Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

GAIUS

(Gk. Gáïos; Lat. Gaius)

A common Latin name, borne by four men mentioned in the NT, of whom nothing is known beyond these mentions.

1. A Macedonian who, along with Aristarchus, had traveled with Paul to Ephesus. There the two Macedonians were caught in a riot against the Christian missionary movement (Acts 19:29).

2. A man who was among Paul’s traveling companions from Corinth to Troas (Acts 20:4); probably not identical with 1 above, since he is said to have been from Derbe.

3. A Corinthian, one of the few baptized by Paul (1 Cor. 1:14) and likely identical with the man who hosted both Paul and “the entire church” in Corinth (Rom. 16:23). He must therefore have been relatively well-off.

4. The recipient of 3 John. The elder writes to encourage Gaius to continue his hospitality to traveling missionaries and to commend Demetrius to him. Gaius evidently had a close relationship with the elder, but his position in relation to the elder’s opponent Diotrephes is unclear. He cannot have been a member of Diotrephes’ church since the elder has to inform him of the latter’s actions; yet because the elder calls Diotrephes’ congregation “the church” (3 John 9), it is hard to think of Gaius as hosting or belonging to another house church in the same place. Whatever his position, the elder urges him not only to receive the travelers but to “send them on,” i.e., to provide for their needs on the journey, implying that Gaius had the financial means to do so.

David Rensberger

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

GAIUS

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)