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3 John Commentary
I.
Content of the Chapter
Walk in the Truth
A. Opening words and blessings (v.1-2);
B. Praising to Gaius (v.3-8);
1. The apostle has no greater joy than to hear
that Gaius walks in truth (v.3-4);
2. Praise him for receiving the fellow-workers
faithfully (v.5-8);
C. Evaluation of Diotrephes (v.9-11);
1. Diotrephes who loved to have the preeminence
refused to receive brethren and forbid those who wished to (v.9-10).
2. Do not imitate what is evil (v.11).
D. Testimony of Demetrius (v.12);
E. Closing words and greetings (v.13-15);
II.
Verse by Verse Commentary
3John. 1 “The
Elder, To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth:”
YLT: “The Elder to Gaius the
beloved, whom I love in truth!”
Meaning of Words:
“elder”: senior;
Literal Meaning:
“the elder”, it has two meanings in the original:
1) he who is in an old age; 2) the overseer of one local church; both
explanations are suitable for the writer of this epistle, the apostle John. The
apostle Peter had also been the elder of a certain local church (see 1Pet.
5:1).
“To the beloved Gaius”, “Gaius” was a
rather common name at that time. This name has been mentioned in the New
Testament three times: 1) the man of
“Whom I love in truth”, “I” in the
original is emphatic. “In truth”, it shows that truth is the central mind of
this epistle; “love in truth”, love one another in pure faith of truth;
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “Beloved” may be a polite remark in the
beginning of the epistle. And the writer still mentions “I love in truth”,
showing that it is not oral love in appearance but true love out of heart.
2) In the church, we may call one another
“brothers and sisters”, but actually we may not have the divine bosom of
“brothers and sisters”. Let our word in keeping with our heart and treat one
another in true love.
3) The faith of truth that all we believers
keep produces the relationship of union of life that we will naturally love
those whom are born of God (see 1John 5:1).
3John. 2 “Beloved, I pray that you
may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”
YLT:
“beloved, concerning all things I desire thee to prosper, and to be in health,
even as thy soul doth prosper,”
Meaning
of Words: “prosper”: do well
in, succeed in reaching; “health”:
sound, wholesome;
Literal
Meaning: “beloved”, it is mentioned again and again
in this epistle (see v.1, 2, 5, 11), which expressed not only politeness but
also true solicitude out of the writer.
“You may prosper in all things”, though “all things” include business
and properties, we shall not declare that believers must prosper in everything
especially business and wealth as long as they love God according to his verse
like the modern “Prosperity Theology”, because this verse is not God’s promise,
but the apostle’s wish. Actually, it is a supplementary explanation of “being
in health”.
“Be in health”, it suggests the physical condition of Gaius was not
good.
Just as your soul prospers”, “soul” includes the mind and affection and
will of a man. “Your soul prospers”, it means that he has sound mind and rich
affection and strong will. In other words, his life condition before God is
good.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Both the heretical and radical men only pay
attention to the mental and spiritual pursuit of men, but ignore the physical
condition. A normal Christian shall pay attention to both aspects.
2) Some preachers who love the Lord may have
not looked after their bodies well that they depart from the world ahead of
time in their middle years just when they are suitable to be used by the Lord.
What a pity!
3) A normal Christian shall keep the balance
between his spiritual and physical conditions. On one hand, let us seek
godliness and be fed by the word of God. And on the other hand, let us exercise
our bodies and take in proper nutrition and keep physical cleanness and a
regular schedule every day.
4) The life that keeps the body and soul and
spirit in health and joy is a life that glorifies God.
5) Gaius prospers in soul, but is weak in body.
Some of the Charismatic church declares that one must be physically strong as
long as he prospers in spiritual life. Obviously, such teaching is not in
keeping with the fact in the Bible.
6) We cannot judge one’s spiritual condition
according to his physical condition.
3John. 3 “For I rejoiced greatly
when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk
in the truth.”
YLT:
“for I rejoiced exceedingly, brethren coming and testifying of the truth in
thee, even as thou in truth dost walk;”
Meaning
of Words: “testify”: bear
witness; “truth”:
reality; “walk”:
go, tread; “rejoice”:
be glad, be cheerful;
Literal
Meaning: “for … when brethren came and
testified of the truth that is in you”, “brethren”: brothers in the church where the
recipient is; “testified of the truth”, the recipient keeps and experiences the
objective truth in faith so that the truth has become his subjective truth.
