John writes a letter to his dear friend Gaius. It’s recorded for us in the Bible. This is likely the same Gaius grabbed by the riotous crowd in Ephesus.
He, along with Aristarchus, goes with Paul, traveling to tell others about Jesus. This makes Gaius a missionary.
John’s letter to Gaius is a short message. It’s a warm letter, full of encouragement and affirmation. John also reinforces some teaching with Gaius. Then John tacks on a short testimony about Demetrius (2).
It seems Gaius knows Demetrius, or John anticipates the two of them will interact. John simply writes that everyone speaks well of Demetrius. It’s important to John that Gaius knows this.
We get one more insight into Gaius as Paul wraps up his book to the Romans. He notes that Gaius sends greetings to the Roman followers of Jesus, making mention of Gaius’s hospitality.
Paul has enjoyed Gaius’s hospitable nature and so has the whole church. We don’t know where this church is, but his hospitality is well-known in the area.
Gaius first travels as a missionary and later opens his home to other missionaries as they travel.
Are we known for our hospitality? If not, what should we do about it?
[Discover more about Gaius in Acts 19:29, Romans 16:23, and 3 John 1:1.]
Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
