Sunday School Lesson
July 26
Lesson 8 (KJV)
Wisdom to Follow
Devotional Reading: Proverbs 3:13–18
Background Scripture: Proverbs 3:17; 8:32–36; John 14:1–14
John 14:1–14
1. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
8. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
10. Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
12. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
13. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Key Verse
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.—John 14:6
Lesson Aims
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
1. State an unwise reaction to Jesus’ declarations.
2. Contrast that unwise reaction with Jesus’ wise response.
3. Identify one way better to commit to following Jesus in a culture driven by social media.
HOW TO SAY IT
| Gethsemane | Geth-sem-uh-nee (G as in get). |
| Nazareth | Naz-uh-reth. |
Introduction
A. What Does God Look Like?
“What does God look like?” This is a classic question—asked by children and adults, believers and skeptics alike. It is a theme of celebrated novels and popular movies.
Deep inside we often think God looks like us—perhaps due to our reading Genesis 1:26 a certain way—but older and wiser. On the other hand, when we realize that “God is spirit” (John 4:24), it means He is invisible (1 Timothy 1:17; Colossians 1:15). He may allow created beings to see manifestations of himself at times (Exodus 24:9–11; Revelation 22:3, 4; etc.), but we cannot see His true essence (1 Timothy 6:16). To ask the question “What does God look like?” is therefore not legitimate.
Since that question shouldn’t be asked, what about the question “Would you like to see God?” You might answer no because nobody can see God’s face and live (Exodus 33:20). Or you might answer yes because when Christ returns, “we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). Jesus’ interaction with one of His disciples helps us sort through this yes-and-no desire.
B. Lesson Context
Of the four New Testament’s four Gospels, John’s is the most distinctive. All four agree that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. When telling the gospel story, Matthew, Mark, and Luke narrate many of the same episodes, usually with very similar words. John’s Gospel shares much less material with the other three and offers many teachings that are not found elsewhere. He tells of extended conversations between Jesus and His opponents, as well as between Jesus and His followers. These provide perspective on Jesus’ identity and mission as the divine Son of God who became human.
John connects these conversations to Jesus’ miracles, which John calls “signs” (John 4:48; 20:30) to emphasize that they point to Jesus’ identity and mission. Like the other Gospels, John arranges his material to focus on Jesus’ death and resurrection, in which we see Jesus’ mission come to its amazing fulfillment.
Our lesson text comes near the beginning of the chapters in John’s Gospel that focus on Jesus’ words and actions on the night before His crucifixion (John 13–18). Much of this material is Jesus’ private teaching to His followers.
Hanging over the discourse is the shadow of Jesus’ looming crucifixion (John 13:1). By what seems to be Satan’s defeat of Jesus (13:21–27; 19:16–30), is actually Jesus’ defeat of Satan. Though Jesus would no longer be present as He had been, His followers would not be alone, for Jesus promised to send God’s Holy Spirit (14:16, 17, 26). By the Spirit’s power, they would continue the work that God had begun in Jesus (16:7–14).
This section of John begins as Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. This was to show them, in part, that in His death He, their Lord, would be serving them (John 13:1–17). As Jesus brought His teaching to a close, He prayed for His followers, asking the Father especially that they be unified as He and the Father are unified (17:6–26). As Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was willingly surrendering to a death that would free His disciples from the guilt of sin (18:2–9).
I. The Way Introduced
(John 14:1–4)
A. Believe (v. 1)
1. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
When the disciples see events unfold that lead to Jesus’ death, their natural reaction will be to lose heart (compare John 14:27). Jesus anticipates this reaction with a call to belief. He connects belief in God with belief in himself.
| What Do You Think? What techniques can you adopt to replace worry with trust? Digging Deeper |
In the original language, the verb translated believe, used twice, can be understood in at least two ways. One way sees Jesus as making two statements of fact: “You believe in God and you believe in me.” On the other hand, some students propose that the second phrase should be seen as an imperative. Therefore Jesus is saying, “Since you believe in God, you must also believe in me.” In this understanding, Jesus is urging the disciples to exercise reliant trust in himself as a logical extension of trusting the Father (compare John 3:15, 16).
