Notes On The Third Book Of John

Again, this will be short. In this letter John talks about the treatment of the brothers by Gaius and blesses him. (3 John 1:2) We should be hospitable to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, and if possible (at least from my reading of what John is implying) not accept anything gratuitous from nonbelievers. (3 John 1:5-8). I think it was easier back then to rely upon other members of the Church when it was smaller and more unified but now with the size of the Church and its diversity even though there are many Christians that sense of brotherhood seems to be missing, so that I at least feel one cannot make a trip to a random city and expect to be welcomed by someone (although this might be different for specific denominations). Also, I think in the ancient Church the testimony of a believer about a believer, a man (or woman)'s word that is, carried a lot more weight than it does now, so that we look to credentials to tell us about a person instead of the word of a brother or sister. These things should not be.