3 John 5–12 (ESV)
Support and Opposition
5 Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, 6 who testified to your love before the church. You will do well
to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support people like these,
that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
9 I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put
himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who
want to and puts them out of the church.
11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God;
whoever does evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.
Whatever flattery or intimidation people may use to get their way, there always comes a day when their works are brought into the open—when they will be shamed before God and His faithful. We need not fear
the threats and plots of power mongers who conspire against us and would try to harm our reputations and have us cast out because we show love and support for God’s ambassadors. God will bring their threats and accusations into the light. Trust the Lord
to protect you when you support the truth. He will deliver you by His Son, who is “the way, and the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6).
I pray: Heavenly Father,
fill us with such love for Your ambassadors that we welcome and support all who testify to the truth. Give us courage to stand up against the plots of those who would harm our congregation. We have only one head, and He is Your Son, Christ Jesus, in whose
name we pray. Amen.
Edward A. Engelbrecht, The Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2009), 2186.