In the previous article, we saw how the apostle John offered encouragement to a guy named Gaius (see 3 John 3-4). As John continues, he gets even more specific about the good that Gaius is doing for others.
Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.
3 John 1:5-8 NIV
Here, we learn that Gaius is looking out for others, including those who are referred to here as “strangers”. While the study guide (cited below) suggests that these are unbelievers, this reads to me (and to a commentator: Womack, p.160, also cited below) more like these “strangers” being traveling Christians, spreading the good news about Jesus to others. We might call them itinerant missionaries, for instance.
Apparently, these travelers had shared news of Gaius’s hospitality back to John. It sounds to me like Gaius offered support to certain missionaries, whether that was a place to stay while they were in his town, or providing them with money and supplies for the next leg of their journey.
In a little hamlet of Pennsylvania, the church that my wife attended with her siblings and parents is a converted house, with a foyer and sanctuary added on to it. However, some of the rooms from the original house were left intact, so that they could serve as a place for visiting missionaries or evangelists to stay. These were called “prophet’s chambers”, and offered hospitality to those who were in the area (and who sometimes spoke at the church as they passed through the region). Similarly, I remember my own congregation owning a couple of apartments in the past, addressing similar needs for traveling Christians.
Today, we might support missionaries even when they aren’t present, collecting and sending money electronically, rather than waiting for them to visit. I think that having little magnets on the refrigerator, or getting periodic letters from missionaries, are also helpful reminders for us to pray for them, further supporting what they do.
However we support others who share the gospel with those who need to hear it, though, we should remember that we’re not merely following a command. More than that, we – like John’s friend Gaius in the first century – actually become a part of their work.
In fact, in verse 8 we find that supporting those who are working for the Kingdom of God makes us partners with them, becoming part of their work for the truth that Gaius was praised for earlier in this letter.
As a result, even as we remain open to our own obligation to share the good news personally (as God leads us), I encourage you to listen to His voice concerning support for others who are doing so with an even greater amount of their time and commitment. However you choose to support them, though, remember that you’re not a mere contributor: you are a partner in their ministry and a part of it!
From Sunday School lesson prepared for February 23, 2025
References:
- 1717 Bible Studies, 1, 2, and 3 John, © 2025 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1, 2 & 3 John, by Morris M. Womack. © 1998 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 
my grandfather built a nice cottage on his property almost 100 years ago, specifically for guests and relatives to stay. Later in life he and his family were led to faith in Christ. His walk in life changed in many ways, one being the first priority for guests at his cottage were missionaries on furlough and traveling guests in various ministries. Many stayed for months at a time as the farm provided food as well.
fast forward…I now own property across from the old farm and have built a cabin in the woods nearby for guests as well. Last guest was a pastor needing some r&r.
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That’s a great example! Sometimes, I think that it’s also good to remember that these opportunities for hospitality are still with us today, and not something left to ancient times.
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so true, even though I sometimes want to reinvent my own wheels.
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