3 John 15 Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.
Although this letter is short and the final greeting is also short, both contain important messages that have echoed throughout the centuries. It is tempting to bypass simple statements like this verse, but it gives a hint as to the relationships within the early church and a model for churches today. John prays for peace to be upon Gaius. Gaius could experience peace in several ways. First and foremost, he could have peace with God through Jesus (Romans 5:1). If Gaius stayed with the truth of the gospel, he would be assured of this new relationship. The theme of truth echoes throughout the letter as the threat of heresy and distortion threatened his fellowship, like other places in the early church. Second, he could have peace with other believers through growing in love. His peace with true believers might come at a cost as he had to deal with people like Diotrephes. Sometimes, to maintain the greater peace and security of a group, certain individuals must be disciplined and even rejected, not out of spite but out of preservation of the truth. Peace would show up as Gaius extended hospitality to the traveling brothers and strangers. He could serve as model to other believers of this hospitality, extending well-being and blessing to others.
John was not alone when he wrote the letter, since friends were with him. Friends (philoi) comes from a word that can mean “love” but more the type found in families and friends. Jesus used the word to express the close bond of love that self-sacrifice shows (John 15:13). The love God plants in our hearts (agapē) can be expressed through friendship. Believes ought to be friends and like family with one another. The New Testament expresses that in some ways using fictive kinship terms of “brothers” and “sisters.”
Finally, John draws upon the power of using a person’s name. There is a powerful effect on a person when his or her name is used. Names represent a person. Names can be difficult to remember sometimes, but learning them indicates the importance of the person and is a way to express love and friendship in the church. This letter began with love and ends with a call to friendship. Genuine friendship comes at a cost, and John has pointed out to Gaius some difficult things to do but also praises him for his progress in love and the truth.