5 Beloved, thou doest a faithful work in whatsoever thou doest toward them that are brethren and strangers withal; 6 who bare witness to thy love before the church: whom thou wilt do well to set forward on their journey worthily of God: 7 because that for the sake of the Name they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. 8 We therefore ought to welcome such, that we may be fellow-workers for the truth.

The act which occasioned this letter, and which John specially desires to praise, is that of extending hospitality to certain missionaries who had been sent from Ephesus to minister to the church of which Gaius was a member. It is easily understood how necessary it was for Christians, in that age particularly, to exercise the grace of hospitality, and how greatly this grace tended to further the gospel. For two reasons, however, Gaius was to be specially commended: first, because the itinerant preachers whom he had welcomed to his home were total strangers to him; and, secondly, because his kindness made him the object of criticism and opposition and ill will on the part of members of his own church. His act is therefore called "a faithful work," both because it was an expression of his sincere belief, and also because it required steadfastness and courage in its accomplishment. This expression of Christian loyalty was one of those which had been reported to John, and, as he declares, the messengers who had been so befriended "bare witness to thy love before the church." Now these same messengers are returning to Gaius, and John makes bold to request that Gaius not only shall entertain them but shall aid them on their further journey by gifts of money and provisions, and that, too, in the most liberal manner, or, as John says, with a generosity "worthily of God."

Two reasons are assigned for such gracious generosity. One is the fact that these messengers are representatives of Christ and are going forth to make Christ known. It is true that the word, "Christ," is not mentioned; it does not occur once in this letter. "They went forth," John declares, "for the sake of the Name"; but there is no doubt what name is meant: it is "the name which is above every name," in which some day, every knee shall bow.

The second reason for this kindness is the practice of these particular missionaries, who, to avoid all appearance of selfishness and all suspicion of unworthy motives in preaching, refused to accept hospitality or remuneration from the Gentiles to whom they were bringing the gospel.

There is also a third reason mentioned by John, as applying not to this particular case alone, or to these special missionaries, but to all Christians in every age: "We therefore ought to welcome such, that we may be fellow- workers for the truth." By extending sympathy and support to the ministers and messengers and missionaries of Christ, we are sharing in their work of making known the truth of Christ; and as we participate in their labor and their toil and their sacrifice, so, too, we shall share in their rejoicing and their reward.