TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 3:4-10
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. - 2 Corinthians 5:21
TODAY IN THE WORD
Writer Doris Greig relates the following: “The story is told of a little girl who was riding in the car with her daddy. She decided that she wanted to stand in the front seat, but her father commanded her to sit down and put on her seat belt. She refused, so he told her a second time to sit down. Again she refused. Her father said, 'If you don’t sit down immediately, I’ll pull the car over . . . and spank you!’ This moved the little girl to obey, but in a few minutes she said quietly to her daddy, 'I’m sitting down outside, but I’m still standing up inside.’ ”

As cute as this little girl may have been, there’s nothing cute about rebellion. Spiritual rebellion can either be an open defiance or a hidden resistance: either way it’s a refusal to do as God commands. Today’s passage puts this in terms of “sin” and “breaking the law.”

Because believers are children of God, focusing on our true identity and all that God is doing in us has the effect of purifying us (v. 3). Even more, Jesus came to take away our sins (v. 5). For these two reasons, John declares that no one who remains in Him can keep on sinning, or living in rebellion, against God. If fact, John says that the person who persists in defying God has probably never known Him (v. 6).

In the midst of this passage is a very important truth about the nature of our Lord Jesus Christ. So far, John has taken great care to show that Jesus is both fully human and fully God. But he also wants his readers to know that as fully human, Jesus is also completely without sin. Although He is able to understand our weakness and to intercede for us (Heb. 4:15), “in him is no sin.”
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Sin is one of those words that we tend to use without defining. Sometimes we hear people calling a moral failure a “mistake,” implying that they didn’t know better. But the Bible is clear that sin is defiance against God and His ways. If you have a Bible dictionary, look up the following words: trespass, sin, rebellion, and transgression. See if you can put together your own definition of sin. You might also look over Galatians 5:19–21. We need to be as clear as John on this: “sin is lawlessness.”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 3:11-18
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. - John 15:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
Recent polls show that the average American church member gives between 2 and 3 percent of his or her annual income to charity, including the local church! Our passage for today offers a significant challenge to the people behind this disturbing statistic.

You may have noticed that 1 John focuses on a few very important topics and keeps returning to them. In today’s passage, we come back to the theme of love, which in many respects sets the gospel of Christ apart. Having reminded his listeners of the command to love, John illustrates it with two starkly contrasted examples: first, the negative example of Cain, and then the perfect example of Jesus.

John had already made the link between sin, hatred, and the devil (v. . The example of Cain is a chilling portrait of a child of the devil (v. 10), for we see that Cain was jealous of his brother’s righteousness. It wasn’t even that he was coveting a possession or physical characteristic of Abel, but rather that he couldn’t tolerate that his brother did what was right. Cain represents the “world” here, and John wants his readers to know that those who hate do not have eternal life. Moreover, the actions of Cain reveal why the world hates true believers (v. 13).

In welcome relief to the example of Cain is the supreme example of Christ, who laid down His life on our behalf. What a contrast! Cain took another life; Christ gave His own life. Love like this can never be counterfeited. It may be possible to put on a pretense of love; indeed, Cain may have feigned affection for his brother. But given enough time, hatred can’t be masked. In Cain’s case, his hatred led him to murder.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
“The test of Christian love is not loud professions about loving the whole church, but in quiet actions of helping a brother who is in need,” writes Doris Greig. Few are called to lay down their lives for someone, but all of us are called to help with the needs of those around us. This may involve giving financially, but it may also involve helping someone with home repairs or making meals for a family. The approaching holidays provide many welcome opportunities to help out, but let’s never forget that needs are year round!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 3:19-24
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. - Romans 8:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
Psychologists sometimes distinguish between “false” and “real” guilt. Real guilt is feeling remorse when one has actually done something wrong. For example, if a business person knowingly sells an inferior product to an unsuspecting client, then that business person should be bothered. “False” guilt, however, is feeling badly when one has not done something wrong, or continuing to feel badly after an issue has been dealt with.

Many Christians approach their heavenly Father with a continual sense of condemnation, or a guilty conscience, that isn’t appropriate. The Bible repeatedly stresses that we must confess our sins before the Lord. In fact, 1 John contains some of the clearest teaching on this (1 John 1:7, 9). But the Bible also clearly teaches that God forgives our confessed sins. We are to stand confidently before Him, because we have been washed clean in the blood of Jesus Christ. Even though Satan continues to whisper accusations, we rest confidently on Jesus’ righteousness and do not shrink away in shame (1 John 2:28).

