Peace be to you. The
friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name.
THE STUDY:
Some of you who use the NIV or the
NASB is looking for verse 15 but you cannot find it. These translations combine
verse 15 with verse 14. The ESV (the one I use) does not combine these two
verses. This is a grace-filled Hebraic benediction: peace be to you. Paul typically combined the Hebraic benediction of
peace (shalom) and a modified Greek
greeting of “grace” (charis). The
author of 3 John, however, refers only to peace.
While this was a standard
convention of letter writing of the time, it stands in some tension with the
obviously strained relationship between himself and Diotrephes. Perhaps John offers
the word as not only a customary social exchange, but as something more—a
prayer for reconciliation among the churches. Perhaps, peace was forever
cemented into Christian vocabulary by its use by the risen Christ (John 20:19,
21, 26). John must have prayed it would have a calming effect in his churches.
This short letter depicts John as
an outsider, facing opposition from other Christians. Still, he has the
authority of his personal standing among the churches and seeks to exercise it.
That 3 John became a part of the NT suggests that John’s understanding of Christianity
in the region prevailed as the orthodox view.[1]
WHAT WE CAN WALK
AWAY WITH ….
- We walk away this morning with the understanding that one who holds true to the teachings of Christ will face adversity and strife. They also will receive grace and PEACE.
CONCLUSION:
Only eight percent of the time since the
beginning of recorded history has the world been entirely at peace. In over
3,100 years, only 286 have been warless and 8,000 treaties have been broken in
this time. Isaiah 48:22 reads, There is no peace, says the Lord, unto the wicked.
My prayer for you today is to have peace in your heart: A peace that exceeds
all understanding. This peace will not be found in the world. It is a peace
that can only be found in God! I pray that through these devotionals you have
found that peace.
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
[1]
Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3
John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary
(219). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.
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