1:5
In 2 John the church was warned against welcoming people who were false teachers. Here we get a counterbalance, in that Gaius is commended for helping Christians even though they are strangers. I guess we have all had the experience that we meet someone for the first time who is a Christian and our shared faith in Jesus Christ means there is an immediate bond between us.
1:6
The brothers who were welcomed by Gaius told their church of the warm welcome that they received from Gaius. It is not clear what the point of the second half of verse 6 is. The first part would seem to imply that they had already left and returned to their home church. Alternatively, they could have been staying for some period of time and have sent a letter to their home church. If the latter is the case, then John is urging Gaius to continue to act well towards them and to send them on their way with a blessing.
1:7,8
The brothers had gone out “for the sake of the Name”, presumably to spread the gospel. They received no help from the pagans. It is not clear why John says this, as one would hardly expect them to receive any help from the pagans. John then gives a general principle. The gospel cannot expect any help from the world (though it may sometimes receive some), so it is vital that the church works together, supporting each other, so that we can “work together for the truth”.
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