Fellow Workers for the Truth
11/25/25 Bible Thought (3 John)
There is only one hero in the story of Christianity and His name is Jesus Christ. At the same time, He still gives us the wonderful privilege of being a part of the story.
As we look briefly to the book of 3 John, we see a personal letter written by the apostle John to a believer named Gaius who faithfully walked in the truth (3 Jn. 1-4).
Specifically, Gaius was distinguished by his hospitality for Christian missionaries, even of those that he totally didn’t know! (3 Jn. 5).
John urged him to continue in this, and specifically to send them on their journey, “in a manner worthy of God” (3 Jn. 6). Essentially treat them like you would treat Jesus, don’t give them the bare minimum. Put them up, give them a place to stay, and help to supply them for the next leg of their journey.
Now, while this might seem to be a pretty insignificant thing compared to missionary work or even the apostolic work of John and the rest, John puts forward a powerful claim concerning Gaius’ contribution:
“Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth” (3 Jn. 8).
We know very little about Gaius, but it would appear that he wasn’t exactly a pastor, evangelist, or missionary sort of guy. He wasn’t someone that from a natural perspective was in a role of significant influence—yet through his service he could be a fellow worker for the truth.
We can’t lose sight of the fact that the spread of Christianity was accomplished through countless saints whose names we will never know—not just those who preached, but those who supported them.
What is so beautiful about the Kingdom of God is that even the smaller contributions matter. Whether we are a five-talent, two-talent, or one-talent Christian (see Matt. 25:14-30), we have been entrusted with a task from God. We are to steward what He has given to us for His glory and the good of others (see 1 Pet. 4:10-11).
Gaius wasn’t “less-than” because he wasn’t an itinerant teacher, he was a fellow worker, he was an essential part of the team!
It’s a sadly common reality in professional sports for the key players to get nearly all the credit. However, we must not lose sight of the fact that in a football game no quarterback is able to accomplish a single thing without a good offensive line. If he were simply stacked up against a bunch of defensive linemen and left to himself, he wouldn’t stand a chance. His position is arguably the most important on the team, but at the same time he can’t do it without the team.
So it is in the Kingdom.
We all fill different roles. In the apostle Paul’s understanding the church is the body of Christ and whether one is an eye or ear each part makes a necessary contribution to the whole (see 1 Cor. 12:12-31).
What you do for the glory of Christ matters. You don’t have to be the one at the front of the church to be a fellow worker. Every act of serving, giving, and selfless Christian love makes a difference, even if it isn’t seen by everyone.
The work that we do, whether it’s ever noticed in man’s eyes or not, makes an eternal difference (see 1 Cor. 15:58). What a privilege it is to be even the smallest part in what God is doing in the earth today!
Challenge for Today:
Do I ever look with low esteem upon my service to God or contribution to the church because in the eyes of man my role isn’t significant?
Let us not forget that in the end the only opinion that matters is God’s.