“Just as you walk in the truth”, “walk in the truth”: practice the truth and live
out the truth that is received that let the truth lead our way and regulate our
daily life; “walk”: practice continually;
“I rejoiced greatly”, it shows that keeping the truth is the source of
joy.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The word we have spoken is heard by others
and the life we are living is seen by others. Both have become our “testimony”.
2) Each Christian is a “testimony”, no matter
good or bad. If we are not manifesting the truth, we are against the truth.
3) A good witness is man who obeys the truth of
God. On one hand, the truth of God abides in him. On the other hand, he
practices the truth of God in daily life, namely, obedience to the truth.
4) The truth is none other than the Lord
Himself (see John 14:6), the Spirit (see John 16:13) and the word of God (see
John 17:17). Let us keep the three in us and obey the inspiration and
enlightenment we have received.
5) Let us not only keep the truth but also live
out the truth. And let us not only keep the truth in heart but also obey the
truth ---- let the truth abide in us and manifest out of us.
6) In the age in which everyone pays attention
to reality, nothing will more glorify God than walking according to the truth.
7) Parents must rejoice when they see their
children walking according to their will with obedience. When a spiritual elder
hears young believers “walk in truth”, he must be more joyful.
3John. 4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children
walk in truth.”
YLT:
“greater than these things I have no joy, that I may hear of my children in
truth walking.”
Literal
Meaning: “I have no greater joy”,
“Than to hear that my children walk in truth”, in other words, this joy
is greater than leading men to the Lord. Indeed it is a joy to lead man to the
Lord. However if the new believer fails to walk in truth and is even entangled
and subdued by the pollutions of the world, his situation is just like that of
a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire (see 2Pet. 2:20-22). It is a
real grief.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Truth is the manifestation of the love we
have received in heart in our life that others will also feel the love of the
Lord.
2) Let us be both hearers of word and doers of
word (see James 1:22).
3) The greatest joy to a teacher is that he
sees his students walking in truth. Truth makes a man godly in mind and
conversation.
3John. 5 “Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the
brethren and for strangers,”
YLT:
“Beloved, faithfully dost thou do whatever thou mayest work to the brethren and
to the strangers,”
Meaning
of Words: “strangers”:
sojourners; “do”:
work; “faithful”:
sure, true;
The Background: at that time, the
Literal
Meaning: “beloved”, note that the tone and word of
this epistle are full of “love”.
“You do faithfully whatever you do”, “do”: do all the time; “do
faithfully”: often do…;
“For the brethren and for strangers”, “the
brethren and for strangers”: believers who went forth for the name of the Lord
(see v.7);
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Individualism has become an increasing trend
in the present society. People pay little attention to strangers. However, in
the church of the Lord, we shall have the sense of big family even to believers
whom we have never met before.
2) In the sight of the Lord, inasmuch as we
have done it to one of the least of the brethren, we have done it to Him.
Contrarily, if we have not done it to one of the least of the brethren, we have
not done it to Him (see Matt. 25: 40, 45).
3) The Lord judges whether we are faithful
according to our attitudes toward and works to the fellows in the Lord (see
Matt. 24:45, 49).
3John. 6 “who have borne witness of your love before the
church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you
will do well,”
YLT:
“who did testify of thy love before an assembly, whom thou wilt do well, having
sent forward worthily of God,”
Meaning
of Words: “church”: assembly; “bear witness”:
testify; “worthy”:
as becomes, appropriate; “well”:
good;
The Background: it was a custom in the ancient time that the
hospitable family also gave the guests money for the journey to support them
when the guests were leaving. When the Jews saw the rabbis off, they would go
with them for some distance.
Literal
Meaning: “who have borne witness of your love before
the church”, “before the church”: before brothers and sisters; “have borne
witness of your love”: to testify the love of Gaius was not only in word and
tongue but also in work and truth (see 1John 3:18);
“If you send them forward”, “send them forward”: it includes the help in
money, food, clothing, traveling, etc. (see 1Cor. 16:6; Titus).
“On their journey in a manner worthy of God”, “worthy of God”, it
carries two aspects of meaning: 1) be worthy of God’s name and not humiliate
the name of God; 2) be in keeping with God’s love toward men.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The Lord Jesus said, “He who receives
whomever I shall send receives me. And he that receives me receives him that
sent me” (John 13:20).