That’s the point stressed in today’s passage. John further links this point to the assurance that comes from living out our faith in “actions and in truth” (v. 18). In other words, John links confidence and obedience. Obedience doesn’t increase our confidence, rather it confirms it. The reverse is sometimes easier to understand: we lose confidence when we try to hide our disobedience.

So John encourages his readers that their righteous actions can assure them that they really do belong to the truth. But even when this isn’t the case, John reminds his readers that “God is greater than our hearts” and knows our true status as His children. Because we are His children, we have confidence before Him. And as His children, we long to obey Him. John then issues two commands that summarize his major points: to believe in Jesus Christ and to love one another.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Periodically, we encourage you to set aside a time for confession of sin. If you have never done so, we’d like to encourage you to consider writing out your confession. Once you’ve finished writing, stop and ask for God’s forgiveness for the sin. Then take a red pen and write F-O-R-G-I-V-E-N across the paper. Now, very deliberately, throw this paper away or even burn it. If nagging accusations should linger, refuse to listen to them, and instead think back upon that one word written in red ink: FORGIVEN.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 4:1–6
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only. - John 1:14
TODAY IN THE WORD
Sometimes appearances can be deceiving. Consider, for example, diamonds and stones that closely resemble diamonds. To check for authenticity, jewelers test diamonds for their ability to conduct heat, or their thermal conductivity. Diamonds are good conductors of heat, while most imitations are not.

Just as jewelers use certain tests to determine a diamond’s authenticity, Christians need to use certain tests to determine if a certain teaching is actually from God. Today’s passage shows that these tests are quite simple: we must look at what a certain teaching says about Jesus, and who is listening to that teaching.

In John’s day, there were many itinerate teachers and philosophers. Some of these individuals may have had a previous connection with the true gospel, but at some point they left the church and were now “false prophets” (v. 1). Since these teachers all claimed to be speaking by God’s Spirit, John wanted to give guidelines for evaluating their claims. Even though the plural term spirits is used, there are really only two spirits: one that affirms Christ and one that denies Him. Everyone who proclaims a spiritual message speaks by one of these two spirits.

The first and most important test is what is said about Jesus Christ, specifically about His incarnation. Recall from our first study this month that many false teachers claimed that Jesus only appeared to have human flesh or that He only appeared to be divine. But Scripture teaches that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine. Moreover, He was physically resurrected and has ascended to heaven in His resurrected body. This clear teaching of the Bible has been affirmed throughout the centuries by the church. False teachers will always deny some element of this truth. To deny the reality of Jesus is to deny the good news of salvation.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As we’ve said before, the best way to discern falsehood is to know the truth. This month might be a good opportunity to spend some time focusing on the basic facts about Jesus Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 4:7-12
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
A missionary was picking up a package in a foreign post office. When the official recognized her as a missionary, the woman became a little anxious, not knowing if that would help or hinder matters. But to her surprise, the official began recounting all the good things that she and her coworkers had done for the local church and the townspeople. Finally, the official exclaimed: “You love our people!” Then, to her greater surprise, he waived the tax on her package!

The centrality of love for believers can’t be overemphasized; perhaps that’s why the command to love one another appears for the third time in today’s passage from 1 John (cf. 2:7–11; 3:11–18). Here, the command is linked to the very nature of God Himself.

We can think about this in the following way: think of an individual who loves you. You may say that this person is loving, but that is not the same as saying that this person is love! God alone is the origin of love, and because we have been born from Him, we are able to love one another (v. 7).

Although the claim that God is love is quite simple, we must think about love in biblical terms, because we use the verb love rather inconsistently! We can say that we love ice cream, and then say that we love our children. But biblical love is all about unconditional giving as exemplified in Jesus Christ. This love doesn’t even consider what it might get in return--it simply loves the other person.

Additionally, love is understood by what God does in history. This is best seen in the love of the Father that gave His only Son, Jesus Christ (vv. 9–10).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The Christian perspective on love is unique among world religions. Although many groups advocate love generally, only God shows love lived out in the person of Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 4:13-21
And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother - 1 John 4:21
TODAY IN THE WORD
Believe it or not, the Super Bowl is just two months away! Each year, record numbers of people watch this mega sporting event. Companies spend millions to launch creative new ad campaigns. People throw elaborate parties. All eyes seem to be focused on this one event. This may be the spectator sport par excellence.

