From the elder, to Gaius my dear brother, whom I love in truth. Dear friend, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, just as you are living according to the truth.
3 John 1:1-3 NET
This short letter was written by the elder to Gaius. It is unknown with any certainty who the elder was, apart from also being the author of 2 John. But it is commonly, although not universally, thought to be the apostle John, who is also the author of the gospel of John and 1 John. Gaius was a common name, so there is no reason to suspect he was one of the Gaiuses mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament.
What we do know of Gaius is that he was spiritually healthy. Other people had testified to this truth. This would likely refer to him being doctrinally sound. And he was living according to the truth. His life reflected what he believed. He was putting his faith into practice.
The elder prayed for Gaius, that all would go well for him and that he would have good health. This is what we often pray for our friends and family. But the elder took this a step further. He linked his prayer for Gaius’ physical health to his spiritual health—that he would be as physically healthy as he was spiritually healthy.
Gaius was in good spiritual shape, so the elder’s prayer was indeed that Gaius would prosper physically and that his physical health would mirror his spiritual health. But what if this prayer was offered up for me? Or for you?
What would life be like for me if my physical health was directly linked to my spiritual health? Would I, like Gaius, be getting along well and be in good health? Would I be living in poverty and on life-support? Or somewhere in between?
Fortunately, for most of us, that linkage is not common. But it is something worth considering. Shouldn’t I be at least as concerned about my spiritual health as I am about my physical health?
“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” – 1 Timothy 4:8 NIV
