Episode 26
3 John — Read the NT in 90 Days
What does true leadership look like—especially when pride, faithfulness, and reputation collide within a small church community? In this episode of Seek Go Create, we dive into the book of 3 John, the shortest and possibly most revealing letter in the New Testament. Host Tim Winders explores three distinct responses to truth, through the stories of Gaius, Diotrephes, and Demetrius, all set against the backdrop of first-century turmoil. Whether you’re curious about biblical leadership or simply want insight into the early church, you’ll find wisdom and practical lessons packed into this short, powerful reading.
"Hospitality is how the gospel spreads." - Tim Winders
Access all show and episode resources HERE
Episode Resources:
- NT90 Hub – This is the central website for the 90-day New Testament reading plan, with downloadable, printable plans, background information, and links to all episodes and resources.
Episode Highlights:
00:00 Leadership and Hospitality
00:18 Series and Reading Plan
00:55 Third John Overview
01:52 AD 66 Historical Setting
03:06 The Tension Diotrephes
04:02 Three Names Explained
04:34 Gaius Diotrephes Demetrius
05:55 Imitate Good Conclusion
06:17 Next Episode and Resources
06:52 Final Scene Set and Read
Transcript
A personal note about leadership and hospitality di
Speaker:Atrophy's, pride versus Gaia's.
Speaker:Faithfulness versus Demetrius's.
Speaker:Good testimony.
Speaker:Three ways to respond to the truth.
Speaker:This is Seek Go Create.
Speaker:You're listening to read the New Testament in 90 days, 27 books in order in context.
Speaker:We are walking through the New Testament, the way it was written, so you can
Speaker:hear it the way the first churches did, and we can learn from that.
Speaker:We can get wisdom from that.
Speaker:Make sure you get the free reading plan and all the
Speaker:resources available at our hub.
Speaker:Which is at K two M Foundation slash NT.
Speaker:90 links should be down in the notes.
Speaker:K two M Foundation slash NT 90 today stop.
Speaker:Third John, the shortest book in the New Testament.
Speaker:Some of you are gonna be excited when you get to this day in the reading
Speaker:plan, but it is packed with information.
Speaker:It's only 219 words in the Greek.
Speaker:But again, packed with insight about leadership and interacting
Speaker:and dealing with people.
Speaker:Some key facts, John is the writer wrote it in that year of AD 66.
Speaker:Much going on there.
Speaker:The audience is gay us.
Speaker:It was directed to gay us, a faithful host in a network of house churches,
Speaker:probably in some of the churches that we heard about in one John
Speaker:and, and also in some of the areas there, other areas of John's writing.
Speaker:We will also hear about those churches when we get to Revelation.
Speaker:So Gaius, we don't know exactly, but most likely.
Speaker:The host in one of those areas, the setting, 36 years past the
Speaker:resurrection, there are traveling teachers that depend on hospitality,
Speaker:leadership, and character is on display.
Speaker:But here's some things that are going on historically.
Speaker:Let's keep this in mind.
Speaker:Nero is still on the throne.
Speaker:The Jewish revolt has ignited this year.
Speaker:It started down in Jerusalem.
Speaker:Zealots have seized the temple.
Speaker:Travel is most likely getting riskier for believers, possibly for all.
Speaker:But travel is probably starting to get interesting and challenging.
Speaker:In Jerusalem, the temple is still intact.
Speaker:It has been taken over by Zealots, but we still have three and a
Speaker:half years before it is destroyed.
Speaker:So the time is getting near the church.
Speaker:There's small networks of house churches, traveling.
Speaker:Teachers are carrying the message between those areas.
Speaker:And again, like we saw in Second John hospitality is how.
Speaker:The Gospel spreads.
Speaker:Here's the tension.
Speaker:A man named D Atrophy has made the church all about himself.
Speaker:I'm sorry, I just kind of chuckle.
Speaker:I do want us to make sure that we are reading this in the context
Speaker:of the first century, but we could insert so many names.
Speaker:Into that sentence, and we're recording this in 2026, and it
Speaker:would apply individuals making the church all about themselves.
Speaker:Why now?
Speaker:Why is John writing this now?
Speaker:He writes to commend Gaia's faithfulness.
Speaker:To warn about D Atrophies and to lift up Demetrius as an example of the way
Speaker:one should be in this church example, what you'll encounter third John, is
Speaker:personal and revealing leadership.
Speaker:Reveals character, three names.
Speaker:Let's talk about these names just so we can kind of dive in and get the context.
Speaker:They're all common names.
Speaker:In the Roman world, Gaius was one of the most popular names in the empire.
Speaker:Di Atrophy means nurtured by Zeus.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:That might have some symbolism there.
Speaker:Demetrius means follower of Demeter and ordinary people with pagan origin
Speaker:names are now following the risen Lord.
Speaker:Here's what you're gonna hear about.
Speaker:Gaius Faithful walking in the truth, showing hospitality to traveling
Speaker:teachers even when they're strangers.
Speaker:John loves him and commends his generosity.
Speaker:We don't know more, but his quiet faithfulness made scripture and we
Speaker:read about him 2000 years later, Phi.
Speaker:Who likes to put himself first is how John describes him.
Speaker:He refuses to acknowledge John's authority, spreads false charges, won't
Speaker:welcome traveling brothers, and puts people out of the church who do the
Speaker:only time he's mentioned in scripture.
Speaker:This is it.
Speaker:And he's a lasting example of ego driven leadership.
Speaker:Demetrius, everyone speaks well of him.
Speaker:Even the truth itself, to quote John testifies to his character.
Speaker:Some have wondered if he's the silversmith from Ephesus that
Speaker:we heard about in Acts 19.
Speaker:He was converted later, but there is no evidence of that.
Speaker:It's just a common name.
Speaker:So, and it was a very common name in the time.
Speaker:That would be speculation.
Speaker:What we do know is his life backed up.
Speaker:His faith John's conclusion is direct.
Speaker:Do not imitate evil, but imitate good.
Speaker:Whoever does good is from God.
Speaker:You're gonna be reading Third John in one Sitting.
Speaker:Nice, short.
Speaker:Book, enjoy the brevity, possibly read it a couple times.
Speaker:There's good info in here.
Speaker:The next episode, we're getting close to the end of our New Testament reading.
Speaker:We've got one last letter from Paul, second Timothy, his final words
Speaker:from death, row guard the gospel.
Speaker:And finish the race.
Speaker:Don't forget to go to K two.foundation/nt 90 to get the hub and all the resources
Speaker:for what we're doing with this plan.
Speaker:That also allows you to backtrack if you need to go back and do some
Speaker:research on some themes that you might be thinking about now that
Speaker:we're getting close to the end.
Speaker:Now, before you read.
Speaker:Let's set the scene.
Speaker:It's AD 66.
Speaker:The Jewish revolt has ignited down in Jerusalem.
Speaker:Roads are growing dangerous.
Speaker:John writes a personal note to gas, a faithful believer showing
Speaker:hospitality to traveling teachers.
Speaker:Three people, three responses.
Speaker:Gaius is faithful.
Speaker:D atrophies has made the church about himself.
Speaker:Demetrius is the example.
Speaker:Do not imitate evil, but imitate good.
Speaker:Now, let's read.