Either way, Jesus is clearly defining faith in himself on the same level as faith in God. For the faithful people of Israel, there was no greater truth than that God is one (Deuteronomy 6:4). There can be no other implication: Jesus asserts that He is divine, that He is God. Faith in God and in Jesus is more than just affirming a truth. To place trust in Jesus is to place trust in God.
B. Follow the Son (vv. 2–4)
2a. In my Father’s house are many mansions.
In the Old Testament, expressions about one’s house can refer to all the members of a family or tribe (example: 2 Samuel 7:16); the word can also refer to the temple (examples: 7:6, 7, 13), the place where God’s people stand in His presence. Because God is enthroned in Heaven (Deuteronomy 26:15), we can understand God’s house to refer to Heaven as well.
It is not certain which way(s) Jesus intends the expression, but the end result is essentially the same. The Father has planned for His people to live forever in His caring presence. Jesus’ assurance is that in God’s family and in God’s presence, there is a place for all His people.
Mansions translates a word that refers simply to a dwelling place (compare John 14:23, where the same word is translated “abode”). Jesus’ point here is not that Heaven is a grand place, though it certainly is, but that God has provided room for all members of His kingdom.
2b. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
In the trials that lie ahead, the disciples will have to rely on God’s faithfulness. Jesus’ statement suggests that His preparing a place for the disciples is an important promise of God’s ongoing care. They have many reasons to put their trust in God’s provision. Every stage of Israel’s history has demonstrated God’s faithfulness. The greatest demonstration of God’s faithfulness, namely Jesus’ resurrection, is only a few days away.
3a. And if I go and prepare a place for you.
We may wonder if Jesus is referring to His death or to His ascension. Both are necessary for Jesus to prepare an eternal place for His followers: Jesus’ death will pay sin’s price for admission into Heaven, while His ascension will result in the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower and teach His followers (John 14:26; 15:26). All that He has done and all that He is about to do is for the good of those who follow Him.
Dual Preparations
When my family moved across the country, my wife and I had a plan: she would travel to our destination a few weeks before our move date to prepare for the arrival of the rest of us. She had several tasks to perform in that regard, including meeting with her new employer. Her most important task, however, was to ensure that things were on track for our family’s move into our new home. On my end, I was to pack and coordinate the move while coping with the difficulty of caring for our 4-month-old daughter by myself.
When we finally moved, we were both thankful for each other’s work on the two ends. While my wife was preparing for the arrival, I was preparing for the departure. The work we both put in was necessary and complementary.
Christ has gone ahead to prepare a place for us. But this place is only for those who are preparing themselves to be there. We prepare through faith in Jesus. Exercising such faith is an everyday task that requires intentional effort. How is your preparation coming along?
—L. H-P.
3b. I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Jesus’ pending departure will not be permanent. He is not abandoning the disciples, even temporarily (also John 14:18). He leaves to act on their behalf and will return again to complete that work.
Jesus’ declaration bears some similarity to God’s statement to Moses of His intent to deliver the Israelites from their captivity in Egypt (Exodus 3:8). In broad terms, God’s aim throughout Scripture is that His people be where He is. This is a reversal of Genesis 3:23, 24. Compare Revelation 21:3:
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Jesus takes on himself the divine role of the one to rescue and gather God’s people.
4. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Based on Jesus’ ministry and teaching to this point, the disciples should understand who Jesus is and what is about to happen to Him. They should realize that Heaven is both His origin and destination (whither I go) and that He must die (the way) in order that they might be admitted to their heavenly home. But “should understand” isn’t the reality, as the next verse reveals.
II. The Way Revealed
(John 14:5–7)
A. Thomas’s Question (v. 5)
5. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Thomas is one of the original apostles (see the New Testament’s four listings in Matthew 10:2–4; Mark 3:16–19; Luke 6:13–16; and Acts 1:13). When hearing his name, most Christians probably think of him primarily in terms of the unflattering designation Doubting Thomas, given his statement in John 20:25.
