Receiving Tithe Blessings: How Your Tithe Blesses You Eternally

Third John 5–8: Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, because they went forth for His name sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.

The brethren are those who are in need within the church congregation.

Strangers are those who were helped, saved, and discipled by the missionaries who were sent out from local churches.

Before I get into the meaning of these verses, let me give you the instruction from John to Gaius in verses 5–8 from the New Living Translation:

Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church here of your love and friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God. For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers. So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth.

The money we give to local, national, or international ministers will bring eternal rewards, souls won into the kingdom of God. The money we give will work day and night and never take a vacation or sick day. It will also work long after our deaths as the converts of those saved through our giving take the message of Jesus into the next generation. Money is only temporary, but when given to God’s kingdom, it will bring eternal results.

John’s admonition to Gaius was, “Whatever you do for the brethren and strangers you do it faithfully.” Here John was referring to Gaius’s occupation. He produced money through his business with the goal of giving it to others faithfully. He did not just give it once or twice but faithfully, continually, week after week. This was his heart. He gave out of love for God and love toward people in need, in his home church, in his city, and in all the world. The attitude behind Gaius’s giving was love.

Giving is supposed to profit us. But the motive for giving is not the profit or return but the love the money is given with. Giving out of love opens the door for a great return. Would you still give if God never promised a return? The answer should be yes. That is the giver God is looking for, the kind of giver He will give even more back to. He can trust a person who gives out of love. “Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3). Giving only for a return brings no return. But giving out of love for God and people brings profit.

Many missionaries had stood in front of this local congregation and spoken of the church members who had supported them. Gaius’s name always came up. Missionaries went out for Jesus’s namesake, and they would take nothing from unbelievers. God has never intended that sinners support the gospel. Christians have, for centuries, taken on the responsibility of supporting those who spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to people in countries who have never heard the name of Christ. It continues into our generation. Are you faithful to give to those who preach to the unreached peoples? We join those who are preaching in those countries as partners and fellow workers.

Third John 9: I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us.

Somehow Diotrephes had risen into an area of prominence in this church and was controlling a major portion of it. John had written some letters to the church, telling them what his desires and prayers were for them, but Diotrephes had stopped them from being read or observed. He did not want anyone to preach the word of God to the people attending.

Third John 10: Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.

The word prating comes from pluareo in the Greek, which means “to overflow, to gush out.” So prating means “to incessantly talk.” When letters came from John or John’s name was mentioned, Diotrephes would begin to immediately overflow with anger and malicious accusations against him. He had even begun to put people out of the church who had allowed John to minister and who would allow him to speak if he came. Any supporter or sympathizer of John was being removed by Diotrephes. Diotrephes was attempting to take over the church and become the next pastor. He felt threatened by anyone who supported John or the history of the church.

Third John 11: Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.

John warned the congregation not to react to what Diotrephes was saying and agree with him. He counseled them to look at Diotrephes’s actions and ask themselves, “Is this good or evil?” Actions come from motives. Some who attended the church might be tempted to give up, to give into a hatred of John, to leave the church, or to give up resisting Diotrephes. But John was telling them not to give up or give in. The truth will always win out.

Third John 12: Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.

Demetrius is the third church leader mentioned in this epistle. John recommended him because he believed he would be a great pastor and leader. Just like Gaius was known of all men and loved by all men, so also was Demetrius. Demetrius’s beliefs and lifestyle were also supported by the word of God. Demetrius might also have been a man from Ephesus. He was known by those in Ephesus and known by those in the areas around as being a tremendous minister of the word of God.

Third John 13–14: I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink; But I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face. Peace to you. Our friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.

Here is John’s closing benediction to his last of three epistles. We see John’s love for the people and the legacy of the local church. Because of this love, he was not afraid to stand up and reprimand church members when they were wrong. He also knew what the answers to the problems were and was not afraid to point them out. He knew this church was one of the best, and whatever blessings it had seen in the past could be improved on in the days to come. He was concerned for all the right reasons, wanting to rid the church of strong-willed, self-centered leadership and establish a leader who would build the upcoming converts and disciples in the word of God. He understood the problems in the church correctly, and he also understood the answers.