1 The elder unto Gaius the beloved, whom I love in truth.

2 Beloved, I pray that in all things thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 For I rejoiced greatly, when brethren came and bare witness unto thy truth, even as thou walkest in truth. 4 Greater joy have I none than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.

The aged Apostle John, long a prisoner on Patmos, now laboring in Ephesus and burdened with the care of the churches of Asia, had much to cause him anxiety, sorrow, and disappointment; he was sustained, however, by his invincible faith in Christ, he was comforted by close human friendships, and most of all was he cheered by learning of the loyal and consistent lives of those who, as a result of his ministry, had been turned from paganism to become fruitful and helpful servants of the Lord. Among the latter was Gaius, to whom this letter was addressed. The name is familiar, and appears in three other New Testament passages; but it is unnecessary, if not impossible, to identify this Gaius with any one of the Christian disciples who bore the same name. Probably all that can be learned of him is contained in the few verses which follow. He seems to have been a man of considerable wealth, prominent in the church to which he belonged, faithful to his Christian profession, and specially to be commended for the hospitality he had shown to traveling evangelists who represented John and the Church.

The "salutation" addressed to him is unusually brief; but John, who styles himself "the elder," calls Gaius "the beloved," and declares that he loves him "in truth." Even so brief a greeting thus contains the two words which characterize the Second and the Third, Epistle of John, namely, "truth" and "love." The accent upon these words differs slightly in the two letters, but by them the letters are molded and united. In the second letter, while love is enjoined, there is warning against a weak tolerance of those who denied the truth; in this Third Epistle, love is praised for its exercise toward those who proclaimed the truth. The Second Epistle condemns the departure from the truth which is known as "heresy"; the Third Epistle condemns the lack of love among professing Christians which results in "schism."

If the salutation is brief, its real content is enlarged by the prayer which immediately follows and w^hich takes the place of the more usual greeting of "grace, mercy, peace." This prayer is quite extraordinary in its content. In the opening of no other New Testament epistle is there recorded a petition for temporal blessings and for physical health: "Beloved, I pray that in all things thou mayest prosper and be in health." It would appear that Gains had been ill. What is specially remarkable, however, is the measure of prosperity which John proposes: "even as thy soul prospereth." The prayer is that the temporal prosperity^ of Gains may be as great as his spiritual welfare and that his body may be as well as his soul. Few of us dare offer that prayer; by most Christians the terms need to be reversed. The proof of his spiritual prosperity is found in the report which has come of the generosity shown by Gains. This fact is also the warrant for the prayer: Gaius has already made such a wise use of his temporal blessings that the apostle feels justified in asking that his resources may be enlarged, as he also prays that his health may be improved.

Such a report of the faithful stewardship of Gaius has afforded to John the greatest joy. The news has been brought by fellow Christians who seem to have come, not once only, but from time to time, with the same tidings. The substance of their message is declared by John to be a "witness unto thy truth," by which he means that they are testifying to the fact that Gaius is showing his acceptance of Christian truth by his Christian life, he is manifesting his faith by his works, or as John adds, "even as thou walkest in truth," that is, consistently, "truly."

The word "thou" is emphatic; it implies a contrast: there are others whose walk does not correspond to their words; they are not loyal to their profession of faith; from their opposition both Gaius and John have suffered; of these the apostle will speak later; but he now wishes to express to Gaius the extreme gratification which his fidelity to the truth has occasioned: "Greater joy have I none than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth." By his "children" John of course means those believers who have been brought into the Christian life by his influence. Nothing gives him greater gladness than to learn that such are "walking in the truth." John alone uses the last phrase in the New Testament; but the idea is familiar. It denotes living in the sphere of revealed truth, allowing it to dominate and to control the mind and the soul, to mold the character and to determine all choices and all acts. Surely no greater joy could be experienced by a Christian worker than to learn that those whom he has brought to CLrist are thus "walking in the truth."