Friday July 5 2024

Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church here of your loving 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.

I wrote to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us. When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church.

Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.

3 John 5-11 NLT

An excerpt from a letter from John the apostle to Gaius, a early church leader in what was known as Asia Minor. John had received reports about a certain man named Diotrephes, who seemed to be accusing difficulties especially for the traveling teachers of God's word. John provides Gaius with guidelines on how to deal with such influences and not be discouraged but instead continue to do what is right.