2) Whoever is willing to open his house to all
the saints must be a man who opens his heart to all the saints. The love in the
saints can be tasted in both receiving and being received.
3) It is good that he who has received love of
believers testifies the love before the church to encourage all.
4) Nothing is more “godly” than sacrificing
oneself to serve others. Such service is truly worthy of God ---- worthy of
God’s name and love, and glorifies God.
5) As for the expenses of journey and
accommodation, preachers who go forth to work for the Lord shall walk ahead by
faith in the Lord. Through the devotion of all the local churches and
individual believers, the Lord accomplishes the preachers’ faith. And all the
churches and common believers have thus become fellow-workers for the truth
(v.8).
3John. 7 “because they went forth for His name's sake, taking
nothing from the Gentiles.”
YLT:
“because for name they went forth, nothing receiving from the nations;”
Meaning
of Words: “for…sake”: for the
purpose of; “went forth”: leave; “take nothing”: receive nothing;
Literal
Meaning: “because they went forth for His name's
sake”, “for His name’s sake”, it means that the purpose of preachment is to
testify the name of the Lord so that men will enjoy the abundant reality of the
name of the Lord; “went forth”, it suggests that they gave up their own cozy
and warm families and labored outside.
“Taking nothing from the Gentiles”, “the
Gentiles”: unbelievers of the world; “take nothing”: here it especially means
not receiving any financial assistance. The reasons why Christians take nothing
from the Gentiles are as follows: 1) let not unbelievers misunderstand that the
God whom we believe in is unreliable; 2) let not unbelievers misunderstand that
Christians have no love to their own; 3) let not unbelievers misunderstand that
they can please God by it and thus become self-righteous and unwilling to
believe the Lord.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) A normal preacher will in no wise receive
any financial assistance of unbelievers so as not to humiliate the name of the
Lord. Therefore, it is the duty of the church and believers to provide what the
workers of the Lord need.
2) Christians are a group of people who
practice the word of the Lord ---- “it is more blessed to give than to receive”
(Acts 20:35). The characteristic of Christianity is paying for the sake of the
gospel rather than be rewarded by the world.
3) When the people of God provide the servants
of God sufficiently, it is a powerful testimony to unbelievers of the world.
3John. 8 “We therefore ought to receive such, that we may
become fellow workers for the truth.”
YLT:
“we, then, ought to receive such, that fellow-workers we may become to the
truth.”
Meaning
of Words: “ought to”: should; “receive”: take
aside, provide; “fellow
workers”: those who work together;
Literal
Meaning: “we therefore ought to receive such”, it is
our responsibility of receiving preachers.
“That we may become fellow workers for the truth”, “fellow workers”, it
suggests that fellow workers may not do the same thing in the same place nor
serve the same objects. As long as we work for the same goal and fulfill the
part distributed to us, we are fellow workers. “Fellow workers for the truth”,
the purpose of works is to keep the testimony of the truth.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The ministry of receiving and supplying
preachers is not only a chance but also a duty (Gal. 6:6-11; 1Cor. 9:7-11).
2) There are many different members in the body
of Christ, with different functions. As long as all the members are fitly
jointed together and tempered together, they are fellow workers.
3) He who receives those who do not preach the
doctrine of Christ shares in their evil deeds (see 2John v.10-11). Likewise, he
who receivers those who go forth for the sake of the Lord’s name has become the
fellow worker for the truth.
4) It is one who sows and another who reaps
that both he that sows and he that reaps may rejoice together (see John
4:26-27). If we believers receive the Lord’s workers, all blessings in the
preachment will abound to our account (see Phil. 4:17).
3John. 9 “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to
have the preeminence among them, does not receive us.”
YLT:
“I did write to the assembly, but he who is loving the first place among them
-- Diotrephes -- doth not receive us;”
Meaning
of Words: “loves to have the
preeminence”: love to be first; “Diotrephes”: Jove-nourished;
Literal
Meaning: “I wrote to the church”, since we are not
sure where the church that Diotrephes led was, so we can also not be sure
whether it refers to the Second Epistle of John. Probably, this epistle had
been destroyed and lost by Diotrephes.
