3 John 1.1-4 – Possess, Profess, Witness

Often times the shorter letters and books in the Bible are overlooked, 2 John and 3 John to name but two.

Simply, bigger ≠ better.

3 John starts very similarly to 2 John, and we read of truth four times.

¹ The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.

² Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. ³ For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. ⁴ I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

John starts by introducing himself as the elder, the same as 2 John, and whereas 2 John was written to a collective (to the elect lady and her children), 3 John is addressed to an individual (to the beloved Gaius).

We see that no matter who is being addressed, be it collective or individual, truth needs to be at the forefront of our minds and lives. 

How do we know that this is the case? How do we know if the truth we profess is actually the truth we possess? Well, John shows us how we know when he writes I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 

Real, genuine truth will always impact our lives in a way that is visible to others. John knows that Gaius is walking in the truth because people have seen it in action.

In other words, Gaius was a visible witness to the truth.  

For us, the truth we profess needs to become the truth we possess, and when we are displaying it in our lives how it has changed us, we know we are on the right path. 

Prayer – Father, we thank you for your Word, we know your Word is truth, help us to be people who possess what we profess, and to be people who are a visible witness to the life-saving, life-changing truth of Jesus. Amen.