Now while it’s perfectly fine to a be spectator of the Super Bowl, our study so far has shown us that we can’t remain spectators when we talk about God’s love. It’s true that we have witnessed His love in the life and work of Jesus Christ, but it’s equally true that we must live out His love as well. This has been a repeated theme in 1 John.

Today’s passage begins with a summary of the entire gospel message (vv. 13–15). Let’s review. The greatest evidence of God’s love is His sending His Son. Even more, He sent His Son as the Savior of the world, the One who takes away sin. No one stands outside of this sphere! To acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God encompasses the entire gospel. This is the love of God for us, and we are to “rely” upon it (v. 16).

But how do we “rely” upon the love of God? By basing our entire confidence to stand without fear on the day of judgment on God’s love for us (v. 17). Because we have already experienced God’s love, we have no fear of punishment, which here refers to eschatological punishment from God for nonbelievers.

Remember, we are acceptable before God because of what Christ has done for us, not because we are somehow good enough. If it were not for Christ’s shed blood, we would have no basis to stand confidently before Him. But we rely on Him and not on ourselves.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Many Christians have a hard time believing that they stand before the Father with no fear of punishment. Today’s passage encourages us to “rely” upon the truth of God’s love as revealed through Jesus Christ. To help you meditate on this, consider the following quote from writer Marianne Meye Thompson: “To know that we are forgiven for our sin, loved in our weakness, saved by his mercy, destined for fellowship with God, all because we are supremely valued by God--that is to know the perfect love that drives fear away.”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 5:1-5
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. - Matthew 11:30
TODAY IN THE WORD
To receive a high school diploma, one must either graduate from high school or pass the General Education Development Test (GED). The GED measures an individual’s knowledge and academic skills against those of high school graduates. In short, the GED provides a standardized way of ensuring that an individual has reached the level expected of a high school graduate.

You could say that John also presents a type of “standardized test.” This test, however, is used to measure true Christianity from false teaching. This test is designed to affirm to believers that they are truly children of God. The ones who fail the test are those who reject Jesus Christ.

So far, we have encountered various sections of this “test,” so let’s summarize them. The first test of true belief is obedience (1 John 2:3–6); the second test is love (1 John 2:7–11); and the third test is correct belief (1 John 2:18–27). Today’s passage brings all three tests together. Even before the tests are applied, however, John reminds his readers that the first step is being born of God. We can love, obey, and believe only because we have become God’s children.

John then moves to the test, or affirmation, of true faith: love. Those who have been born of God love God and others born of God (v. 1). Although verses 1 and 2 seem circular, they show that it’s impossible to love God without loving other believers and equally impossible to love other believers without loving God.

The next affirmation of true faith is obedience, but notice that obedience springs from love: we obey God’s commands because we love Him (v. 2). The statement that God’s commands are not burdensome (v. 3) indicates that these commands are not intended to earn God’s favor, rather they are joyously obeyed because of our love for God.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today’s passage shows that these three tests are so closely interwoven that they can’t be easily separated. God’s intention for the human family is the closest example of this. Parents love their children, and children love their parents. Because children love their parents, they want to please them and to obey them. Because children know that their parents love them, they put their trust in them. Seeing just a glimpse of this three-way interrelationship helps us to understand its perfect expression in God’s love for us, His children.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 5:6-12
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. - John 10:10b
TODAY IN THE WORD
Certain conditions must be met before eyewitness testimony is admissible in a U.S. law court. First, the witness must have been physically present at the crime scene. Second, the witness must be deemed legally competent to give testimony. The testimony of a witness who was intoxicated or insane at the time of the crime will not be accepted.

Jewish law courts also had strict rules for admissible testimony. Deuteronomy 19:15 says that an accused individual could only be convicted by the testimony of two or three witnesses. In today’s passage, John uses legal terminology to show that the testimony concerning Jesus Christ goes well beyond legal requirements.

First, John says that Jesus came by water and blood. Most scholars believe these refer to Jesus’ baptism (the beginning of His ministry) and to His crucifixion (the purpose of His ministry). Thus John first appeals to the historical testimony to the work of Christ. It’s likely that heretics were denying the “blood,” or the fact of Jesus’ crucifixion (v. 6).

