3 John 1 - A Good Report

1 The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.

- The elder is John the Apostle who is about 90 years old at this point.

- To the beloved Gaius (Gaius means Happy or One who rejoices)

- Whom I love in truth (John loved him because he served the Lord which is why he was happy and rejoicing.

2 Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. 3 For I was overjoyed when brothers came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. 4 I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.

- Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health

o Beloved? – YES

o In all respects you may prosper? – YES

o And be in good health? – YES

- Just as your soul prospers

o Your soul prospers when you believe in Jesus

o John prayer is for blessing now and later

- For I was overjoyed (overflowing) when brothers (in the faith) came and testified to your truth (shared what they saw and heard first hand), that is, how you are walking in truth

o They were walking (moving forward in the correct direction) in truth (according to the truth of God’s word)

- I have no greater joy than this

o To hear of my children walking in the truth

o Spiritual children born from seed planted

o Do you have any spiritual children?

§ You will get great joy when you hear others confirm that they are walking in the truth (continuing on the path toward heaven!)

5 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brothers and sisters, and especially when they are strangers; 6 and they have testified to your love before the church.

- Beloved you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish.

o Acting faithfully is consistently doing the right thing in the sight of God

o For the brothers and sisters

o And especially when they are strangers.

o And they have testified to your love before the church

You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support such people, so that we may prove to be fellow workers with the truth.

- You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God (blessed, taught, full of provision); better than when they arrived

- For they went out for the sake of the Name (the Name of Jesus)

o Accepting nothing from the Gentiles (worldly people gave nothing)

- Therefore (because we are not like them) we ought to support such people (financially)

o So that we may prove to be fellow workers in the truth (put your money where you mouth is…)

9 I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.

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2 John 1

1 The elder,

To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth— 2 because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:

3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

4 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

7 I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what we[a] have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. 11 Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.

12 I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

13 The children of your sister, who is chosen by God, send their greetings.

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1 John 5 - Faith in the Incarnate Son of God

5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the[a] Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Concluding Affirmations

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

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