But two other texts also reveal his character and/or mental state. One is John 11:16, where Thomas speaks with great courage. The other is the verse before us, where he reveals that he does not understand Jesus’ teaching, even though Jesus expects that the disciples already know what He is saying. Thomas is not alone in being what today we might call clueless; Jesus’ disciples constantly struggle to understand His teaching (see Matthew 15:15–20; 16:5–12; Mark 4:13; 7:17, 18; John 16:25–30). Full clarity must wait until after the resurrection. Thomas won’t completely grasp things until he sees the risen Lord.
B. “I Am” the Answer (vv. 6, 7)
6a. Jesus saith unto him.
Jesus proceeds to answer Thomas with what is now one of the most well-known sayings of Jesus in the New Testament.
6b. I am the way.
The word way translates an ordinary word that commonly refers to a pathway of some sort. This can be either a physical one (such as a highway; Matthew 22:9, 10) or a figurative—but no less real—one (example: “the way of God”; 22:16). Jesus describes himself in terms of the latter (compare John 10:9; Hebrews 10:19–22).
6c. The truth.
God is the source of all that is true. Those who worship God must do so in truth (John 4:24). In Jesus the truth of God is supremely manifest (1:1–5, 14). There is no better or higher truth than He. All that is true comes to its focus in Him.
6d. And the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
As God is the source of all that lives, so God’s life is fully in Jesus (John 1:4; 5:26). To belong to Jesus is to have life (10:10), the life of eternity that transforms the present and the never-ending future (3:16). To be apart from Jesus is to be separated from life, as our first parents were separated from Eden’s tree of life in their sin (Genesis 2:9; 3:22–24). There are not many ways to God—only one, and Jesus is that one (Ephesians 2:13–18).
| What Do You Think? Other than memorizing this passage, how can we guard ourselves against the false idea that there’s more than one route to salvation? Digging Deeper |
7a. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. This is a rebuke. Having followed Jesus throughout His ministry, the disciples believe that they know Him. But in knowing Him, they ought to know His Father as well. The Father is the one of whom Jesus has taught, whom He has served, to whom He has prayed, with whom He is fully united (John 1:18; 10:30; 1 John 2:23). But Thomas’s words had revealed a lack of understanding. 7b. And from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. The rebuke gives way to a promise, however. From now on, the disciples do indeed know the Father. Jesus’ resurrection will enable them to realize this even more fully. Seeing Jesus, they see God the Son, who is completely one with God the Father. Hearing this discourse of Jesus will enable the disciples to reach a new realization about the Father and the Son following resurrection morning. Like Father, Like Son A. Philip’s Desire (v. 8) 8. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. The apostle Philip has appeared three times thus far in John’s Gospel: twice bringing someone to Jesus (John 1:43–48; 12:20–22) and once offering a weak answer to a probing question (6:5–7). Prompted by Jesus’ words about the Father, here Philip expresses both a longing to see God and a failure to understand Jesus’ teaching. 9. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Exasperated, Jesus points out to Philip what he has missed throughout Jesus’ ministry: that Jesus is in complete unity with God the Father, expressing the divine nature fully in all that Jesus has done. God is one, so to see God the Son is to see God the Father (2 Corinthians 4:4). The Son and the Father share the same divine nature (Hebrews 1:3). What Do You Think? Digging Deeper |
This remarkable, paradoxical realization has led Christians who have reflected on the gospel to formulate an understanding of God called the Trinity. There is but one God. But the Father and the Son are distinct divine persons, and the Holy Spirit is also. God is one in nature but three in persons, giving and receiving perfect love without beginning or end. In this divine mystery, God is unlike any created being. Only He is both one and three in this way.
10a. Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself.
Though He is responding to Philip specifically, Jesus’ question is for all the disciples to answer. He asks in such a way that expects an affirmative response. Everything that the disciples have heard and witnessed demonstrates the utter unity of God the Father and Jesus the Son (John 10:37, 38). Jesus fulfills the will of God. Everything that God has done has its focus and climax in Jesus.