Others point out that these two elements come together in John 19:34, when both blood and water came from Jesus’ side after He died on the cross. In addition to affirming that His death was real, water suggests the coming of the Holy Spirit, and blood, the effectual cleansing for our sins.

Next, John points out the important role of the Holy Spirit as a witness to Christ (cf. John 15:26; 16:13-15). Not only was the Spirit an eyewitness to Jesus’ baptism and crucifixion, but He also continually affirms the truth of who Jesus Christ is. Together, these three elements offer one unified testimony (vv. 7-8). This goes far beyond what Deuteronomy 19:15 required.

But even greater than the standards of human testimony is the fact that God Himself testifies to Jesus Christ. True faith accepts this testimony. This verse exposes the heresy of those false prophets: they reject God’s own witness concerning His Son.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
People may say that they know that God is real because the Holy Spirit tells them so. But today’s passage teaches the Spirit’s testimony works in conjunction with the historical facts about Jesus Christ. After all, some heretics claim that the Spirit agrees with them, too. For this reason, it’s essential to know the facts about Jesus’ life. You can begin by studying passages about His baptism (Matt. 3:13-17) and crucifixion (Matt. 27:45-56). You can also read articles about the life of Jesus Christ in a Bible dictionary.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 5:13-17
I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. - Mark 11:24
TODAY IN THE WORD
Martin Luther said the following about prayer: “Do you mean to say that this promise is always true even though God often does not give what we have asked for? As His Word shows, it is certainly His will to deliver you from all evil, not to leave you in temptation, and to give you your daily bread. . . . If you pray in this way–that all may go according to His will–then your prayer is certainly heard. . . . If it is not heard according to our will, then it is heard according to the will of God, which is better than ours.”

This is great encouragement for prayer! John also addresses believing prayer in today’s passage, where the privilege of prayer is linked to the eternal life we have in the Son.

At the beginning of our study, we mentioned that John wrote 1 John to assure believers of their eternal life–not just life that lasts forever, but eternal fellowship with God. Verse 13 nicely summarizes this. Now John adds one more assurance of true faith: prayer.

The assurance of prayer was central to Jesus’ teaching, as the Lord’s Prayer shows (Matt. 6:8-13). “Hearing” in verse 14 implies response: we can be sure that God fully responds to our prayers that are in His will.

John’s immediate application is to a believer who has sinned. We can probably assume that this person has confessed, since John so emphasized confession. The prayer is likely one requesting protection and restoration to the fullness of life in the Son (v. 16).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Bible commentator Stephen Smalley observes: “Prayer is not a battle, but a response; its power consists in lifting our wills to God, not in trying to bring his will down to us.”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 5:18-21
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. - John 10:28
TODAY IN THE WORD
The past year has been filled with a series of financial scandals. Beginning with the fall of the Enron Corporation, the “infectious greed” of many top-level corporate executives has been exposed. If you could peek into the private world of any one of these individuals, you probably wouldn’t find them bowing down to carved wooden or stone “idols,” but their lives suggest that they were indeed caught up in another type of idolatry: the worship of money.

At first glance, the final words of 1 John might seem strangely out of place. After all, the focus has been on love, obedience, and belief--idolatry has never even been mentioned! And yet, we’ll see that the greatest obstacle to eternal life is idolatry, or the worship of anything apart from God in the hope of getting life.

The final verses of 1 John each begin with the bold declaration “we know.” First, John declares that believers know that the child of God does not live a life characterized by sin, a familiar theme for John, going back to chapter 1. Instead, the child of God is protected by the only-begotten One of God, Jesus Christ. The “safety” here probably includes being kept from on-going sin; that is, through confession and obedience, the believer is protected.

Second, believers know that they are children of God, even though the world is controlled by the one who is completely opposed to Christ (v. 19). But believers need not fear, because they can’t be touched by the Evil One--the eternal life of the child of God can’t be taken away.

