1I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the assembly that is at Cenchreae, 2that you receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and that you assist her in whatever matter she may need from you, for she herself also has been a helper of many, and of my own self.
3Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the assemblies of the Gentiles. 5Greet the assembly that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first fruits of Achaia to Christ. 6Greet Mary, who labored much for us. 7Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners, who are notable among the apostles, who were also in Christ before me. 8Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. 9Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. 10Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. 11Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet them of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord. 12Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who labor in the Lord. Greet Persis, the beloved, who labored much in the Lord. 13Greet Rufus, the chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 14Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. 15Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16Greet one another with a holy kiss. The assemblies of Christ greet you.
17Now I beg you, brothers, look out for those who are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and turn away from them. 18For those who are such don’t serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the innocent. 19For your obedience has become known to all. I rejoice therefore over you. But I desire to have you wise in that which is good, but innocent in that which is evil. 20And the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
21Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my relatives. 22I, Tertius, who write the letter, greet you in the Lord. 23Gaius, my host and host of the whole assembly, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, as does Quartus, the brother. 24The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all! Amen. 25
John ends the letter in the same way he ended his second letter. Reader, what can we learn from this little book? He is praising some and rebuking others, like Diotrephes. First, we should remember that there has always been dysfunction in the church. Some is caused by unbelievers who find their way among us. Others are believers who perhaps are still not walking in the spirit, but rather spend most of their time “in the flesh”, responding with flesh patterns they learned before they were saved. We should be wary of someone who wants to control everything. We should be wary of the teacher who thinks he’s way better than the others. The Church is described in scripture as a body having many parts. There are many things we can do in our own fellowships. Likewise, we should avoid those who cause division in the body and those who are needlessly offensive to others. (Romans 16:17-20)
Secondly, if you’re doing good, keep doing good even when you’re discouraged. Don’t be sidetracked by some unfounded criticism. Just know your calling and continue in it. In writing the church in Galatia, Paul exhorts, 9 Let’s not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season if we don’t give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let’s do what is good toward all men, and especially toward those who are of the household of the faith. (Galatians 6:9-10 WEB)
Thirdly, don’t be discouraged by dysfunction in the church. We all still have our problems, but this is the Body of Christ. We attend church not because it feels good because we can't always have it our own way. We come together because the Bible tells us to come together (Hebrews 10:25). Church attendance is not optional for a healthy believer. I am not speaking to those of you who are infirm and unable to attend services. I am talking to those who find church attendance optional if you don’t have anything else going on. The 19th century theologian Dwight L. Moody once described church attendance as a practice “as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man.” But an increasing percentage of Christians are seemingly conflicted about the need for church, believing they can stay faithful to God on their own or just by watching a preacher online.
Reader, if you are not in one, look for a church that will focus on “preaching and teaching text-driven life application of God’s Word.” You and I are hungry for biblical teaching, and that is the only thing that will bring you the nourishment you need. Realize that every assembly has its problems. We will inevitably step on each other’s toes, and we may even offend one another. But that does not give us the right to ever withdraw from the church. We come together as broken people, flawed and with problems. We are the body of Christ, and this is who God has formed us to be. We are a group of flawed people who come together to love and be kind to one another. Sometimes we’ll get hurt, but we never run. We are all works in progress. We were made perfect in Christ, but we don’t always walk in the truth of that identity. Reader, if this is you, commit yourself to forgiving others and moving forward. Make not only the disciple John proud of you, but you’ll please your Father in heaven.