Commentary on "Power Struggle"

MARK MARTIN

 

Day 3: Monday September 21, 2009

 

The New Living Translation (NLT) explains this passage nicely for us:

Dear friend, you are doing a good work for God when you take care of the traveling teachers who are passing through, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church here of your friendship and your loving deeds. You do well to send them on their way in a manner that pleases God. For they are traveling for the Lord and accept nothing from those who are not Christians. So we ourselves should support them so that we may become partners with them for the truth. 3 John 5-8 NLT

In contrast to 2 John, 3 John speaks of traveling teachers who are sharing the truth. How do we know the difference? Referring back to Day 1 of this week’s study: Everyone and everything needs to be tested by our final authority today; the Word of God (1 Thes. 5:21; Acts 17:11, 1 Tim. 3:16). It would not hurt our quest for truth to investigate what the early church fathers taught and to investigate again the original language and cultural contexts of the passages we are being taught along with taking in the full council of God’s Word on a given subject.

Strangely, we are asked about an angel in Revelation while studying 3 John and there is no real connection between the two. There are no specifics given concerning identification of the angel (messenger) mentioned in Revelation 14:6; simply another angel (or created being designed to serve God and his purposes; only archangels are named in the Word). This messenger’s mission will be to proclaim the eternal Gospel to everyone, everywhere; no one will not hear the loud message this messenger will share. What is this eternal Gospel? It is summed best by the passages in 1 Cor. 15:1-4, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 5:24, and Romans 10.

 

Summary

1. Show hospitality to those who share the truth of God’s Word in context.
2. Carefully take what others say to the Word of God to insure that you show hospitality to those who share the truth in proper context and in love.
3. Study God’s Word to better understand the message of His eternal Gospel (Good News).

 

GO TO DAY 4

 

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