Finally, believers know that the Son of God has come and has given knowledge. The fact of His coming in the flesh has been a major point of John’s epistle. And the fact that in Him we have received all the knowledge that we need for salvation has also been stressed in 1 John. Despite what any heretic might claim, God is made truly, fully, and only known in Jesus Christ!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Perhaps some of the recent financial scandals could have been avoided if individuals had stopped to question their priorities. Perhaps if one had made the connection between greed and the attempt to find life apart from Christ, things might have turned out differently.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 John 1-6
It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. - 2 John 4
TODAY IN THE WORD
For years, Stu and Lois Farmer ministered to college students. Their home was a place where young people could find out about God, talk, eat, meet other students, and just relax. At graduation it was hard to say good-bye to these special friends. The Farmers always prayed that these students would grow in their faith.

On their 50th wedding anniversary, some students compiled a scrapbook of appreciation notes from the decades of students blessed by the Farmers. As this couple heard from students they had known many years ago, they praised God that many were still walking strongly with the Lord. That must have been how John felt when he wrote 2 John.

Second John begins with “The elder,” which may indicate John’s advanced age, perhaps over ninety years. Or it may have been an early term for eyewitnesses to Jesus’ incarnation.

The identity of “the chosen lady” remains a mystery. She may have been an actual person, although it’s more likely that John was addressing an entire congregation. The mention of children could simply refer to individuals within this church. The letter closes with a reference to “your chosen sister,” which was probably a neighboring congregation.

“Grace, mercy and peace” (v. 3) were part of standard greetings in letters. Here they are specifically linked to truth and love and anchored in God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. As in 1 John, love and truth cannot be separated. Those who know the truth will love it and love those who also love truth.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Five theologically significant words are found in today’s passage: grace, mercy, peace, truth, and love. People often use these words in very general ways. Today, take some time to focus on the precise meaning of each word. Begin by using an English dictionary, then go to a Bible dictionary. Here are a few starting points: grace is related to the idea of a gift; mercy is tied to compassion; peace is connected to well-being; truth corresponds to the reality of God; and love is about giving without concern for getting.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 John 7-13
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” - 1 Corinthians 15:33
TODAY IN THE WORD
A familiar children’s song goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” If only this were true! Today’s passages shows quite clearly that words can be very dangerous, even more than sticks and stones.

In verse 7, we come to the main purpose of this short letter: to warn against false teachers.

It appears as if some of these deceivers may have been a part of the church at one time; others may have adopted certain words and ideas from Christianity. Either way, the root of this heresy is the same as the one refuted in 1 John: a failure to acknowledge that Jesus has come in the flesh.

It is important to keep in mind what’s at stake here. To deny either Jesus’ humanity or His deity is to deny that He is truly the Savior of the world. If He weren’t divine, then He wouldn’t have intimate access to the Father; if He weren’t human, then His death wouldn’t have been an effectual sacrifice. Any teacher denying this is a deceiver and an antichrist (v. 7).

In addition to this heresy, these teachers were departing from the clear teaching of Scripture by “running ahead” of it (v. 9). This probably means that they were offering detailed teaching about things not clearly addressed in Scripture (such as the nature of angels or the fate of demons).

John’s warning is strong because he fears that these believers will lose their spiritual understanding and confidence (v. . That’s why he admonishes this congregation not to even show hospitality to such individuals.

In this day, hospitality was a key part of both culture and the Christian faith. Early churches often met in homes, and to allow a deceiver to stay in a believer’s home meant exposing the entire congregation to false teaching. Because of this, John warns that taking such individuals in was the same as participating in their evil work.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Although we don’t usually face apostate preachers who happen to wander down our street, many of the deeper issues underlying 2 John still confront us. Instead of individuals seeking shelter, we are confronted by numerous appeals to support various organizations financially. Today’s passage encourages us to find out the doctrines of any so-called Christian organization. If the organization is not truly based on the Bible, we should have nothing to do with it; if it is Bible-based, then we are encouraged to help out as we are able.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 3 John 1-8
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. - 3 John 4
TODAY IN THE WORD
Have you ever had the experience of visiting another church or going on a missions trip and meeting people who reminded you exactly of people you knew in your home church? Today and tomorrow we are going to meet several individuals who have a way of being spotted in nearly every church!

Unlike 1 and 2 John, 3 John, also written by the apostle John, does not address a heresy concerning the person and work of Christ. As far as we can tell, the individuals here are believers, with the possible exception of one. This issue isn’t doctrine, it’s character. And today, we’ll meet one individual whose character we should all seek to imitate!

