1. From: John the Apostle 3rd John vss 1-4 Outline for Feb. 20, 2011 To: Gaius c/o Sovereign Grace Fellowship P. O. Box 3078 235 High Street Boscawen, N. H. 03303-3078 1

2. 2 3 John 1:1-14 The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. (2) Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. (3) For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. (4) I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. (5) Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, (6) who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. (7) For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. (8) Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth. (9) I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. (10) So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church. (11) Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. (12) Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true. (13) I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. (14) I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. (1:15) Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, every one of them.

3. 3 3 John 1:1-4 The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. (2) Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. (3) For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. (4) I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

4. 4 CARING ACTIONS Mutual Christian love can be expressed in so many ways by word of mouth, but still more is necessary. John says, 'let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth' (1 John 3:18). To be genuine, love has to be seen in action; Christians should always seek to do good to one another. The New Covenant not only tell us to 'love one another‘, it also inspires us live in like manner by providing us with a number of pen-portraits. This brother Gaius, the man to whom 3 John was written, is as good an illustration of what is expected as any. His life pictured love in action.

5. 5 The elder. The well beloved Gaius. His name is mentioned in Acts 19:29; Acts 20:4 Acts 19:29 So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's companions in travel. Acts 20:4 Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.

6. 6 The elder. The well beloved Gaius. …and his name is also mentioned in Romans 16:23; 1Corinthians 1:14. Romans 16:23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. 1 Corinthians 1:14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius….

7. 7 The elder. The well beloved Gaius. John wished Gaius all good things, but most of all prosperity of soul. He was very pleased when he heard the testimony of others with regards to Gaius love. He heard that there were certain brethren who had been where Gaius lived. They were blessed through his hospitality and had spoken well of him to John on their return. John mentioned that he derived the greatest form of joy through the knowledge that his spiritual offspring were serving one another in love.

8. 8 The Apostle John had often called the saints to whom he ministered the Good News of Jesus Christ his children. See the following verses… 1John 2:1 1John 2:12 1John 2:18 1John 2:28 1John 4:4 1John 5:21 Q. Who was it in your life that gave you the Good News in Jesus Christ?

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