FAITHFULNESS TO THE TRUTH
Key verse: 4
NIV
1 The elder,(A)
To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 It gave me great joy when some believers(B) came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.(C) 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children(D) are walking in the truth.(E)
5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters,[a](F) even though they are strangers to you.(G) 6 They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way(H) in a manner that honors(I) God. 7 It was for the sake of the Name(J) that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans.(K) 8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.
9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. 10 So when I come,(L) I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers.(M) He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.(N)
11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.(O) Anyone who does what is good is from God.(P) Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.(Q) 12 Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone(R)—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.(S)
13 I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.(T)
Footnotes
- 3 John 1:5 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family.
Cross references
- 3 John 1:1 : S Ac 11:30; 2Jn 1
- 3 John 1:3 : ver 5, 10; S Ac 1:16
- 3 John 1:3 : 2Jn 4
- 3 John 1:4 : S 1Jn 2:1
- 3 John 1:4 : ver 3
- 3 John 1:5 : S ver 3
- 3 John 1:5 : Ro 12:13; Heb 13:2
- 3 John 1:6 : 1Co 16:11; 2Co 1:16
- 3 John 1:6 : S Eph 4:1
- 3 John 1:7 : S Jn 15:21
- 3 John 1:7 : Ac 20:33, 35
- 3 John 1:10 : ver 14; 2Jn 12
- 3 John 1:10 : ver 5
- 3 John 1:10 : Jn 9:22, 34
- 3 John 1:11 : Ps 34:14; 37:27
- 3 John 1:11 : 1Jn 2:29
- 3 John 1:11 : 1Jn 3:6, 9, 10
- 3 John 1:12 : 1Ti 3:7
- 3 John 1:12 : Jn 19:35; 21:24
- 3 John 1:14 : 2Jn 12
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
Greeting
1 (A)The elder to the beloved Gaius, (B)whom I love in truth.
2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 3 For (C)I rejoiced greatly when the brothers[a] came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that (D)my children are walking in the truth.
Support and Opposition
5 Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for (E)these brothers, (F)strangers as they are, 6 who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner (G)worthy of God. 7 For they have gone out for the sake of (H)the name, (I)accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
9 I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.
11 Beloved, (J)do not imitate evil but imitate good. (K)Whoever does good is from God; (L)whoever does evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius (M)has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and (N)you know that our testimony is true.
Final Greetings
13 (O)I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 3 John 1:3 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 10
Cross references
- 3 John 1:1 : 2 John 1
- 3 John 1:1 : 1 John 3:18; 2 John 1
- 3 John 1:3 : 2 John 4
- 3 John 1:4 : [1 Cor. 4:14, 15; Gal. 4:19; 1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2; Titus 1:4; Philem. 10]
- 3 John 1:5 : [Gal. 6:10; Heb. 13:1]
- 3 John 1:5 : See Matt. 25:35
- 3 John 1:6 : 1 Thess. 2:12; [Col. 1:10]
- 3 John 1:7 : See Acts 5:41
- 3 John 1:7 : 1 Cor. 9:12, 15
- 3 John 1:11 : [Ps. 34:14; 37:27; Isa. 1:16, 17]
- 3 John 1:11 : 1 John 2:29
- 3 John 1:11 : See 1 John 3:6
- 3 John 1:12 : [1 Tim. 3:7]
- 3 John 1:12 : John 21:24
- 3 John 1:13 : 2 John 12
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. Gaius, who walks in the truth (1-8)
What does it mean to be faithful to the truth? According to John's letter to Gaius, walking in the truth means faithfully loving our brothers in Christ without mixing in false or impure motives. Gaius even showed love and generous hospitality to strangers who were only passing through. He did this, not with some political motive or some hope of receiving personal benefit, but simply for Jesus' sake, because the visitors were servants of God. Acting in love, for the sake of Jesus alone is walking in the truth.
2. Diotrephes, who loves to be first (9-14)
Diotrephes evidently was full of personal ambition. Because he wanted to be number one, he was very narrow and critical of others. He did not welcome God's servants. We must imitate what is good, not what is evil.
Prayer: Lord, help me to walk according to the truth. Give me a heart that is always open to accept your children.
One Word: Gaius or Diotrephes?