This praiseworthy person is Gaius, whom John clearly loves and values. It’s likely that Gaius became a Christian because of John’s ministry. Because the name Gaius was very common at this time, it isn’t certain whether he is the same person as the others with this name mentioned in the New Testament. Even here in 3 John, we don’t find out much about this individual, but what we do learn is admirable.

First, Gaius was in good “spiritual shape”--John actually prayed that his physical shape would be as good (v. 2)! Second, Gaius was steadfast in the truth. He was faithful with what he knew and applied that to his daily life. As with the believers mentioned in 2 John 4, John was filled with great joy over the report of Gaius’ adherence to the truth.

Finally we learn that Gaius had shown hospitality to brothers in Christ whom he had never met. No doubt these were traveling missionaries who returned to John and reported all that Gaius had done for them. This must have included Gaius’ provision for the continuation of their travels (v. 6).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today would be a good time to look at biblical teaching about hospitality. First Peter 4:9 says, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” Romans 12:13 expands on this: “Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 3 John 9-15
Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. -
TODAY IN THE WORD
The third epistle of John addresses the problem of overly ambitious and domineering church leaders. But this problem was certainly not limited to the first century. Bible scholar A. T. Robertson wrote a magazine article that rebuked leaders who follow in the footsteps of Diotrephes (3 John 9). After it was published, he got numerous letters from church leaders, demanding that their subscriptions be canceled. Although Robertson had never met any of them and had not used any names, they all felt that he had attacked them personally!

Just as the first part of 3 John singles out one individual, so too the second part singles out another individual. Only this individual, Diotrephes, is certainly not to be imitated!

Some have speculated that Diotrephes had a problem submitting to John’s authority because John was old and far away from the church in which Diotrephes was clearly a leader. This may be, but it seems clear that Diotrephes had a problem with authority and respect in general. We don’t know what type of leadership position this man held, but 3 John indicates that he had considerable influence over this church.

Apparently John had written a previous letter, probably asking that certain traveling missionaries be shown hospitality (v. 9). This letter was apparently disregarded by Diotrephes, and consequently not shown to the rest of the congregation. This seemed deliberate; the fact that Diotrephes “loves to be first” suggests that he was domineering and refused to listen to others. Moreover, Diotrephes resorted to malicious gossip about John (v. 10). And it didn’t stop there! Diotrephes not only refused to receive the missionaries whom John had sent, he prevented others in the church from doing so. No wonder John urged Gaius not to imitate this evil! John seems to wonder if an individual like Diotrephes could really be a believer, although he left the question open.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Among other things, 3 John is a study in character. We can probably find a Gaius, a Diotrephes, and a Demetrius in any congregation or missions organization!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Jude 1-4
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called. - 1 Timothy 6:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
Structural engineers have long known that a triangle is the most stable shape. A three-legged object, for example, is more secure than a four-legged one. Perhaps this is true in spiritual matters as well, because one characteristic of Jude’s epistle is sets of “threes.”

Right away, we notice that Jude refers to Christians as those who are called, loved, and kept. To be called is to be chosen by God. Next, these called ones enjoy God the Father’s great love for them. Finally, these believers are kept by Jesus, or preserved spiritually until His glorious return. Jude then prays that his readers receive mercy, peace, and love.

So who is this Jude who seems to like sets of three? His introduction offers little help. Most likely the James here is the one who wrote the epistle of James and was also Jesus’ brother. That would make Jude the brother of Jesus too. So why doesn’t he say so? Probably because he didn’t believe in Jesus during His incarnation, but rather became a believer later. Jude focused on his spiritual status, a servant of Jesus, and not his physical connection to Jesus.

Apparently, Jude had already intended to write when he received a disturbing report and felt compelled to write the present epistle. Jude urges his readers to “contend for the faith” (v. 3), which means the basic beliefs of the Christian faith, such as Jesus’ sacrificial death and His bodily resurrection. This faith was attacked by the false teachers.

We’re not exactly sure who these false teachers were. Jude disdainfully refers to them as “certain men” who “secretly slipped in,” and he’s very clear about their evil character. First, he says that their condemnation was written about long ago; in other words, the Old Testament clearly shows that such men are doomed.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Like the believers of Jude’s day, we also live in times when evil and ungodliness seem rampant. Given this, the opening verse of Jude gives us great encouragement. The word called means that we have been deliberately chosen by God; He has a purpose for our lives and will lead us accordingly.