返回3 John
3 John
Table of Contents of the Epistle
A prayer for the prosperity of Gaius and gratitude to him for receiving wandering brethren for Christ's sake. – Here also about the ignoble character of Diotrephes and his hatred toward the brethren. – An excellent testimonial about Demetrius. – About the fact that the Apostle himself will soon come to them for their benefit.
Contents of the Epistle
The Apostle writes about hospitality. First, he commends Gaius, of whom all testify that he receives strangers with love; he urges him to continue henceforth in the same disposition, to send forth and receive the brethren; again he praises him for his zeal, and disapproves of Diotrephes because he himself does nothing for the poor and forbids others from doing so, and speaks much evil; he says that such people are far from the truth and do not know God; he also mentions Demetrius, of whom he speaks with excellent praise.
3 John 1:1. The Elder – to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.
3 John 1:2. Beloved! I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
He loves in truth who loves according to the Lord. The Apostle writes this epistle with the purpose of bestowing praise upon certain brethren. He writes to Gaius, of whom he testifies that he receives many strangers, and for this bestows upon him great praise. For "he who does good is of God," he says (3 John 1:11). He further encourages him by the fact that he disapproves of Diotrephes, who does not wish to act in this way. He praises Demetrius, who acts in the same manner as Gaius, and gives a true testimony of his virtue. "As your soul prospers"; and it prospers in the life according to the Gospel.
3 John 1:3. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of your faithfulness, as you walk in the truth.
He who walks in the truth is one who walks according to the simplicity of the Gospel. By the word "walk" one must understand not the movement of feet, for such stepping motion from place to place is characteristic of every animal that has legs, but the orderly and sober progress in the strivings of the soul, which few achieve even among those who possess reason.
3 John 1:4. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
3 John 1:5. Beloved! you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers.
3 John 1:6. They have testified of your love before the church. You will do well to send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God,
3 John 1:7. because they went forth for the sake of His name, taking nothing from the Gentiles.
The expression μειζοτέραν is not in accord with the elegance of the Greek language; for to the comparative degree (μείζονα) yet another comparative suffix (-τερ) has been added.
3 John 1:8. Therefore we ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.
3 John 1:9. I wrote to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us.
"To receive" is used in the sense of "to take up," "to seize." By this the Apostle teaches us not to wait for the needy to come to us, but to run to meet them ourselves and entreat them to come to us, as Abraham and Lot did (Gen. 18:2–3; 19:1–2).
3 John 1:10. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, slandering us with malicious words, and not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to do so, and puts them out of the church.
If it is forbidden to repay evil for evil (Rom. 12:17), then how is the present threat of the Apostle to be explained? We answer: the commandment speaks of not repaying evil for evil to the one who sins against us, but when sin against us also causes harm to the faith, then the one committing such sin must be punished, just as Paul also brought evil upon Elymas, who was turning people away from the paths of the Lord (Acts 13:8–11).
3 John 1:11. Beloved! do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God; but he who does evil has not seen God.
Since there is nothing in common between light and darkness, no agreement between Christ and Belial (2 Cor. 6:14–15), he who is enlightened by the knowledge of Christ must not, through imitation of the ungodly, merge with darkness, that is, with their abominable deeds. For just as he who does good is of God and has perfected the eye of his mind with the light of the knowledge of Him, and therefore has become entirely light, sees the true light, God, and becomes for others a luminary in the world, holding forth the word of life (Phil. 2:16), so also he who does evil, walking in darkness, can neither himself see God, that is, do what is pleasing to God, nor be a guide for others, but is hateful and abhorrent to all.
3 John 1:12. Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself; and we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.
3 John 1:13. I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with ink and pen;
3 John 1:14. but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak mouth to mouth.
3 John 1:15. Peace to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name. Amen.
By "all," that is, those who possess the truth, "and from the truth itself," that is, in word and in deed; for although the virtue of some is testified to, the testimony proves to be false, because the words do not correspond to the reality. But if someone, by the broad meaning of the word "all," understands both believers and unbelievers, his understanding is also not unjust; for the apostle Paul commands all the faithful: "Give no offense, either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all things" (1 Cor. 10:32–33).
