotrephes got hold of the letter delivered to Gaius, the prospect of the apostle John himself showing up at his doorstep would have given him cause to reconsider his stand. Or maybe he had so deeply succumbed to the disease of conceit that he would have given the cold shoulder even to “the one whom Jesus loved” (John 20:2).

1:11–12

The apostle John was clearly taking steps to resolve the Diotrephes problem, either by curing the man of his “me first” syndrome or by surgically removing him from the church body. In the meantime, though, John urges Gaius, “don’t let this bad example influence you” (3 Jn. 1:11). The “bad example” in the immediate context is the example of wicked Diotrephes. Though the pressure to capitulate to his bullying would have been tremendous, Gaius is instructed to follow only what is good. John then employs language reminiscent of his first epistle to add gravity to the circumstance: “Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God,” (1:11; cf. 1 Jn. 2:4–5).

Besides this, John instructs Gaius to imitate and align himself with a positive example, specifically a man named Demetrius (3 Jn. 1:12). Perhaps Gaius felt alone amid the Diotrephes conflict—like a tiny lamplight barely flickering in an oppressive darkness. John’s comment about Demetrius in 1:12 gave Gaius the fuel he needed to keep his flame burning until dawn broke. Even though Demetrius received only a one-verse commendation, that tiny verse is a bright beacon of light in an otherwise dark passage.

Was Demetrius a fellow elder with Gaius, another who hadn’t given in to Diotrephes’ Disease? Possibly. However, a more accurate explanation is that Demetrius was the person carrying John’s letter to deliver to Gaius. Thus, Demetrius may have been one of the messengers of the apostle John whom Diotrephes had already rejected (1:9).

Demetrius was certainly fit for the task. John provided three impressive references for Demetrius, marking him as one worthy of imitation (1:12). First, everyone who knew Demetrius vouched for him. Not a soul lacked confidence in his character and integrity. Second, he lived his life in a way that aligned with “the truth itself” (1:12). Unlike Diotrephes, who was not living in accordance with truth and love, Demetrius led an exemplary life in terms of doctrine and practice. Third, John gave Demetrius a personal stamp of approval from his own circle of apostolic leadership.

1:13–15

By the time Gaius was reading 1:13–15, Demetrius was probably standing with him, having likely delivered the letter. I can almost picture Gaius letting out a sigh of relief as he looked up from John’s endorsement of Demetrius in 1:12 to see the man before him, ready to lend aid against the tyrant Diotrephes. But then his tear-filled eyes would fall back down to the letter, and he would read the words that would lift his weary soul and send it soaring: “I have much more to say to you, but I don’t want to write it with pen and ink. For I hope to see you soon, and then we will talk face to face,” (1:13–14).

John was on his way!

What joy Gaius must have felt as he read the final words of this encouraging epistle: “Peace be with you. Your friends here send you their greetings. Please give my personal greetings to each of our friends there.” Gaius and the faithful remnant were not alone in the dark. The friendship and brotherly love expressed across distances would strengthen them, and the distance would soon be bridged by the apostle’s physical presence. Then Diotrephes’s unloving ire would be doused by a balance of truth and love.

APPLICATION: 3 JOHN 1:1–15

Treating Diotrephes Disease

I have witnessed several churches with their own Diotrephes—individuals who attempt to rule over others, who cast a dark shadow over the ministry by unjustly accusing other leaders, excluding people in need, and intimidating church members. Sometimes the Diotrephes Disease spreads to infect a whole group in the church, who strive for dominance and absolute lordship over everyone, members, and leaders alike. They may be sound in propositional truth, able to cross their theological t’s and dot their doctrinal i’s, but they lack love for their fellow members within the church and for their brothers and sisters in other churches. Therefore, they are not truly qualified to shepherd other believers.

At the same time, I’m encouraged that many churches, including Putnam church, have their own Gaius or Demetrius—those with character and fortitude, who display body-building virtues of love, hospitality, generosity, integrity, and purity. They’re willing to take a stand for truth balanced by love. They speak out against injustice, confront the lack of grace and mercy, and show the love of Christ as John has been teaching us throughout these three letters.

We, as fellow believers, should never succumb to Diotrephes Disease. We are all part of the body of Christ. Individually, we are God’s temple, and together, we are a larger, greater temple where God resides.

May it be said of Putnam Church what John wrote in verses 11-12: “Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God” Let us be servant-minded, not self-seeking. Walking examples of the fruit of the Spirit, as described in Galatians 5:22-23, and the “love chapter” of 1 Corinthians 13. Let us be healthy and wholesome people, so that others want to spend time with us and imitate us.

Next week, we will begin a year-long study of the Good News as presented in Luke. Our Thanksgiving message for next week is “Only the Best.” Our Core verses for next week will be: Luke 1:1-4.

If you found this podcast insightful, subscribe and leave us a review, then encourage your friends and family to join us and come along tomorrow for another day of Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, I am your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you next time for more wisdom from God’s Word!