The Apostolical History, Chapter 7 · Section 19
SECT. XIX.
THE Third Epiſtle of John …e Third Epiſtle of Iohn.was directed to his beloved Gaius. We find three perſons of this name in the Scripture; 1. Gaius of Macedonia, Act. 19.29. 2. Gaius of Derbe, Act. 20.4. 3. Gaius of Corinth, whom Paul (writing from Corinth to the Romans) calls his Hoſt, and the Hoſt of the whole Church, Rom. 16.23. This man being eminent for his hoſpitality (eſpecially to the Miniſters and Members of the Church of Corinth), ſeems to be the perſon to whom the Apoſtle now addreſſes this Epiſtle.
And in the firſt place he aſſures him, That he loved him ſincerely, and accordingly wiſhed unto him, that as he had a healthful ſoul, endued with the knowledg of ſound doctrine, and with the manifold graces of the Spirit of God; ſo he might alſo have a healthful body, and that all his outward conc…rns might ſuc…eed proſperouſly. He tells him, he had r…ceived a very co…end…ble teſtimony of his ſincerity and uprightneſs, and of the agreeableneſs of his converſation to the Goſpel which he profeſſed from the Brethren w… h came from him, and who had taſted of his liberality; which gave him gr…at …ſe of rejoicing and bleſſing God in his behalf For there was nothing did more comfort or rejoyce him, than to hear that h… Diſ …les (whom he had begotten to Chriſt through the Goſ… l) did walk in the Truth. He tells him, he did as became a faithful and ſi…cere p…ſ ſſ…r ki…dly to entertain poor Chriſtians, and eſpecially thoſe ſtrangers t…at had … lately with him, who coming to Epheſus, had openly born witneſs of his charity in the publick Aſſemblies of the Church. Theſe poſſibly mig… be ſome faithful Miniſters, who came from beyond Corinth to the Apoſtle f…r advice, and preached the Goſpel by the way, whom Gaius had very kindly entertained, and the Apoſtle adviſeth him to do ſo again at their return, and to accompany them ſ…me part of the way, and to furniſh them with neceſſaries for their journey as became his Chriſtian profeſſion, and his great piety towards God. And there was great reaſon he ſhould do it, becauſe it was on Chriſt's errand (that is, to preach his Goſpel) that they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles, to whom they preached, for their pains. 'Tis neceſſary therefore, he tells him, they ſhould be received by ſome. And they that ſhall receive them, ſhall thereby have the comfort of having co-operated and contributed their part towards the propagating the Goſpel of Chriſt. And to this purp…ſe he had written to the Church there (whereof Gaius was a member), viz. to give relief and ſuccour to ſuch faithful ſervants of Chriſt; but Diotrephes (a Presbyter*Diotrephes hic, ſuit aliquis ex Presbyteris ejus Eccleſiae in quâ erat Gaius, ex Gentili factus Chriſtianus. Is vero ex illo erat hominum genere, qui Judaeos quanquam Chriſtum profeſſos fi legis ritus obſervabant (quod multi faciebant ad haec uſ que tempora) ad ſuos coetus non admitteban… Grot. in that Church), who exalted himſelf above his brethren, and lorded it over them, and ſought to draw all reſpect to himſelf, regarded neither him nor his Letters, nor acknowledged his Authority. For which contempt (he ſays) if God give him an opportunity to come thither, he will uſe ſome ſeverity towards this ambitious Aſ…ector of Preeminence (according to the authority God had given him), who was not content to ſlight the Apoſtle, and prat… againſt him with malicious words, and to reject the Chriſtian Jews himſelf that came thither; but he would not permit the Gentile-Chriſtians to receive them to their communion. And if any among them, being m…ved with charity or reſpect to the Apoſtle or his Letters▪ have had a mind and inclination to receive them, he prohibits them; and if they do it, he either rejects them, or threatens to reject and caſt them out of the Church. He adviſes Gaius therefore, not to be an imitator of this evil example of Diotrephes, but to exerciſe kindneſs to the Jewiſh Chriſtians. For he that ſincerely endeavours to do good, and to be merciful, ſhews himſelf to be of a Chriſtian temper, and to be born of God; but he that is malicious, and proud, and uncharitable, hath no true ſaving-knowledg of God, whatever he pretends. He acknowledgeth, that Demetrius (a Gentile-Convert) hath a very good report for Piety and Charity, feom all the faithful that know him. Yea, he ſays he hath done many things that more fully teſtifie the ſame of him, than the report of men can do. And the ſame teſtimony the Apoſtle himſelf, with others, did give of him alſo. And thou knoweſt (ſays he) that I am not wont to affirm things which are not true. In concluſion, he excuſes his writing ſo ſhort an Epiſtle to him, ſeeing he hoped ſhortly to ſee him, and to ſpeak much more to him than now he had written. And ſo concludes with his Apoſtolical Valediction and Salutation.
The End of the Apoſtolical Hiſtory.