EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/29/2025 9:39 PM
My Worship Tim Focus:
PT-2 “John’s Counsel to Gaius”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 3 John 6b-8
Message of the verses: “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 men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.”
This
is how I ended my Spiritual Diary from yesterday on these verses: “I will quote from
MacArthur’s commentary the first of these three reasons to end this SD, and
Lord willing will perhaps be able to look at the final two reasons in
tomorrow’s SD.”
“Second,
preachers of the truth could expect nothing from the Gentiles. It goes without saying that unbelievers are
not going to support those who preach the true gospel. If Christians do not support them, no one
will. And, as Paul explained to Timothy,
those who faithfully proclaim the Word of God are worthy of financial compensation
(1 Tim. 5:17-20).
“Of
course, while it is right for them to be paid for their labor, t rue
ambassadors of the gospel are never in the ministry for the sake of money. In fact, it is precisely the issue of money
that separates true preachers from false ones.
Scripture is clear that the latter are invariably in it for the money,
and have no honest commitment to the truth.
They are hucksters, spiritual con men guilty of ‘peddling the word of
God’ (2 Cor. 2:17), ‘teaching things they should not teach for the sake of
sordid gain’ (Titus 1:11). ‘Woe to them!’
Jude explains, ‘For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have
rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of
Korah’ (Jude 11). The Didache, and early
Christian writing, offered the following wise advice about how to distinguish a
false prophet:
Welcome every apostle
[teacher; evangelist] on arriving, as if he were the Lord. But he must not stay beyond one day. In case of necessity, however, the next day
too. If he stays three days, he is a
false prophet. On departing, an apostle
must not accept anything save sufficient food to carry him till his next lodging. If he asks for money, he is a false prophet.
(11:4-6; cited in Cyril C. Richardson, ed., Early
Christian Fathers [New York; Macmillan, 1978], 176)
To avoid any suspicion that he might be
a charlatan, Paul worked with his own hands to support himself (Acts 20:34; 1
Cor. 4:12; 9:18; 1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:7-9; cf. 1 Peter 5:1-2).
“Finally,
we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth. In 2 John 10-11, John cautioned against
participating in false teachers’ evil deeds by supporting them, even verbally. But by supporting those who present the truth,
Christians partner with them. Jesus said
in Matthew 10:41, ‘He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall
receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of
a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.’ Thus, He promised eternal reward, as if the
one caring for a prophet was himself a prophet.
In His limitless grace God not only rewards a true prophet, preacher, or
missionary for his faithfulness, but also rewards anyone else who receives
him. Receiving a prophet refers to
embracing his ministry—affirming his call and supporting his work. Receiving a righteous man is that same
principle, extended to every believer who is accepted for Christ’s sake. In an
incomprehensible sharing of blessing, God showers His rewards on every person
who receives His people because they are His people.
“Whenever
we become the source of blessing for others, we are blessed; and whenever other
believers become a source of blessing to us, they are blessed. In God’s magnificent economy of grace, the
least believer can share the blessing of the greatest, and no one’s good work
will go unrewarded.”
5/29/2025 10:04 PM
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