Three Hearts in Third John (Part 2)

Do I Have the Heart of Gaius?

The Heart of a Faithful Christian

This letter is not a doctrinal letter so much as it is a letter written from the apostle to one of his best friends.  “The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth” (3 John 1:1).  John refers to Gaius as “wellbeloved” or “beloved” in four different verses (v. 1, 2, 5, 11). This speaks of the great love which each man had for the other. It was a love which is in “the truth.” It was not shallow by any means. 

This love was helped by the strength of Gaius’ health. “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John 1:2). It seems that Gaius may have been in poor health at this time as John wishes that Gaius would prosper as well as his soul did. This tells us a great deal about the man named Gaius. He may not have been prospering from the standpoint of physical health but his spiritual health was as healthy as could be. In fact, he is so healthy spiritually that John wished that Gaius’ was as well physically as he was spiritually. We see the picture of a strong, faithful Christian in that of Gaius. This should make us ask the question, “If my physical health matched my spiritual health, “How strong would I be?” Would we be as strong as Gaius? Would we be like the congregation at Laodicea (Rev. 3:17)?

His faithfulness caused him to be loved through the brotherhood. “For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth” (1 John 1:3). The brethren who came to John spoke of Gaius and just how faithful of an individual he was. They spoke of how Gaius was not a “Sunday morning Christian.” They testified of the truth that was in him. He was not as those individuals who claim to hold true to Christianity but refuse to actually make Christ their master. They also spoke of how he “walked in the truth.” A Christian’s “walk” is their way of life (Eph. 2:2). Gaius walked in the truth. He walked according to the precepts found in God’s Word. What was John’s reaction to hearing of the faithfulness of Gaius? “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 1:4). It brought great joy to the heart of John that to know that Gaius continued in faithfulness to God’s word. Since John uses the phrase, “my children” it seems that John may have been involved in the conversion of Gaius to Christianity. What greater joy is there in the life of preacher or Christian to know of the faithfulness of a convert?