Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20120314.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
3 John: The Inclusive Boundaries Of God's Local Church Fellowship
Part I: The Correct Bounds Of Inclusivism For The Local Church's Fellowship
(3 John 1-8)
  1. Introduction
    1. The effort to protect the local church from error through applying the 2 John 9-10 call to separate from apostates has at times extended much too far, resulting in errant, unedifying division in the family of God.
    2. 3 John addresses this problem, with verses 1-8 describing the correct inclusive bounds applicable to those inside as well as those outside the local body whom we should include in our local church fellowship:
  2. The Correct Bounds Of Inclusivism For The Local Church's Fellowship, 3 John 1-8.
    1. By implication, the Apostle John noted that his beloved Christian brother Gaius whom he loved in the truth of Christ was to be included in the local church's fellowship, 3 John 1-2:
      1. John referred to his "dear friend" Gaius as a man he loved in the truth, 3 John 1.
      2. Thus, John exhibited fellowship with him, asserting he as an Apostle prayed to God that Gaius might be in good health and that all would go well with him as it did with his soul spiritually, 3 John 2.
    2. By additional implication, John also noted the other godly believers in the local body where Gaius was a part were also to be considered as a Biblically correct part of the local church's fellowship, 3 John 3-4:
      1. Some other upright believers who had been in Gaius' local church had gone to John and reported that Gaius had remained faithful to God's truth, continuing to apply in it in his spiritual walk, 3 John 3.
      2. This news had given John great joy (3 John 3a), as did hearing that any of the rest of those John had discipled to follow Christ, regardless of their local assembly, were also walking in the truth, 3 John 4.
      3. Thus, John viewed all godly believers, regardless of their particular local church affiliation, as being in God's true fellowship, and to be welcomed into the spiritual fellowship of any other godly church.
    3. John noted that God's "missionaries" were also to be included in the local church's fellowship, 3 Jn. 5-6a:
      1. The Apostle John complimented Gaius for his works in behalf of "the brethren," adelphous fellow Christians (U. B. S. Greek N. T., 1966, p. 830), even if they were xenous , from the root word, xenos, meaning "stranger, alien," Ibid.; Arndt & Gingrich, A Greek-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 550.
      2. The NIV accurately pictures these as believers who were "strangers to" Gaius, 3 John 5, traveling evangelists and teachers who relied on believers along their way for "shelter and sustenance," Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to 3 John 5. These were "missionaries" in today's sense, believers who took God's truth to other places, being supported by various Christians and churches along the way.
    4. Indeed, John directed that financially supporting such traveling evangelists and teachers, "missionaries" in today's sense, was good, implying full fellowship with such people by the local church, 3 John 6b. In application today, it is entirely Biblical for the local church not only to house and feed godly evangelists, missionaries and teachers when they visit the church, but for the body to support them financially in the long-term as believers in fellowship with the local body though they are not members of that local church!
    5. John clarified that such godly "missionary" evangelists and teachers were especially to be financially supported since they had refused such support from unsaved pagans for the sake of the truth, 3 John 7-8:
      1. The word translated "Gentiles" (KJV, ESV) or "pagans" (NIV) in 3 John 7 is ethnos, and though it often meant "Gentiles," in this context it means "Gentiles in distinction from Christians," those of the pagan, unsaved world, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. II, p. 371.
      2. Thus, the godly "missionary" traveling evangelists or teachers in the context had received no financial gifts from the unsaved pagan world to demonstrate that they were not trying to "sell" the Gospel for money lest they cause the pagan world to conclude that Christ's salvation was available by the human work or merit of financial payments opposite God's grace, cf. Eph. 2:8-9; Ibid., Ryrie, ftn. to 3 John 7.
      3. Thus, these traveling "missionary" evangelists and teachers were worthy of the local church fellowship, for their beliefs and ministries were upright, and they were worthy of local church support, 3 John 8.
Lesson: The bounds of inclusive spiritual fellowship in the local church include the godly in that body and all the godly who come into contact with it, especially those who carry the truth to other locations.

Application: May we include in our local church spiritual fellowship all believers of like precious faith.