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 5-8
“When John asks Gaius to “send them on their way in a manner that honors God” (3 John 6), he doesn’t just mean, “wave them goodbye and sing a nice hymn as they board the ship.” No, the Greek word was a technical term for making all of the advance preparations for someone going on a journey, including providing food and money, arranging transport if possible, paying fares, providing letters of identity and commendation, etc. And the reason John gives these instructions is that these people were traveling “for the sake of the Name” (meaning Jesus) and were “receiving no help from the pagans” – that is they had no other “secular” means of support (3 John 7). If they were going, then somebody was sending. Finally says John it is our duty to “show hospitality to such people” (3 John 8), which again means more than a nice cup of tea and a bed for the night. It speaks of substantial provision for their needs, what we would call financial support and other gifts in kind. So, this little letter of 3 John is a fascinating insight into early church missionary support and how it spoke of faithfulness – faithfulness to the truth matched by faithfulness to God’s servants.”
Christopher J. H. Wright in The Shortfall: Owning the Challenge of Ministry Funding (Carlisle, UK: Langham Global Library, 2021) 8-9.
This is a great little book. Started reading it on my flight home from South Africa. I commend it to anyone who has responsibilities linked to raising ministry funds.
In this excerpt, Wright keenly points us to the example of John and his correspondence with Gaius. It offers great insight to how we might communicate with key givers.
The role Gaius played in “sending” God’s servants out even though He did not personally know them shows us that our giving must go beyond aiding friends to advancing the Name.
Furthermore, as ‘the Name’ is used rather than overtly saying ‘Jesus’, other scholars note that our generosity may put the servers and the senders in danger. But that must not hinder us.
I have arrived safely home and am profoundly thankful for those who showed hospitality to me in Malawi, Mozambique, Eswatini, and South Africa. I’m also thankful for the senders.
Thanks to the generosity of God’s people to GTP, our staff is sent to empower national workers to grow local giving. In part, we teach them to communicate like John does here with Gaius.
Without faithfulness in sending and in service there is Christian mission, back then or today. So, whether you are a pastor or ministry administrator, urge faithfulness in service and in sending.
And to make a Christmas gift to GTP to help us add staff and extend our reach around the world, click here. We are praying for another $12,625. Pray with me, please, for God to supply.