The end of the third epistle of the holy Apostle John.
A prayer for the prosperity of Gaius and gratitude to him for receiving wandering brethren for Christ's sake. – Here also about the ignoble character of Diotrephes and his hatred toward the brethren. – An excellent testimonial about Demetrius. – About the fact that the Apostle himself will soon come to them for their benefit.
Contents of the Epistle
The Apostle writes about hospitality. First, he commends Gaius, of whom all testify that he receives strangers with love; he urges him to continue henceforth in the same disposition, to send forth and receive the brethren; again he praises him for his zeal, and disapproves of Diotrephes because he himself does nothing for the poor and forbids others from doing so, and speaks much evil; he says that such people are far from the truth and do not know God; he also mentions Demetrius, of whom he speaks with excellent praise.
3 John 1:1. The Elder – to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.
3 John 1:2. Beloved! I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
He loves in truth who loves according to the Lord. The Apostle writes this epistle with the purpose of bestowing praise upon certain brethren. He writes to Gaius, of whom he testifies that he receives many strangers, and for this bestows upon him great praise. For "he who does good is of God," he says (3 John 1:11). He further encourages him by the fact that he disapproves of Diotrephes, who does not wish to act in this way. He praises Demetrius, who acts in the same manner as Gaius, and gives a true testimony of his virtue. "As your soul prospers"; and it prospers in the life according to the Gospel.
3 John 1:3. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of your faithfulness, as you walk in the truth.
He who walks in the truth is one who walks according to the simplicity of the Gospel. By the word "walk" one must understand not the movement of feet, for such stepping motion from place to place is characteristic of every animal that has legs, but the orderly and sober progress in the strivings of the soul, which few achieve even among those who possess reason.
3 John 1:4. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
3 John 1:5. Beloved! you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers.
3 John 1:6. They have testified of your love before the church. You will do well to send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God,
3 John 1:7. because they went forth for the sake of His name, taking nothing from the Gentiles.
The expression μειζοτέραν is not in accord with the elegance of the Greek language; for to the comparative degree (μείζονα) yet another comparative suffix (-τερ) has been added.
3 John 1:8. Therefore we ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.
3 John 1:9. I wrote to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us.
"To receive" is used in the sense of "to take up," "to seize." By this the Apostle teaches us not to wait for the needy to come to us, but to run to meet them ourselves and entreat them to come to us, as Abraham and Lot did (Gen. 18:2–3; 19:1–2).
3 John 1:10. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, slandering us with malicious words, and not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to do so, and puts them out of the church.
If it is forbidden to repay evil for evil (Rom. 12:17), then how is the present threat of the Apostle to be explained? We answer: the commandment speaks of not repaying evil for evil to the one who sins against us, but when sin against us also causes harm to the faith, then the one committing such sin must be punished, just as Paul also brought evil upon Elymas, who was turning people away from the paths of the Lord (Acts 13:8–11).
3 John 1:11. Beloved! do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God; but he who does evil has not seen God.
Since there is nothing in common between light and darkness, no agreement between Christ and Belial (2 Cor. 6:14–15), he who is enlightened by the knowledge of Christ must not, through imitation of the ungodly, merge with darkness, that is, with their abominable deeds. For just as he who does good is of God and has perfected the eye of his mind with the light of the knowledge of Him, and therefore has become entirely light, sees the true light, God, and becomes for others a luminary in the world, holding forth the word of life (Phil. 2:16), so also he who does evil, walking in darkness, can neither himself see God, that is, do what is pleasing to God, nor be a guide for others, but is hateful and abhorrent to all.
3 John 1:12. Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself; and we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.
3 John 1:13. I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with ink and pen;
3 John 1:14. but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak mouth to mouth.
3 John 1:15. Peace to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name. Amen.
By "all," that is, those who possess the truth, "and from the truth itself," that is, in word and in deed; for although the virtue of some is testified to, the testimony proves to be false, because the words do not correspond to the reality. But if someone, by the broad meaning of the word "all," understands both believers and unbelievers, his understanding is also not unjust; for the apostle Paul commands all the faithful: "Give no offense, either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all things" (1 Cor. 10:32–33).
The end of the third epistle of the holy Apostle John.
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