How Gaius Take Help Im Brothers

GAIUS and other Christian dem for apostle time face serious wahala. Some people come dey talk lie lie to make brothers faith weak and scatter congregation. (1 John 2:18, 19; 2 John 7) One man wey in name na Diotrephes come ‘dey talk bad things’ about apostle John and other people. E no dey gree help brothers wey visit congregation, and e want make other people copy am. (3 John 9, 10) Na wetin dey happen for congregation when John write letter go give Gaius. Na around 98 C.E. apostle John write this letter wey dem dey call ‘Third John’ for Bible.

Upon all the wahala wey Gaius face, e no stop to treat brothers wey visit congregation as Jehovah want. How e take do am? Why e good make we copy Gaius example today? How John letter fit help us copy am?

E WRITE LETTER GIVE IM FRIEND WEY E LOVE

For the letter, John call imself ‘senior man.’ Only that one reach to make Gaius believe sey na apostle John write am. John talk sey Gaius na im friend ‘wey e really love.’ E still talk sey e want make Gaius body strong the way Gaius faith for God strong. Na better word John use praise am for im better character!​—3 John 1, 2, 4. 

E fit be sey Gaius na elder for congregation. But the letter no talk whether im na elder or no be elder. John praise Gaius because e dey allow the brothers wey visit congregation stay im house, even though sey e no know dem before. To dey treat visitor well, na wetin dem take know God people. Na im make John praise Gaius for wetin e do.​—Gen. 18:1-8; 1 Tim. 3:2; 3 John 5.

The better thing wey John talk about Gaius, show sey brothers and sisters from different different congregation dey always visit apostle John. And e fit be sey na dem dey tell John about wetin dey happen for all this congregation dem.

When brothers and sisters travel, dem no dey like stay hotel. Dem dey like stay with other brothers and sisters. Why? Because some hotel that time no dey treat customer well, and na bad things people dey do for there. That na why, person wey get sense go stay with im friend, and brothers and sisters go stay with other brothers and sisters.

‘NA BECAUSE OF IM NAME DEM TRAVEL’

Apostle John want make Gaius treat the visitors well again. Na im make e tell am sey, ‘when the visitors dey go, treat dem as God want.’ This one mean sey as dem dey travel, Gaius go give dem everything wey dem need wey go carry dem reach where dem dey go. Gaius don first treat some visitors well before, na im make some brothers tell John about the love wey Gaius show dem and the kind faith wey e get.​—3 John 3, 6.

The visitor dem fit be missionary, people wey dey go message for John, or people wey dey do circuit overseer work. Dem dey travel because of God work. John talk sey: ‘Na because of im name dem travel.’ (3 John 7) John don first talk about God (check verse 6); so, na Jehovah name e fit dey talk about when e sey ‘because of im name.’ Na im make dem suppose take care of this visitor dem because dem be brothers for congregation. Na wetin John write when e sey: ‘So we suppose treat this kind people well, so that all of us fit dey do things together for the truth.’​—3 John 8. 

E HELP AM HANDLE ONE SERIOUS PROBLEM

No be just to thank Gaius make John write letter give am. But e want still help am handle one serious problem. One man wey im name na Diotrephes, wey dey the congregation, no want help brothers and sisters wey visit the congregation. E no want even allow other people wey ready to help.​—3 John 9, 10.

Even if space dey Diotrephes house, brothers and sisters no go want stay with am. E like make e be number one for congregation, e no dey respect John, and e dey talk bad things about apostle John and other people. Even though sey John no call Diotrephes lie lie teacher, Diotrephes no dey listen to wetin apostle John talk. E want make people dey see am as oga for the congregation. This im bad character fit make person dey wonder whether e still dey Jehovah side. Diotrephes example show how person wey want be number one, and wey dey raise shoulder fit scatter congregation. That na why John tell Gaius sey make e ‘no copy bad thing.’ Wetin John talk still concern all of us today.​—3 John 11.

BETTER REASON TO DO WETIN GOOD

E get another person for the congregation wey John talk about im good character. Im name na Demetrius. E no be like Diotrephes. John write sey: ‘Dem dey talk good things about Demetrius. We self dey talk good things about am, and you know sey wetin we talk na true.’ (3 John 12) E fit be sey Demetrius want make Gaius help am. So na this letter apostle John take let Gaius know the kind person wey Demetrius be. E fit still be sey na Demetrius carry this letter give Gaius. As one of the person wey John dey send message, or wey dey do circuit overseer work, Demetrius fit don explain somethings wey John write.

Wetin make John tell Gaius make e still dey treat visitors well, when e already dey do am? Diotrephes dey try to pursue brothers from congregation because dem dey treat visitors well. So, e fit be sey John want make Gaius get mind to continue to treat visitors well. Anyhow e be, e still tell Gaius wetin go make am no stop. E sey: ‘The person wey dey do good come from God.’ (3 John 11) This one na better reason wey suppose make Gaius do good and continue to do am.

Wetin John write help Gaius make e still dey treat visitor well? We believe sey e help am. This na because this letter wey dem dey call “Third John” na part of Bible and e dey help people ‘copy good thing.’

WETIN WE FIT LEARN FROM THIRD JOHN

Bible no talk anything again about this better brother wey im name na Gaius. But make we talk about three things wey we fit learn from the small thing wey Bible talk about am.

(1) We fit talk sey na brothers wey ready to travel go different different place, help many of us sabi the truth wey dey Bible. Na true sey no be everybody for congregation today dey travel go far because of God work. But, like Gaius, we fit support our circuit overseer and im wife wey dey travel come visit us for our congregation. We fit still help brothers and sisters wey go preach for where publishers no many, whether for their country or another country. So make we ‘no stop to dey do good’ to our brothers and sisters.​—Rom. 12:13; 1 Tim. 5:9, 10.

(2) Sometimes, we fit see people for congregation wey dey talk anyhow about elders. Make we no let am surprise us. Dem do am to John and apostle Paul. (2 Cor. 10:7-12; 12:11-13) Wetin we go do if person for congregation talk bad about us? Paul advise Timothy sey: ‘Person wey dey serve God no suppose fight, but e suppose dey gentle with everybody, suppose fit teach, dey control imsef if dem do am bad, dey sofri sofri tell people wey stubborn wetin dem go do.’ If we control our temper when person talk wetin we no like, e fit make the person change im way. This one fit make Jehovah give dem chance to repent so that dem go learn the truth wey dey Bible.​—2 Tim. 2:24, 25.

(3) We suppose dey praise and talk better things about our brothers and sisters wey still dey serve Jehovah, even if dem dey face wahala. Na wetin apostle John do be that. E let Gaius know sey na good thing e dey do. So, make elders today copy John example. Make dem tell brothers and sisters wetin go make dem strong so that dem no go tire to serve God.​—Isa. 40:31; 1 Thess. 5:11.

This letter wey apostle John write give Gaius na the book wey small pass for Bible. Na Greek language e use write am and na 219 word dey inside. But even as e small reach, e fit help us today.