In verses 5 and 6 John goes on to say, “Beloved, you do faithfully in whatever you may have wrought for the brothers, and this for strangers, who testified to your love before the church, whom you will do well to send forward worthily of God.” Here John speaks concerning hospitality to traveling workers. In verse 5 “whatever” refers to the hospitality afforded (as taught by Paul in Romans 12:13 and Hebrews 13:2), the receiving of the brothers (3 John 10) who traveled for the gospel and the ministry of the Word. The word “this” also indicates hospitality rendered to those brothers who went out for the sake of the truth. Because those brothers were not acquainted with Gaius, the one who received this Epistle, they were strangers to him.
In verse 6 John says that these traveling brothers, who were mostly strangers to Gaius, unacquainted with him, testified to his love before the church. This was in the past and was in the church where the apostle was. Then John continues by saying that Gaius will do well to send them forward worthily of God. This indicates something to be done in the future. The apostle on the one hand praises Gaius for what he has done in receiving the traveling brothers in the past; on the other hand, he encourages him to send them forward in the future. In particular, John encourages Gaius to send them forward worthily of God, that is, in a manner worthy of God.
Here “worthily” modifies “send forward.” The sending forward should be in a manner that matches God, who is generous. This indicates that the sending forward must be with generosity.
In verses 7 and 8 John indicates that by rendering hospitality to the traveling brothers, we may become fellow workers with those who go out for the sake of the truth. Verse 7 says, “For on behalf of the Name they went out, taking nothing from the Gentiles.” The Name here is the exalted and glorious Name of the wonderful Christ (Phil. 2:9; Acts 5:41; James 2:7). Since the time of the Lord’s ascension, there has never been a name on earth above that of Jesus.
In verse 7 John says that the traveling workers for the truth take nothing from the Gentiles. The Gentiles, pagans, have nothing to do with God’s move on earth to carry out His economy. It is a shame and even an insult to God for anyone who works for God’s New Testament economy to receive help for God’s work, especially financial support, from unbelievers. In the apostle’s time, the brothers who worked for God took nothing from the pagans. Therefore, the apostle encourages the believers to support this work for God’s economy.
In verse 8 John concludes, “We therefore ought to support such, that we may become fellow workers in the truth.” The Greek word translated “support” is hupo-lambano, made up of two words: hupo, under, and lambano, to take; hence, to take up from underneath, that is, to undertake, to sustain, to support. We, the believers including the apostle, ought to support and undertake for the need of the brothers who work for God in His divine truth and who take nothing from the Gentiles. If we support the traveling workers, we participate in the work and thereby become fellow workers in the truth.
In verse 8 “truth” denotes the revealed divine reality as the contents of the New Testament according to the apostles’ teaching concerning the Divine Trinity, especially the Person of the Lord Jesus, for God’s economy. All the apostles and faithful brothers worked for this.