10b. But the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
The works to which Jesus refers include miracles, sometimes called “signs” (compare John 4:46–54). These works are from the Father. Miracles clearly indicate the work of God.
C. Jesus’ Works (v. 11)
11a. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me.
The disciples have followed Jesus as their master, eager to receive His teaching. They should put their confidence in Him now, given their previous trust, even when He challenges their very ideas of who God is.
11b. Or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
Jesus’ claims regarding His identity are proven by His mighty works (John 5:36; 10:38). The disciples have witnessed deeds that God alone can do. They can rely on what those reveal about Jesus’ unity with the Father.
| What Do You Think? What spiritual guardrails can you erect to stay focused on the evidence that proves the truth of Christianity? Digging Deeper |
Believers’ Greater Things (vv. 12–14)12. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
The formula verily, verily signals the beginning of an important assertion (examples: John 3:3; 5:19; 16:23). The challenge Jesus presents is for the disciples to imagine that what He has done will be surpassed by their own works (compare Matthew 21:21).
Jesus’ work is the decisive inauguration of God’s kingdom. But that work continues and grows in Jesus’ followers. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, who will be given after Jesus’ resurrection (John 15:26), the disciples are to share the good news in doing Jesus’ work. By faith in their Lord, they will be able to see how God is fulfilling through them His promise to gather a people to himself.
13. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.The followers of Jesus accomplish even greater things because they are empowered by their Lord, by the Spirit, and in answer to their prayers. To ask in Jesus’ name is not merely a formula that we say at the end of a prayer. It is that we ask while believing that He has the divine authority to answer; but we are also submitting to His will and purpose.
We cannot ask under Jesus’ authority for that which Jesus does not want to give us. So Jesus gives here not a blank check to cash as we wish. Rather, He gives the assurance that whatever we need to do His work of even greater things, He will supply (Matthew 7:7–11). By this means the Father will be glorified as the world sees and hears who the Father truly is.14. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Believers have full assurance that Jesus will supply our every need. To drive the point home, Jesus repeats it.
| What Do You Think? What red flags would cause you to conclude that a certain request is of a type for which the name of Jesus should never be invoked? Digging Deeper |
Conclusion
A. To Know God, Know Jesus
In Jesus of Nazareth, we indeed see God! Fully human and fully divine, Jesus spoke and acted with authority that belongs to God alone. For this reason, His followers came to understand that God was personally present in Jesus.
The God who is incarnate in Jesus is patient, as Jesus was patient with His disciples. He is just, as Jesus was just with the mighty and the lowly. He is gracious, generous, and merciful beyond comparison, as Jesus willingly gave His life for the unworthy, even for His enemies. To know Jesus is to know God. To reject Jesus is to reject God. To follow God’s path of wisdom is to follow in the path of Jesus, to love and serve as He did.
B. Prayer
Heavenly Father, as You are revealed to us in Jesus, empower us by the Holy Spirit to live according to the pattern You set forth so others see You in us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!
C. Thought to Remember
To know the Son is to know the Father.
KID’S CORNER
Facing Liars in the Church
3 John 1:1-15
Sunday, July 26, 2020
3 John 1:1-15 (3 John 1:1) The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. John’s letter reveals the difference that one person can make for good or evil in the church and world. The only details about Gaius that we can learn are from this letter by John. John obviously loved Gaius in the Lord and as an exemplary and trustworthy Christian in the church, who as a leader did and would do what some refused to do. John gave a reason for his love of Gaius; they both loved the truth and lived in truth.
(3 John 1:2) Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. John knew that Gaius was spiritually mature and in a right relationship with Jesus Christ as his Lord, Whom Gaius loved and obeyed. Knowing Gaius was morally and spiritually healthy, John prayed for Gaius’ physical health and total well-being in all areas of his life. Since the letter was probably on a small scroll or because the letter followed the format of lengthy letters, the letter began by identifying the sender and a prayer for the named recipient that revealed something about their relationship.
