RICH AND HEALTHY
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as they soul prospereth.
III John 2
John is not conditioning Gaius’ prosperity and health on the state of his soul, but rather is assuming his soul’s prosperity as a fact. Nevertheless, it is true that God wants no man to be richer than his soul, and the spiritual condition is the true gauge of a man’s real success. No man with a sick soul is really prosperous. Even the medical world stresses as never before the connection between health and religion.
Prosperity, health, and spirituality are here joined, and well they may be. The man who is right with God and men is in a fair way to being in good health. Even if the outer man decay, the inner man is renewed from day to day. And a new body is guaranteed as part of his salvation. And prosperity is assured, for whatsoever the righteous man doeth shall prosper. The man who is rich toward God is truly rich, and he who is healthy in his soul is truly healthy. Along with it, we shall have such material prosperity and physical health as we need – and why should we want more?