A. Recognizing him (v. 5)

"Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers." John is still commending Gaius, but he shifts the focus slightly. He has in mind now the itinerant evangelist, sometimes a man not well known, who can use all the help he can get. Gaius had a reputation of being a friend to all such, evidently regarding as a sacred duty to extend help and hospitality to visiting preachers. And he was faithful in discharging this duty, recognizing all such. The well-known visiting preachers and those he had never met before — one and all found a warm welcome with Gaius. The strangers, of course, would be put to the test at the door, but once their credentials were verified, they would be invited in, their feet washed, a guest room put at their disposal, and an extra plate put on the table.

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B. Refreshing him (vv. 6-7)

1. A privilege extended (v. 6)

John now points to a privilege extended, underlining the importance of ministering to those who have given their lives to ministering to others: "Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well" (v. 6).

Gaius evidently seized every opportunity to show the love of Christ to these visiting preachers, and they appreciated his hospitality, telling of his helpfulness wherever they went in their travels. Gaius himself appears to have been a very ordinary person. His name means "of the earth," and as we would put it, he was a "down-to-earth" sort of person. The Lord could have said of him what He said of the woman in the house of Simon of Bethany: "She hath done what she could" (Mark 14:8). Gaius had a true pastor's heart, noted not only because he championed the truth but also because his heart was full of love. The Lord has many such. In many years of traveling across Canada and the United States and to other countries, I have been royally helped by many a present-day Gaius. Great will be their reward in heaven.

2. A principle extolled (v. 7)

John points also to a principle extolled: "Because that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles" (v. 7). These visiting preachers deserve to be helped. John had in mind those who had no visible means of support, those who lived by faith, looking to the Lord to meet their needs, determined to accept financial aid from other believers, not from the unsaved.

When I was a boy growing up in Britain, my father had a small automobile business. He bought and sold and repaired cars, had a garage, a workshop, a showroom, and some gasoline pumps. He was not a wealthy person, but we lived comfortably. Then came the war. Overnight his business was practically wiped out. The government commandeered private cars for the military, spare parts vanished off the market, gasoline was severely rationed. The only people who could drive cars were those on essential war work. Still, my father struggled on, and the Lord saw to it that he had sufficient customers — farmers and the like — so that we survived.