(3 John 1:3) I was overjoyed when some of the friends arrived and testified to your faithfulness to the truth, namely how you walk in the truth. “The friends” was a respected name or title that John used in his letter to describe a group who came to visit him at his church. They came from the church where Gaius was respected by them. John knew that Gaius would be a reliable person to complete any assigned tasks, because Gaius was faithful to the truth and his way of life was consistent with the truth, especially as Jesus Christ was the truth. Witnesses testified to this with a testimony that could be accepted according to biblical standards or a court of law.
(3 John 1:4) I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth. John’s gospel and letters reveal the great joy he felt when he learned that a person or church were living consistent Christian lives; when they were learning the truth of Jesus Christ and the Christian faith and then conforming their thoughts, their spiritual life, and their everyday life in the world to the truth as quickly as they learned the truth.
(3 John 1:5) Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the friends, even though they are strangers to you; In a time when it might have been dangerous to openly identify some person or group as “Christian,” the use of the title “friends,” would not alarm hostile authorities. Christians knew Jesus in “the truth,” but to the unbeliever “walking in the truth” might only seem to be a philosophical or ethical ideal. When a group identified themselves as “friends” or “friends of the truth,” even though they were strangers, Gaius showed them hospitality and did for them what ever needed to be done as faithfully as he could in every situation. Notice what John wrote in his gospel about Jesus calling His true followers “friends:” “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father” (John 15:13-15).
(3 John 1:6) they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on in a manner worthy of God; Again, John used a legal term, “testified.” He wrote that the friends “testified” as witnesses that Gaius loved the church. Gaius did what he could to help the church and those who visited him and his church from other churches, even though he did not know many of them personally. Since Gaius walked in the truth, John encouraged him to send the friends on (perhaps as traveling missionaries) with the needed resources that were worthy of a gift from God, the one who provided all that believers need to serve Him. They were not to be given merely the leftovers, but to be treated as God would treat them through His people.
(3 John 1:7) for they began their journey for the sake of Christ, accepting no support from non-believers. “The friends” were most likely traveling evangelists or missionaries that were, perhaps, sent out by John himself. “The friends” sent John reports or came back to him and “testified” to what they did and how they were treated by the churches and towns they visited. They served God and others “for the sake of Christ,” and not for “the sake of money” or other selfish reasons. They relied on Christ and His followers to meet their needs rather than take any support from non-Christians (non-believers).
(3 John 1:8) Therefore we ought to support such people, so that we may become co-workers with the truth. Those who rely on Christ alone and prayer alone for their support as they work hard for the sake of Christ need to be helped by the church and other Christians – not by giving them what they would normally cast-off as unfit for use by themselves, but by giving in a manner that God himself would give if He appeared and gave personally. By supporting Christian workers, believers can become co-workers “with the truth,” “with Christ,” and “with other Christians” in leading people to become Christians and in helping Christians do the work of God in the world. John emphasized the crucial goal of being a co-worker “with the truth” and not just with anyone who wants our support or claims to be a Christian, because some are self-centered deceivers instead of Christ-centered.
(3 John 1:9) I have written something to the church; but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. Diotrephes was the bad example in John’s letter. Diotrephes “put himself first” or made himself more important than Jesus Christ and other believers. Since Diotrephes intercepted John’s letter to the church to prevent it from being read to the church, we know that Diotrephes was a recognized leader or elder in the church with the power to block John and other Christian leaders from communicating with the church. Diotrephes refused to acknowledge the authority of anyone but himself, even the authority of Christ and His Word, because he “put himself first.” Therefore, John wrote his letter to Gaius and wanted to visit Gaius and the church personally to solve this problem.
