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Special Lecture Aug 9, 2026

I HAVE NO GREATER JOY THAN THIS

3 John 1: 1-14

Key Verse 1:4

1. To whom does John, the elder, address this letter? (1) What do verses 1-3 tell us about John's relationship to Gaius? How could this friendship be important?
2. What was John's prayer topic for Gaius? (2-3) Why is it important to pray for spiritual well-being as well as physical well-being? How can our souls get along well? ( 1 Peter 2:25, John 14:16, 2 Tim 2:1)
3. Why does it give John joy to hear about Gaius' faithfulness to the truth and that his children were walking in the truth? (3-4) What does it mean to walk in the truth? (Matt 7: 24-27)
4. How was Gaius apparently serving the brothers? Why did John commend him?  Why is it important to be hospitable? (Ge 18:1-10; 19:1-2) In contrast, why was Diotrephes rebuked? In what ways was he a bad influence?
5. Why was Demetrius spoken well of? (11-12) What did he say in the final greetings?  (13-14) What can we learn from this letter about the relationship among souls and walking in the truth and joy?

I HAVE NO GREATER JOY THAN THIS!

3 John 1: 1-4

Key Verse 1:4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

We finished studying 1 John last month. I enjoyed the 1 John’s study. We did not have time to study 2 and 3 John. But by the grace of God, we have time to study 3 John today. 2 John and 3 John are the shortest Bible books and share a similar context and background. Through today’s passage, I pray that we may learn Apostle John’s faith and love, and what it means to walk in the truth. So, all of us may grow to glorify God.

Look at verse 1. “The elder, to my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.” Here, the elder refers to Apostle John, and the recipient is Gaius. We do not know who Gaius was nor what his title was in the church. But the context of this letter is personal. Apostle John simply recommends in verse 6, “Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God.” Here, “them” refers to traveling preachers, itinerant ministers, or evangelists. Back then, traveling evangelists preached the gospel from place to place, village to village, as Paul and Barnabas did in Acts. At that time, the churches were persecuted, and many traveling preachers could not be compensated for preaching the gospel. So, some believers in that area had to accommodate them in their houses while they were preaching. Some may never have met the traveling preachers before. It is not easy to accommodate people whom we do not know. But they provided room and board because they were in the same faith. Apostle John encouraged them to continue serving the traveling preachers. Verse 8 states, “We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.” However, among traveling preachers, some were heretics like Gnostics. So, the Apostle John warned the churches not to accept heresy in 2 John.

This letter starts with “To my dear friend Gaius.” In this short passage, the word “Dear friend” is repeated four times (1, 2, 5, 11). “Dear friend” is translated as “beloved.” Here we see how Apostle John loved Gaius dearly. Apostle John is known as the Apostle of Love. In John’s Gospel, John identified himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved (John 21:7) and “the one Jesus loved (John 20:2). John expressed that he was loved by Jesus so dearly. In John’s Gospel, there is one other whom Jesus loved. Do you know who he is? In John 11, Martha and Mary told Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” In this case, the Bible clearly states that “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus (John 11:5). But when we read the gospels, we cannot find any clue that Jesus loved John more than any other disciples. Jesus never said that he loved John or that he gave him special favor over other disciples. Nonetheless, John believed that he was the one Jesus loved. What is more, he boldly made a statement, “God is love (1 John 4:8,16). God never said, “I am love.” But Apostle John, who was soaked with the love of Jesus, could not help but say, “God is love,” and the statement became one of the Bible. So, God became love. But how could he call himself the one Jesus loved, even though Jesus himself never said so? How could he define “God is love,” even though God himself never said so? Because Apostle John saw Jesus dying on the cross to forgive our sins and give us eternal life. This love is so great; he did not need anything else as evidence of Jesus’ love upon him. Whenever he saw Jesus, he was overwhelmed by God’s love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).” When John thought about God’s love, he had enough confidence to say, "God is love." God’s love is already bigger than this whole universe. Whatever he does, he cannot make God love him more. And whatever he does not, he cannot make God love him less. Jesus Christ is clear evidence of God’s completed love.

Sometimes, we face many hardships, adversities, and tribulations, and we do not feel God’s love upon us, and doubt overshadows us. During this time, we must look at Jesus like Apostle John did. Romans 5:8 states, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God’s love is the same yesterday and today and forever. God loves us so dearly all the time. And we are the ones whom Jesus loves.

