Christian fellowship is an amazing thing to behold. There is nothing quite like the experience of meeting a total stranger and finding out they are a believer in Christ. There is a bond between Christians that the Bible describes using familial language. When you meet someone who knows the Lord, you are meeting a brother or sister. Salvation unites us as a family.

In a world where Christians left their homes to preach the gospel, it was necessary for them to depend on the hospitality and welcome of other Christians. But hospitality came at a cost, and from time to time, Christians needed encouragement to be hospitable (Rom. 12:13). John wrote this letter to his friend, Gaius, encouraging him to keep up the good work. Gaius had a habit of serving brothers and sisters in Christ, even if they were strangers to him (v. 5). These men and women went on to tell others about his kindness, described by John as love (v. 6).

Recognizing that guests sometimes overstay their welcome, John encourages his friend to bid them farewell, when the time comes, in a God-honoring way (v. 6). Did John sense that showing hospitality was becoming wearisome? That’s why he reminds Gaius that these visitors went on the road for God’s Name (v. 7). They left at risk to themselves, taking no money from unbelievers, whom John describes as “pagans” (v. 7). As a result, they needed help from the family of God. Rather than call these travelers irresponsible, John reminds Gaius that it was right to help them. They are on a mission for the gospel.

As a final encouragement he reveals that when Gaius helped them, he was joining in their efforts for the gospel; he was working with them! Christians can partner with the gospel efforts of other believers by showing hospitality when necessary.

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Brands protect their reputations vigorously. They work hard to hire the best spokesperson and generally pay that person well. But if that representative does something to tarnish their image, brands will release them from their contracts just as purposefully as they hired them. Associations matter and brands understand that association with the wrong people can hurt.

In this brief second letter, John warns his readers to be on guard against people who associate with Christians but reject a core doctrine of the faith. They do not believe that Jesus Christ appeared in the flesh (v. 7). By this time, the gospel had spread widely enough, and different communities developed in different parts of the Roman world. As a result, strange teachings about Christ began to appear. One argued that Jesus Christ was not actually a flesh-and-blood human being but only appeared to be such. False teachers were spreading this doctrine as they travelled.

John feared that his readers would give in to this false teaching, and he would lose what he worked for and the reward that comes with faithfulness in Christ (v. 8). These people are deceivers (v. 7)! His advice is simple: Stick with what you have been taught. Stay with Christ who leads through His teaching. Reject Christ’s teaching, and you reject God. There are many details about the Christian life that God has not fully explained. Avoid speculation!

But what should we do with the false teachers who want to associate with us? Do not welcome them or even bring them into your home (v. 10). This may seem harsh, but the consequence of such friendship is clear. If you associate with them, you associate with their wickedness.

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As a young man I went on a caving expedition in the Adirondack mountains of New York. Along with my co-campers, I squeezed myself through narrow passages and down cracks in the rock until we came to a large room underground. At that point we all agreed to turn our lights off. I was not prepared for the depth of darkness that enveloped us. Without light, we were completely lost. If we tried to leave the cave without light, we would never have made it out.

In his first letter, John uses light and darkness to motivate Christians to love one another (v. 10). He argues that anyone who hates a fellow Christian is like someone who walks around in the dark, they are lost because they have been blinded by darkness (v. 12).

Why use such a powerful illustration? Because hating a fellow Christian is unbecoming of a person who claims to believe in Jesus Christ. Consider the incongruity of a person who claims to love Christ and yet hates those for whom Christ died. We would look askance at someone who says, “I love Jesus, but I hate others who love Jesus.” That person would be blind to the truth of the gospel. In Christ, those who have believed are family. Family members ought not hate one another. We may disagree, we may argue, we may struggle with one another, but we never hate each other.

On the other hand, anyone who loves a fellow Christian is like a person who walks around in a well-lit environment! That individual will not stumble because they can see any obstacle in their way (v. 10). Loving fellow believers should be the normal setting for Christians because we believe in the Light of the World!

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