(3 John 1:10) So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing in spreading false charges against us. And not content with those charges, he refuses to welcome the friends, and even prevents those who want to do so and expels them from the church. John’s letter shows the importance of needing to confront a leader or teacher in a church who is conducting leadership for himself first instead of for the sake of Christ. John wrote what he would do when he came to the church, so we can find good guidance here for similar situations. In his letter, John wrote that he would call attention to or reveal the fact that Diotrephes was spreading false charges (lies) against him and others. He would point out the fact that Diotrephes even expelled from the church those he did not like or who believed and walked in the truth as John did. Diotrephes put himself in a more important place than Jesus Christ. Diotrephes was telling lies about those who were truly following Christ and living and giving by faith in Jesus Christ. Diotrephes had become a dictator in the church and a traitor to the Lord Jesus Christ by preventing the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ, by afflicting those who promoted the truth of Jesus Christ, and by casting the faithful followers of Jesus Christ out of the church. John said he would come and confront this false leader or teacher. In the meantime, he wrote Gaius and warned him about Diotrephes. Probably neither the church nor Gaius knew what evils Diotrephes was involved in, and John probably did not learn about them until the traveling evangelists reported back to John, which prompted his letter to Gaius as a trustworthy follower of Jesus Christ in the truth.
(3 John 1:11) Beloved, do not imitate what is evil but imitate what is good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. John commanded that Diotrephes should not be imitated; his evil should not be repaid with evil, but he needed to be disciplined for the evil he was doing and for the sake of Christ and His Church. People in the church needed to learn that Diotrephes was putting himself first ahead of Christ, and they needed to follow Christ and walk in the truth instead of in the misleading steps of someone who put themselves first. Imitating what was good and speaking the truth about Diotrephes telling lies and hindering people from coming to Christ was the beginning of the discipline that he might need. Hopefully, he would repent and put Christ first. You can tell whether someone who claims to be a Christian is truly from God by evaluating their behavior. Jesus taught, “You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?” (Matthew 7:16).
(3 John 1:12) Everyone has testified favorably about Demetrius, and so has the truth itself. We also testify for him, and you know that our testimony is true. In contrast to Diotrephes, Demetrius was an example of a good Christian and possibly a potential church leader to replace Diotrephes. John hoped to come soon to bring about the changes in the church that were needed. John used the words “testified” and “testimony” again because what was said about Demetrius was true and could be relied upon even in a court of law or during a trial. Demetrius was from God and the truth about him was so obvious through his good behavior that “the truth itself” testified favorably for him and so did John and other evangelists – and Gaius knew they spoke the truth, unlike Diotrephes, the liar who defamed the character of John and others by spreading false charges against them.
(3 John 1:13) I have much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink; John had much to write about the situation facing the church under the leadership of Diotrephes, who may have been the chief preacher or teacher in the church. However, John did not want Gaius and others in the church to discipline Diotrephes without John being present. He hoped to restore love and truth under the Lordship of Christ in the church; therefore, he needed to demonstrate some of the best ways to discipline a church leader or member who was doing evil by being present with them.
(3 John 1:14) instead I hope to see you soon, and we will talk together face to face. Diotrephes was not just adversely treating John in a personal way; he was adversely mistreating the entire church and the mission of the traveling evangelists and missionaries; therefore, John hoped to travel soon to see Gaius and by talking together face to face they could pray, plan, and prepare to solve the problems the church faced as Diotrephes put himself first above Christ, the church, and respected church leaders.
(3 John 1:15) Peace to you. The friends send you their greetings. Greet the friends there, each by name. Letters often concluded with a prayer for peace for the recipient. John’s prayer for peace was particularly appropriate for Gaius and his fellow Christians because of the hostile situation in their church and perhaps because of persecution by enemies of Christ outside the Church. The friends who had returned to John from Gaius’ church sent their greetings to Gaius. And John wanted Gaius to greet all of the friends of Christ who knew John by name personally. The Bible does not tell us what happened as a consequence of John’s visit or how the situation regarding Diotrephes was resolved.
Facing Liars in the Church
3 John 1:1-15
Sunday, July 26, 2020
“Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church” (3 John 1:10—KJV).
