3 John
Christian Standard Bible
Greeting
1 The elder:(A)
To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.(B)
2 Dear friend, I pray that you are prospering in every way and are in good health,(C) just as your whole life is going well.[a] 3 For I was very glad when fellow believers came and testified(D) to your fidelity to the truth—how you are walking in truth.(E) 4 I have no greater joy(F) than this: to hear that my children(G) are walking in truth.
Gaius Commended
5 Dear friend, you are acting faithfully in whatever you do for the brothers and sisters, especially when they are strangers. 6 They have testified to your love before the church.(H) You will do well to send them on their journey(I) in a manner worthy of God,(J) 7 since they set out for the sake of the Name,(K) accepting nothing from pagans.[b](L) 8 Therefore, we ought to support such people so that we can be coworkers with the truth.
Diotrephes and Demetrius
9 I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have first place among them,(M) does not receive our authority.(N) 10 This is why, if I come, I will remind him of the works he is doing, slandering(O) us with malicious words. And he is not satisfied with that! He not only refuses to welcome fellow believers, but he even stops those who want to do so and expels them from the church.
11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil,(P) but what is good. The one who does good is of God;(Q) the one who does evil has not seen God.(R) 12 Everyone speaks well of Demetrius—even the truth itself. And we also speak well of him, and you know(S) that our testimony is true.(T)
Farewell
13 I have many things to write you, but I don’t want to write to you with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
15 Peace to you. The friends send you greetings. Greet the friends by name.
3 John
Lexham English Bible
Greeting
1 The elder, to Gaius the beloved, whom I love in the truth. 2 Dear friend, I pray you may prosper concerning everything and be healthy, just as your soul prospers. 3 For I rejoiced exceedingly when the[a] brothers came and testified to your truth, just as you are walking in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than this: that I hear my children are walking in the truth.
Instructions to Gaius
5 Dear friend, you act faithfully[b] in whatever you do for the brothers, even though they are strangers[c]. 6 They have testified to your love before the church; you will do well to send them[d] on their way in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they have gone out on behalf of the name, accepting nothing from the pagans.[e] 8 Therefore we ought to support such people, so that we become fellow workers with the truth.
Diotrephes Causes Trouble
9 I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who wants to be first among them, does not acknowledge us. 10 Therefore, if I come, I will call attention to the deeds he is doing[f], disparaging us with evil words. And not being content with these, he does not receive the brothers himself, and he hinders those wanting to do so and throws them out of the church. 11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.
Demetrius Commended
12 Demetrius has been testified to by all, even by the truth itself. And we also testify to him, and you know that our testimony is true.
Conclusion and Final Greeting
13 I have many things to write to you, but I do not want to write to you by means of ink and pen. 14 But I hope to see you right away, and to speak face to face[g]. 15 Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.
Footnotes
- 3 John 1:3 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“came”) which is understood as temporal
- 3 John 1:5 Or “you act loyally”
- 3 John 1:5 Literally “and this strangers”
- 3 John 1:6 Literally “whom”
- 3 John 1:7 That is, Gentile unbelievers (as opposed to Gentile Christians)
- 3 John 1:10 Literally “his deeds which he is doing”
- 3 John 1:14 Literally “mouth to mouth”
3 John
1599 Geneva Bible
The Third Epistle of John
1 He commendeth Gaius for hospitality, 9 and reprehendeth Diotrephes for vainglory: 10 he exhorteth Gaius to continue in well doing: 12 and in the end commendeth Demetrius.
1 The [a]Elder unto the beloved Gaius whom I love in the truth.
2 Beloved, I wish chiefly that thou prosperedst and faredst well as thy soul prospereth.
3 For I rejoiceth greatly when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, how thou walkest in the truth.
4 I have no greater joy than [b]these, that is, to hear that my sons walk in verity.
5 Beloved, thou doest [c]faithfully, whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers,
6 Which bore witness of thy love before the Churches, Whom if thou [d]bringest on their journey as it seemeth according to God, thou shalt do well,
7 Because that for his Name’s sake they went forth, and took nothing of the Gentiles.
8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be [e]helpers to the truth.
9 [f]I wrote unto the Church, but Diotrephes which loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
10 Wherefore if I come, I will call to your remembrance his deeds which he doeth, prattling against us with malicious words, and not therewith content, neither he himself receiveth the brethren, but forbideth them that would, and thrusteth them out of the Church.
11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good: he that doeth well is of God: but he that doeth evil, hath not [g]seen God.
12 Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we ourselves bear record, and ye know that our record is true.
13 I have many things to write: but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee:
14 For I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak mouth to mouth. Peace be with thee. The friends salute thee. Greet thy friends by name.
Footnotes
- 3 John 1:1 An example of a Christian gratulation.
- 3 John 1:4 Than these joys.
- 3 John 1:5 As becometh a believer and a Christian.
- 3 John 1:6 He commendeth to Gaius either those selfsame men whom he had entertained before, returning now again to him about the affairs of the Church, or else some other which had like business.
- 3 John 1:8 That we ourselves may help somewhat to the preaching of the truth.
- 3 John 1:9 Ambition and covetousness, two pestilent plagues (especially in them which have any Ecclesiastical function) are condemned in Diotrephes’ person.
- 3 John 1:11 Hath not known God.
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Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
