December
9th 3 John 1 A. Gaius Greetings
1: The elder unto the wellbeloved
Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
Prayers
for prosperity
2: Beloved, I wish above all things
that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3: For
I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is
in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. 4: I have no greater joy than to
hear that my children walk in truth.
Commendation
for hospitality
5: Beloved, thou doest faithfully
whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; 6: Which have borne
witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their
journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well: 7: Because that for his name's sake
they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. 8: We therefore ought to
receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.
B.
Diotrephes Diotrephes separates
9: I wrote unto the church: but
Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
10: 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.
Follow
good & shun evil
11: Beloved, follow not that which
is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that
doeth evil hath not seen God.
C.
Demetrius Demetrius commended
12: Demetrius hath good report of
all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know
that our record is true.
See
you soon
13: I had many things to write, but
I will not with ink and pen write unto thee: 14: But I trust I shall shortly
see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute
thee. Greet the friends by name.
This is another little letter from
John to a friend and believer. John gives him a typical Jewish greeting. He
says he wishes that he might prosper in life and in health to the same degree
as their spiritual wellbeing. John says that he has written to the church but
he wants to say more about Diotrephes. He says about him that he loves to have
first place. In other words he likes to be in charge. And not only that but he
refuses to receive the apostles. He says that when he comes to the church he
will remember what he has done. Then John lists his misdemeanours. He has been
malicious to John in word and not just that but he has been a divisive force in
the churches. He does not receive the brethren and excommunicates those who do.
This is the spirit of exclusivism creeping into the churches. It is a great
evil, because it separates the body of Christ. John gives them a general
exhortation to do good, i.e. to live righteously. John commends Demetrius. Then
he closes with a desire to come and see them in person.
Jude
1 A.
The Occurrences of Apostasy The
dangers of false teaching.
1: Jude, the servant of Jesus
Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father,
and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: 2: Mercy unto you, and peace, and
love, be multiplied. 3: Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of
the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you
that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto
the saints. 4: For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of
old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God
into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
5: I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that
the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt,
afterward destroyed them that believed not. 6: And the angels which kept not
their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in
everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 7: Even
as Sodom and Gomorrha,
and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to
fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example,
suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 8: Likewise also these filthy dreamers
defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. 9: Yet Michael
the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of
Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord
rebuke thee. 10: But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but
what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt
themselves. 11: Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran
greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying
of Core. 12: These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with
you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried
about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked
up by the roots; 13: Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame;
wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. 14:
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the
Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15: To execute judgment upon all,
and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds
which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly
sinners have spoken against him. 16: These are murmurers, complainers, walking
after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having
men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
B.
The Occupation of Believers in days of Apostasy Our
duty to fight for the truth.
17: But, beloved, remember ye the
words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18:
How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should
walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19: These be they who separate themselves,
sensual, having not the Spirit. 20: But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on
your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21: Keep yourselves in the
love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22: And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23: And others save with
fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the
flesh. 24: Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present
you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25: To the
only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now
and ever. Amen.
Jude writes with a word of warning
against false teachers to his Jewish friends. He says that they are to
earnestly contend for the truth. First he describes them as men who turn the
Grace of God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord
Jesus Christ. He reminds them of the fact that not all the children of Israel who came out of Egypt were
righteous because they were unbelievers. He reminds them of the angels that
sinned are reserved for Judgment. He reminds them of Sodom
and Gomorrah
who lived for the flesh were destroyed by fire. For he accurately describes
them as filthy dreamers and then says in his dignity the LORD rebuke them. He
describes them as animals who are filthy and corrupted. Then he pronounces a
woe upon them. They follow the career of Cain and Balaam. They are a spot on
the love feasts they promise great things but do not deliver. Then Jude
describes the coming of the angels of God to bring judgment before the Kingdom
is set up. John warns them in the most graphic manner of their evil ways. Then
Jude encourages his readers to separation, prayer and perseverance looking
forward to the coming of Christ for his people. He says have compassion for
some of these people and other snatch them out of the fire. Then Jude commends
them to the only wise God and Saviour.
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