Also, it is worthy to note that Apostle John loves Gaius in the truth. Love outside the truth is not love, but only deception. Deceivers hide their evil intentions and come in sheep’s clothing. They appeal to people’s good faith and pull them into the pit of evil little by little. There are various forms of love: Agape, Philia, Storge, Eros. Whatever it is, love must be in the truth. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. If there is no truth, we should leave immediately.

Look at verse 2. “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”

This looks like a typical greeting. He prayed for Gaius’ good health and that he would prosper in all matters, just as his soul is getting along well. In the Bible, St. Paul also wrote his letters to individuals like Titus, Philemon, and Timothy. In those letters, St. Paul greeted them with “Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior (Titus 1:4, Philemon 1:3). They are different greetings from Apostle John’s. St. Paul defended the gospel from Legalism and Judaism in his letters. In contrast, Apostle John defended the gospel from Gnosticism, which was thriving when his letters were written between the late 1st and 3rd centuries. Gnosticism was influenced by Greek Philosophy like Platonism. They believed in dualism: this world comprises two parts: the spiritual realm, which is good, and the material world, which is evil, just like Plato’s teaching: The soul is immortal and good, and the body is flawed and evil. And most importantly, they denied that Jesus had come in a human body.

But Apostle John denounced them with the very strong word anti-Christ, which means they were against Jesus Christ. If someone denied Jesus in the flesh, then it is the same as denying the gospel itself. Here, we understand the importance of our flesh or our body.

Jesus came into this world in a human body, the same as we are, and made his dwelling among us. John1:14 states, “14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us...” During his public ministry, one of his main messages was about his own flesh and blood. Jesus taught about his own flesh and blood as a metaphor in John 6:53-55, which states, “…Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life…”

Jesus’s crucifixion is the culmination of his ministry. Jesus’ body was inflicted. He was flogged, his flesh was pitted, and a sharp crown of thorns penetrated into his forehead in John 19:1. Jesus died on the cross. But one of the soldiers pierced his side. John 19:34 states, “One of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.” Blood and water are core elements of our system. Jesus gave up his spirit and died. And his body was buried in the tomb for Joseph of Arimathea in John 19:38-41. Three days later, Jesus’ body was raised from the dead. As proof, the tomb was empty, and the strips of linen were there, and the cloth was wrapped in John 20:6-8. Jesus was raised from the dead! Thomas could not believe this. But Jesus visited Thomas and said, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe (John 20: 26,27).”

Here we see that John intentionally underscores Jesus’ body. I quoted all these verses from John’s Gospel. Apostle John fully described Jesus’ flesh from the beginning to the end. If our body is inferior to our soul, and flawed and temporary as Gnostics believed, John would not describe it in such detail. And Jesus’ body would not have been resurrected.

Our body experiences the aging process. We were born and grew up until the early 20s, shining and beautiful. And then we get older; our body becomes wrinkled, weak, becomes sick, dies, and returns to the dust. This limitation of the body causes all humans to be so futile, pessimistic, fearful, and painful. So, people think, “Let us eat and drink; tomorrow we will die.” Most of all, from our body, the desires of the flesh, such as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, are brought forth. People easily give up their bodies to sin. So, we tend to have the concept that our body is not important in spiritual matters.

However, it is our sin that is evil; our bodies are not. Our body is precious. Our body is God’s temple and God’s Spirit dwells in us (1Co 3:16). According to 1 Corinthians 15, our body is the seed for eternal life.

So, Apostle John emphasized that Gaius may enjoy good health.

What does it mean to be in good health? According to the constitution of the World Health Organization, “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” So, good health means holistic care for a human being: physical, mental, and social well-being. In this greeting, Apostle John showed holistic care for Gaius: his body and soul together.

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”

What is the soul? Genesis 2:7 states, “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Here, a living being translates into a living soul. The human soul comes from God and, therefore, has the image of God. The soul is the place where we worship God and meet God.

It is also said that the soul governs intellect, emotion, and volition (Will). Some scholars separate spirit from soul. They say that spirit functions in communion with God. But practically we cannot separate soul and spirit. They always go together. The Bible sometimes uses the words soul, spirit, and mind separately, but sometimes they are used interchangeably. Fundamentally, the soul is the deepest essence of ourselves. It is invisible and mysterious. We do not know it. But there is a way we can glance into it. Our thoughts spring forth from our soul; therefore, our thoughts are a mirror of the soul.

