the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Grace for Today
3 John 1:6-8
Why should we support missionaries?
Read 1 Corinthians 9:1-18
Many answers are given to that question in the Word of God. But the apostle here gives four excellent reasons for doing so. Having commended Gaius for his good work in this regard, John encourages him to continue with these reasons.
1. It is a work pleasing to God. John told Gaius that when one of God’s servants came through town, not only was he to care for him while he was there, but he was to ‘bring’ him ‘forward’ on his journey. That is to say, he was to provide such things as the preacher needed to carry on his mission. This is a ‘godly sort’ of work. The margin reads,’ worthy of God’. It is a work with which God is pleased. God delights to see those who love Christ showing their love by generosity towards his servants.
2. We should do it ‘for his name’s sake’. There is one thing that compels the true servant of God to take his wife and children to a far-off place to preach the gospel, leaving relatives and friends behind, He has a burning jealousy for the name of Christ. He preaches the gospel so that men everywhere may bow down, trust and worship at the name of Christ (Romans 1:1; Romans 1:5). Our Lord is so highly honored by the service of such men that he says that what we do for them, we do for him (Matthew 10:40-42).
3. They have no other means of support. ‘They went forth taking nothing of the Gentiles.’ Our Lord expressly forbids his servants to beg for support, especially from the unbeliever (Matthew 10:5-10; Luke 10:1-7). And Paul condemned those pretentious servants of Christ who merely peddled the gospel (2 Corinthians 2:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:5-9). You can mark this down: if God is in a work, God will support it through the generosity of his people. And no servant of God should have to provide a piece of bread for himself. The people of God ought to take care of him.
4. What is more, by our loving and generous support of God’s servants we become ‘fellow-helpers to the truth’. When we supply a man’s needs so that he can preach the gospel, we become allies with him in the work! What a privilege!
