Walking in the Truth SUN 10/4

Today's scripture:  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 3rd John v. 4.

The Apostle John wrote this epistle or letter sometime probably in the last years of the first century A.D. By that time, all the other apostles--Jesus' original disciples--were dead. All had been martyred. John's life had been spared, but he had been exiled to the island of Patmos. He was probably in his 90s.
      St. John continued to love his brothers & sisters in Christ. He cared deeply about their welfare, even though he could no longer visit them or meet with very many of them at a time. We call this a general epistle, * because it wasn't addressed to one specific group of Christians, like St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians, or one specific person, like St. Paul's letter to Titus. He meant this letter to be circulated among all groups of Christians throughout Asia Minor, Greece, & beyond. By God's grace, it was meant to be shared with you & me today.
      If you read the entire Epistle of 3rd John, ** you'll find that is is only one chapter long, & it may take you less than five minutes to read. You'll find out that he is greatly concerned about false teaching that is creeping into many of these churches, so he wants to remind them about the one & only Truth--God's Truth in Jesus Christ.
      He warns those who may have succumbed to these false teachers, & he commends those who have continued to walk in the truth--God's truth. I would like to think that a warning OR commendation received directly from one of Jesus' original disciples--an eyewitness to Jesus' death & resurrection--would carry some weight.
      Nothing has changed! St. John died well over a millennium ago, but God continues to have no greater joy than to know that His children--that would be His followers of all ages--are walking in the truth.

Prayer thought:  Give thanks for God's Truth as found in His Word, the Bible. Ask Him to bless our reading of His Word & to bless us with true faith to know & believe that Jesus Christ is our only Lord & Savior.


* I've reviewed this web site, & I couldn't find anything objectionable about it. However, I also cannot confirm that it is a Lutheran source, & I confess that I am at heart a Lutheran.
** The 3rd Epistle of John is, by itself, not necessarily an easy read. As an introduction to the New Testament, the Gospel of John would be my first choice.