“So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing in spreading false charges against us. And not content with those charges, he refuses to welcome the friends, and even prevents those who want to do so and expels them from the church” (3 John 1:10—NRSV).
Remember these encouraging words: “Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:12-13). When persecuted, Christians can face persecution the way Paul did: “When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure” (1 Corinthians 4:12). The Apostle John suffered persecution from a powerful church leader, who even expelled from his church those who disagreed with him. Different translations reveal that Diotrephes spread “false charges” or “wicked nonsense” or “malicious words” about John and others. Not content with just lying about John and others, he refused to pass on John’s letters to his church and he refused to welcome the true believers that John sent to his church. Indeed, Diotrephes was going “from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived.” Because Diotrephes was destroying the spiritual well-being of some, preventing others from being saved through a true faith in Jesus Christ, stopping the spread of the Gospel through Christian missions, and not walking in truth and love, John wrote that if he visited Diotrephes’ church that he would “call attention to what he is doing in spreading false charges.” We do not know if Diotrephes repented of his sins and turned from putting himself first to a true faith in Jesus Christ. We do know that Gaius and Demetrius were prepared by God to replace a godless church leader.
Thinking Further
Facing Liars in the Church
3 John 1:1-15
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Name _____________________________
- Give some reasons John loved Gaius.
- Why do you suppose it was well with Gaius’ soul?
- What gave John “no greater joy”?
- How did “the friends” conduct their ministry?
- When we support true Christian workers, what do we become?
Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further
- Give some reasons John loved Gaius. They both loved the truth. Gaius loved and helped the friends. Gaius was faithful and walked in the truth.
- Why do you suppose it was well with Gaius’ soul? He was filled with the love of Christ and the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. He was faithful and he walked in the truth. His behavior indicated to John and the friends that he put Jesus Christ first in his life.
- What gave John “no greater joy”? Hearing that his children, his spiritual children, are walking in the truth.
- How did “the friends” conduct their ministry? They conducted their ministry for the sake of Christ and accepted no support from nonbelievers (or pagans).
- When we support true Christian workers, what do we become? Co-workers with the truth or fellow workers for the truth.
Word Search
Facing Liars in the Church
3 John 1:1-15
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Name _____________________________
S A I H J L R H X S I T K Z U
S U R U O E Z C F J O V W I G
E F D E Y O J R E V O U A C D
N R M W K G W U Z W T M L H F
L I S B A D S H L D L W K J C
U F T Q O U X C G T R U T H U
F D A H J D I O T R E P H E S
H N E I S R E G N A R T S T Q
T L E M T M B C B P W Q Y M K
I Y S R E H G E S D N E I R F
A T Z L D T F H L Z U V Y G M
F X R O I L R U K O E F A H R
Y A G V T F I I L Y V I O G T
L M I E H X P H U L U E N V A
C Q W X P W Y Q C S Y S D Z Y
Gaius
Love
Truth
Beloved
Soul
Overjoyed
Faithfulness
Walk
Joy
Children
Faithfully
Friends
Strangers
Church
Diotrephes
Demetrius
True and False Test
Facing Liars in the Church
3 John 1:1-15
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Name _________________________________
Circle the true or false answers. Correct the false statements by restating them.
- John loved Gaius in the truth as a faithful friend in Christ. True or False
- John trusted Diotrephes to pass on his letters to the church. True or False
- John told Gaius to obey Diotrephes, because he was a church leader. True or False
- John was concerned for people’s physical health and their souls. True or False
- John praised Gaius for walking in a way that made him many friends. True or False
- Diotrephes put Christ and the needs of others first. True or False
- John never intended to tell anyone that someone was lying about him. True or False
- Those who do evil have not seen God. True or False
- Everyone, and also the truth, testified favorably about Demetrius. True or False
- John commended the believers who got support from unbelievers. True or False
Answers to the True and False Test
- True
- False
- False
- True
- False
- False
- False
- True
- True
- False
Prayer
Heavenly Father, as You are revealed to us in Jesus, empower us by the Holy Spirit to live according to the pattern You set forth so others see You in us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!