That didn't happen to John. He bathed his letter in love from start to finish. Instead of simply reacting in kind to the rude behavior of Diotrephes, he chose to focus on his admiration for Gaius. That's such an important thing to remember when we find ourselves dealing with conflict. We must not give in to the temptation to let the ill-tempered behavior of others become an excuse for us to respond in kind.

Gaius' example.

Notice that John's prayers for Gaius were two pronged. He said, "I pray that you might enjoy good health" (2). That's not just some kind of standard greeting like, "I hope you're feeling well today." John indicated a genuine concern for the physical well being of Gaius. As Christians we are concerned about the ultimate need that people have for salvation, so we might think that physical needs aren't important. We need to be reminded that Jesus was frequently moved with compassion by the physical plight of suffering people. Paul was so concerned about the health of Epaphroditus, that he wrote in Philippians 2:27 "Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow."

He also prayed for Gaius' soul, that it might be "getting along well." One of the things John most admired about Gaius was the fact that he continued to walk in truth. There are two things that stand out about a walk in truth that characterized the life of Gaius.

• His respect for John. John was an apostle, a designated spokesperson for God. He was a revealer of truth. Gaius would have been the kind of person who soaked up the teaching of John like a sponge. He walked in truth. He was faithful to the truth. He worked for truth.

• He was genuine. Walking in truth basically means the same thing as living a lifestyle of truth. Have you ever had the experience of telling someone where you worship only to have them say, "Oh, that's were Mr. X attends"? And then you sort of wait for the other shoe to fall, because you know a few things about Mr. X that aren't really all that complimentary. Or maybe someone says, "Oh I know some of your members really well." Then you wonder which ones they know. If John mentioned the name of Gaius, he wasn't going to be embarrassed by revealing the fact that they were friends. That's walking in truth.

The Hospitality of Gaius.

Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth. - verses 5-8

According to William Barclay the Greeks had a strong dislike for public accommodations. They considered it a breech of ethics to take money for housing travelers. Those who operated inns were not considered very ethical. Their establishments were filthy. Plato compared innkeepers to pirates who hold their guests for ransom. So it was commonplace, even among the heathens, to open their homes to travelers. Christians not only accepted that responsibility, but they accepted it with a degree of cheerfulness that was not normally seen among the pagans. Peter urged the Christians to accept this task joyfully. He said in 1 Peter 4:9 "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." In 1 Timothy 5:10, the widow to be enrolled was one who had shown hospitality. According to Romans 12:13, it is the responsibility of all Christians to "Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

The home of Gaius was one where a Christian traveler could get a good night's rest in a friendly atmosphere.

We need to take a little closer look at verse 6, - the phrase that says, "You will do well to send them on their way." If you read that phrase in isolation from the context, you might think he's saying, "It's a good thing to get rid of these visitors as soon as you can," but that's not it at all. "You will do well" is the equivalent of "please." "Send them on their way" does not mean, "I'll be glad when you're gone." It means to assist them on their journey.

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