EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/24/2025 8:34 PM
My Worship Tim Focus:
PT-4 “Sacrificial Love for Those
Faithful to the Truth”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 3 John 1-8
Message of the verses: “1 The elder to the
beloved Gaius, whom I love
in truth. 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 very glad when brethren 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. 5 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you
accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; 6
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 men, so that we may be
fellow workers with the truth.
I continue to write about hospitality as I begin
this Spiritual Diary this evening, and hospitality was not merely a cultural
obligation, but even more a Christian duty.
Hospitality is one very necessary and practical expression of the love
that should mark the fellowship of believers as seen in John 13:34-35. “34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you
love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 “By
this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one
another.’” It is in Romans 12:13 that Paul
wrote that believers are to be “practicing hospitality,” and then Peter exhorted,
“Be hospitable to one another without complaint” (1 Peter 4:9). Now we move to the writers of Hebrews as he
commanded his readers, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by
this some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Heb. 13:2). Next in 1 Timothy 5:10 Paul listed
hospitality as one of the virtues of a godly Christian woman. Elders in particular are required to be
hospitable as one of the exemplary qualifications for that office as seen in 1Timothy
3:2 and also Titus 1:8.
Now
as we continue to write about hospitality we can see that it was also a
significant responsibility and the reason was because the home was central to
the life of the early church. Please
look at the following verses Acts 2:4-6; 5:52; 12:12; 16:40; 18:7; 20:20; Rom.
16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col. 4:15; Philem. 2.
It is true that the believers met in homes for worship during this early
part of the church age, as the earliest know church building dates from early
in the third century. What went on in
those “home churches” was prayer, fellowship, teaching, preaching, and discipleship,
necessary things needed in the church even to this day, but sadly lacking in
many churches. So it was common for
Christians to open their doors to travelers visiting the church, especially the
faithful teachers of the truth; we will now look at 3 John 6-8: “6 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 men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.”
MacArthur writes “While the theme of showing love by
hospitality is clearly commanded in both 2 and 3 John, the foundational reality
below that duty is love for and obedience to the truth. John exalts the truth in his second letter in
that he sets the exclusive limit that only those who embrace the truth are to
be shown hospitality. In his third
letter he affirms the inclusive approach that all who are in the truth are to
be loved and cared for. That emphasis is
made evident in John’s greeting, the elder to the beloved Gaius.”
He goes on to write “Unlike modern correspondence,
it was customary for the ancient writer to name himself at the opening of the
letter. As noted in the discussion of 2
John 1…elder does not only designate John’s age (he was a very old man when he
wrote this letter), but more significant, it points to his position of
spiritual oversight. As the last
surviving apostle of Jesus Christ, John was not just an elder, but the elder,
the most revered and respected figure in the church.”
Lord
willing I will complete this section in my next evening SD.
5/24/2025 8:59 PM
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