I Wish Above All Things...
"The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." [3 John 1,2 KJV]
This portion of Scripture--at least, the second verse is one of the most recited, "named and claimed" verses in the entire Bible, today, mistakenly. It seems to be lost on most of us, that it is a simple greeting between friends and not a declaration from God that we are to have the best of everything--wealth and health. This verse has become the mantra of the Prosperity Movement, sadly.
In actuality, this isn't God saying anything to us--or about us. We are merely getting a glimpse into John's love for his friend, as we read the salutation at the beginning of his letter to Gaius, who has been so faithful in Christian service. The second verse, is relatively unimportant to this chapter and this letter (in comparison to the body)--just as the salutation and conclusion of any letter would be. It is the body of the letter that is most important and telling--the body is the main point. In the body of the letter (verses 5-12), John writes to Gaius about the supreme thing (first)--love.
John spends a lot of time writing about love. In fact, it is said of John, that he, in his very advanced age, would be carried in among the saints saying only, "Little children, love one another". Love is first and it is the key that unlocks everything; not prosperity--not even health--in fact; not even faith (Galatians 5:6; 1 Corinthians 13:8-13). John made it the priority in his letter to Gaius, too. He commends Gaius for his love, service, hospitality to the people of God and to strangers. This meant a great deal to John--hearing of Gaius' faithfulness to others blessed him; hence the very warm greeting!
The second part of the body is dedicated to matters not so pleasant, in nature; specifically, Diotrephes. There is always a Diotrephes in the mix. Diotrephes was one who loved and sought attention. He wanted to be noticed--to be upfront. The recognition that comes from God wasn't enough--he wanted celebrity and glory from men. He had to be first--like the Pharisee's Jesus berated who always sought the upper seats in the temple and the place of honor at events (Matthew 23:6). That was Diotrephes. The apostles taught often against such behavior. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12, "...on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another." Not only did Diotrephes love attention, but he sowed discord. He despised authority, slandered the brethren and blocked those who wanted to do righteously--not self-righteously. Diotrephes made himself an enmity of the Kingdom of God--with a vengeance.
The final part of the body of John's letter was dedicated to Demetrius. Demetrius was the exact opposite of Diotrephes. Demetrius deserved to be mentioned by John, because he had a good report. He served faithfully, like Gaius--and John backed that up with a "Kudos" of his own. He spoke up to Gaius, on Demetrius' behalf, as we all should do. It's a great example, by John. We should be willing to give praise where it is due--it is a part of showing love to the Body of Christ. Acknowledge good works, and kindnesses shown. It really matters.
Finally, John concludes his letter--he ends with "peace" to Gaius. I never hear that in a declaration of the Prosperity Movement--I guess peace isn't high on the list of priorities.
Give me peace, any day.
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." [3 John 1,2 KJV]
This portion of Scripture--at least, the second verse is one of the most recited, "named and claimed" verses in the entire Bible, today, mistakenly. It seems to be lost on most of us, that it is a simple greeting between friends and not a declaration from God that we are to have the best of everything--wealth and health. This verse has become the mantra of the Prosperity Movement, sadly.
In actuality, this isn't God saying anything to us--or about us. We are merely getting a glimpse into John's love for his friend, as we read the salutation at the beginning of his letter to Gaius, who has been so faithful in Christian service. The second verse, is relatively unimportant to this chapter and this letter (in comparison to the body)--just as the salutation and conclusion of any letter would be. It is the body of the letter that is most important and telling--the body is the main point. In the body of the letter (verses 5-12), John writes to Gaius about the supreme thing (first)--love.
The second part of the body is dedicated to matters not so pleasant, in nature; specifically, Diotrephes. There is always a Diotrephes in the mix. Diotrephes was one who loved and sought attention. He wanted to be noticed--to be upfront. The recognition that comes from God wasn't enough--he wanted celebrity and glory from men. He had to be first--like the Pharisee's Jesus berated who always sought the upper seats in the temple and the place of honor at events (Matthew 23:6). That was Diotrephes. The apostles taught often against such behavior. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12, "...on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another." Not only did Diotrephes love attention, but he sowed discord. He despised authority, slandered the brethren and blocked those who wanted to do righteously--not self-righteously. Diotrephes made himself an enmity of the Kingdom of God--with a vengeance.
The final part of the body of John's letter was dedicated to Demetrius. Demetrius was the exact opposite of Diotrephes. Demetrius deserved to be mentioned by John, because he had a good report. He served faithfully, like Gaius--and John backed that up with a "Kudos" of his own. He spoke up to Gaius, on Demetrius' behalf, as we all should do. It's a great example, by John. We should be willing to give praise where it is due--it is a part of showing love to the Body of Christ. Acknowledge good works, and kindnesses shown. It really matters.
Finally, John concludes his letter--he ends with "peace" to Gaius. I never hear that in a declaration of the Prosperity Movement--I guess peace isn't high on the list of priorities.
Give me peace, any day.
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