Morning Musings-Brave Gaius

 Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...





Come, meet Brave Gaius...we are introduced to elder Gaius in 3 John.  He was John's "dear friend" and at the time of writing this epistle, John says Gaius was in "good health" and prays that all will go well with him too.  Gaius's soul was also "getting along well"; that's a very interesting statement.

This well-roundedness of goodness in spirit, soul and body, is my prayer for each of you, my sons, too.  That others will report your "faithfulness to the truth" and "how you continue to walk in the truth" as was reported about Gaius.  This not to feed my pride, but for your own good and development of relationship with Jesus Christ.  This is a wonderful testimony to Christ-like character in action.  This is the character that produces Christ-like conduct as we will proceed to see shortly; righteous and upright at heart.

Having read 2 John 7-13 which warns the "chosen lady" about teachers who do not "continue in the teaching that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" and that He is the Son of God, that if and when they come to her door, she should "NOT take them into her home, nor welcome them", then we come to this 3 John 1-13.  Here is an ironic example of how such deceivers, false teachers and manipulators can wreck havoc in an assembly of God's people, yet how one brother could stand firm for the Lord; this man, commended by the apostle John, was brave                                                           Gaius. 

In the church where Gaius was, was a man named Diotrephes.  The Scripture doesn't actually pinpoint that the problem was false teaching, but he was causing havoc.  Diotrephes "loved to be first".  He should have been putting Christ first.  Christ is the Head of the Church (Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 5:23).

Diotrephes, a man, no less, was "gossiping"!  Not just simply "gossiping" but "gossiping maliciously"! If we look back to 1 Peter 2:1, we are told to "rid yourselves of all malice and slander of every kind."  Obviously Diotrephes was not being self-controlled by the Holy Spirit but by his own evil desire.

It is an extremely serious matter here as Diotrephes is gossiping maliciously against leadership.  When we search the Scriptures in such places as Numbers 12:1-16, we see Moses, one of God's chosen leaders, being spoken against by his own brother and sister Aaron and Miriam.  The results of that were that the "anger of the Lord burned against them, and He left them" (vs 9).  Miriam also ended up covered in leprosy and became "unclean" and having to spend seven days outside the camp of Israel til God healed her.  Such shame for her.  God spoke in no uncertain terms about this.  What more, we, in our day need to take note.

To add insult to injury, Diotrephes "refuses to welcome the brothers".  Adding further insult to injury "he stops those who would welcome them and puts them out of the church"!!!

Thank God for brave Gaius.  John commends Gaius for risking that and welcoming those brothers who must have been teaching truth.  Furthermore, these brothers were strangers to them, and "for the sake of the Name (of Jesus) they went about teaching" and that "without help from the pagans".

That sounds like--if the church wasn't going to accept them into their homes and offer hospitality, that the pagans were willing to do so.  Scratch your head on that thought!  Yet these men of God were willing NOT to accept that help to the detriment of themselves; part of that "suffering for Christ" who also had "no where to lay His head" (Matthew 8:20; Luke 9:58).

Gaius was willing to risk Diotrephes's gossip and excommunication for doing what was right in the eyes of God.  We, too, ought to be discerning and ask God for the wisdom to discern the truth from the falsehood and to stand up under, and for, the truth.  In this case, it meant showing hospitality to brothers who were on "God's errand".  When we do likewise, John says, "we are working together for the truth".

John points out to Gaius that he is not alone as there is the chap named Demetrius who was "well spoken of".  He was well spoken of on three accounts:  "by everyone", "by the truth itself" and by "we",  likely meaning the apostles.  To top that off, Gaius likely knew it to be true as well.  So saying, this must have been encouragement to Gaius who may have been feeling "alone" for doing what was right in God's eyes in this matter.  He too now had a partner "in working together for the truth".

Let us each, also work together for and in  the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, be discerning of what is truth by being sensitive to the Holy Spirit's voice, stand up for the truth, be an encouragement to others to follow God's way and don't join ranks with those who wish to bully us into boosting their pride and ego by obeying their manipulations.  Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  May you all be in good health but may your souls prosper more for Jesus.

                                                         ~ERC  2016~