Then how can our soul get along? Here, getting along is derived from a Greek word “Euodoo.” It is a combination of Eu – prosperous or right and Odoo- journey or way. It means our soul goes in a right and prosperous way. What is the right and prosperous way of our soul? It is Jesus. Jesus declared that I am the way and the truth and the life. Jesus is the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls (1 Peter 2:25). When we are in Jesus and follow Jesus, Jesus leads our soul into a right and prosperous way. It does not mean that he promised worldly success or great fortune. The reason that Jesus has come is that we may have life and have it to the full (John 10:10). Psalm 23 sings how Jesus leads our soul. The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters; he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen.

Which way is our soul going through now? It may be a green pasture, beside quiet waters, or a darkest valley. Wherever we are going, if we are in Jesus and determined to follow Jesus, our soul will be on the right track. He will guide us to have a life and have it to the full.

Look at verse 3. “It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.” Many travel evangelists came to Apostle John and testified about Gaius. Gaius has been so faithful to the truth and has walked in the truth. Walking implies consistent, steady progress. It means that we move forward little by little. The Bible does not say sitting or running in the truth. It says walking in the truth. Walking enables us to think about ourselves and our ways and pray to God while meditating on the words of God.

In the Bible, the word “walk” goes together with obedience. Deuteronomy 5:33 states, “Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.” And 10:12 states “… to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” 2 John 1:6a states “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands.” In short, walking means obedience.

Previously, I mentioned that our body is as important as the soul. The most vital function of our body is action, to do something. The soul cannot act, but our body does. The soul cannot walk, but our body does. It is important for our body to obey the words of God. Our soul meditates and is inspired by the words of God. But if our body does not obey, what would happen? Nothing. Jesus emphasized the importance of obedience in our daily life. Matthew 7:26-27 states, “But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

God loves us. If God did not send his one and only Son, Jesus, how do we know God is love? If Jesus did not take the cross, how do we know Jesus loves us? Our body’s actions show what is inside of our soul. If we do not obey the words of God, it would be the same as if we had never heard the words of God. Without any obedience to the words of God, our soul will fall with a great crash when the time comes.

Look at verse 4. “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” When this letter was written, Apostle John was over 90. To him, all the believers are his children in Jesus Christ. He confessed that there is no greater joy than hearing that his children are walking in the truth. Wow! I have no greater joy than this! I believe that this is not only Apostle John’s joy but also our Father’s joy.

With God’s lavished love, we are called the children of God (1 John 3:1). We were originally children of wrath. But God bought us through the blood of Jesus Christ and adopted us to become children of God. Now we have the right to become children of God (John 1:12).  Our identity has totally changed. God gives us all the legitimate rights as children of God.

Then how can we grow to be children of God? What makes us truly become children of God? The unique characteristic of children of God is walking in the truth, which is obedience to the words of God. Hebrews 5:7-8 states, “7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.  8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered.” We may think that because Jesus is God, he did not struggle to obey. But the Bible tells us differently. Even though Jesus was the Son of God, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears in his earthly ministry. He learned obedience through his suffering and was made perfect. Even the Son of God learned obedience and was made perfect. Obedience, or walking in the truth, is the virtue we must have if we are children of God. Practically, nobody forces us to walk in the truth, and nobody sees us if we walk in the truth. The only reason we walk in the truth is that we are children of God.

Wherever we go, whether it is green pasture, beside water, or darkest valley, what we can do is walk in the truth. Sometimes we may fall into sin. But we will repent and go back to the truth, because we know that the truth is our soul’s destiny.

When we walk in the truth, our God the Father is so pleased with us. God the Father spoke two times in Matthew’s Gospel: When Jesus was baptized at the Jordan River and transfigured on the mountain. Both times, Jesus’ true identity was revealed. And God spoke, “This is my Son, whom I love; with whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5b). Our God the Father would have the same joy when we walk in the truth and reveal our identity as children of God. God would say, “These are my children, whom I love; with whom I am well pleased.”

Westminster Confession of Faith stipulates that all man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever. How can we glorify and enjoy God? It is by walking in the truth!

May God bless us to grow into the image of Jesus through obedience in our daily lives. Obedience sounds burdensome. But our Father God is so pleased, and our Father God has no greater joy than this. If God is joyful, our hearts will also be filled with heavenly joy! May God bless each of us in our daily struggles, so we may walk in the truth. And we may glorify God and enjoy him forever!