Reflections with Andy - 3 John - Co-worker with the Truth

About this episode

This episode reflects on Third John and discusses how to discern trust in wandering preachers through apostolic authority and community accountability.

In this Thursday reflection on Third John, the letter's central cast — faithful Gaius, self-promoting Diotrephes, and well-regarded Demetrius — illuminates a practical question about the early church: how do you know whether to trust a wandering preacher? The answer is apostolic authority and community accountability, which is part of how ordination developed — a traceable chain of trust, so that the community could verify who sent the teacher and what they stood for. Gaius earns John's highe...

People in this episode

Host: Andy Stoddard

Topics covered

• early church
• trust in preachers
• apostolic authority
• community accountability
• ordination

Keywords

• Third John
• Gaius
• Diotrephes
• Demetrius
• trust
• preachers
• ordination
• early church

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Third John

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