Hospitality for the Truth in 3 John and Its Implications for Contemporary Christians
Ijasini Jamare Jantiku, Abel A Adeyemi, PhD
Abstract
Hospitality has been a veritable tool widely used to achieve certain purposes, good or bad in human endeavours. It is a virtue Jesus enjoyed from different persons while on earth and recommends same. The church after him continues to use hospitality to alleviate people’s suffering and support itinerant preachers and missionaries. This paper rhetorically analyses 3 John and suggests that the letter borders on the importance of this practice and the need to sustain it to support those who go about preaching the truth of the Gospel in the name of God. To achieve that purpose, the author of the letter juxtaposes two contradicting examples: first, those like Diotrephes who oppose the noble and sacrificial hospitality practice to support true preachers/missionaries, thereby causing division and weakening the church are authoritatively rebuked, and second, people like Gaius and Demetrius who exemplify that agelong tradition are strongly praised and endorsed. This analysis has serious implications for contemporary Christians. One implication is that Christians should generously support or provide hospitality to those preachers who preach the truth and walk in it. Also, those who offer hospitality to the preachers of the true Gospel are co-labourers with them because they partake in their work for the truth.
Keywords
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