“But Diotrephes, who loves to have the
preeminence among them, does not receive us”, “who loves to have the
preeminence among them”, it means that one loves to be the first but may not be
qualified to be the first. “Does not receive us”: do not receive the apostle
John and his fellow-workers; there might be two reasons: 1) because he desired
to defend his position and was unwilling to let anyone contact with the local
believers without his introduction. 2) because he kept different views about
the understanding and practicing of the truth.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Through the ages, there were often
contradictions and conflicts between the local churches’ right of
self-determination and all the churches’ spiritual fellowship. Therefore, it
has been a great problem to all the leaders of the churches of how to keep
balance between the external and internal spiritual authority.
2) If everyone rejects the natural views and
seeks the guidance of the Spirit according to the sound truth, there will be no
affairs of “predominance” or “seizing power”.
3) If the “pastor” or “elder” in the church
tends to seize supreme power, it shows that they have forgotten they are merely
“servants” who serve believers (see Matt 20:26).
4) A man who really serves the Lord shall
remember the Lord’s preeminence in all things (see
3John. 10 “Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds
which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with
that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to,
putting them out of the church.”
YLT:
“because of this, if I may come, I will cause him to remember his works that he
doth, with evil words prating against us; and not content with these, neither
doth he himself receive the brethren, and those intending he doth forbid, and
out of the assembly he doth cast.”
Meaning
of Words: “come”: approach; “call to mind”: recall, mention; “deeds”: works; “prate against”: rant
against; “malicious”: bad, evil, wicked; “content”: satisfied; “wish”: desire;
“forbid”: hinder, prevent, withstand; “put … out of”: dispel, sent out, remove;
Literal
Meaning: “therefore, if I come”, it suggests that the
apostle John intended to visit this local church in person, so he wrote this
epistle to pave the way.
“I will call to mind his deeds which he
does”, the tone of the apostle John in this epistle is not as direct as that in
the First and Second Epistles of John. In the first two epistles he judged “the
antichrist” (see 1John 2:18; 2John v.7), “those who try to deceive you” (see
1John 2:26), “the children of the devil” (see 1John 3:10), “the spirit of error”
(see 1John 4:6), “deceiver” (see 2John v.7) directly and clearly. Therefore, it
was inferred that Diotrephes was not a heretical false teacher or one of their
fellows.
“Prating against us with malicious words”,
condemn others by false words; “prate against”: it shows that the word of
accusation make no sense. However, it was a pity that there were always
believers in the history that liked to hear senseless word and believed it.
“And
forbids those who wish to”: take abnormally heavy actions in the church;
“Putting them out of the church”, this was a
kind of despotic action that ran counter to the nature of the New Testament.
There are four faults of Diotrephes: 1)
prate against the apostle and his fellow-workers with malicious words; 2) do
not receive the apostle and his fellow-workers; 3) forbid those who wish to
receive them; 4) put those who receive the saints out of the church;
The apostle John appeared to be an
experienced and mature elder in the dealing with things of Diotrephes: 1) he
did not ask Gaius to prevent the despotism of Diotrephes, for it would cause
divisions in the church; 2) he only encouraged Gaius to do what he had to do in
the church and play a positive role in the church and fulfill the role of
balance. 3) He purposed to let Gaius realize the present situation and stand
firm until he himself came; 4) he mentioned fact only and did not pay evil by
evil words.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) If any individual or several men have
exercised the authority beyond the sphere of the truth, it must destroy the
healthy church life and will become a cancer of the body of Christ.
2) Christians should be careful and not
flippantly believe the “evil words” or “good words”, for many are senseless
words.
3) There is not a believer in the world who
keeps identical views upon the truth and the church with another one.
Therefore, let us honor and allow the liberty of everyone’s understanding of
the truth, except for the fundamental truth ---- the Holy Trinity and the truth
of salvation (see Rom. 14:1-6).
4) The chastisement of the church is not a
weapon for the dictator in the church to protect himself, but the final means
that the church has to adopt to maintain the nature of the churches’ holiness
without leaven (see 1Cor. 5:6-13). No leading character in the church can abuse
the authority of “putting someone out of the church”.
5) The heresies like to condemn Christians who
keep different views from them or divide men according to their own purposes.
They accept or refuse according to their “narrow views” rather than the truth
of faith in the Bible.
3John. 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.”
YLT:
“Beloved, be not thou following that which is evil, but that which is good; he
who is doing good, of God he is, and he who is doing evil hath not seen God;”
Meaning
of Words: “imitate”: follow; “evil”: corrupted, wicked; “see”: gaze, behold, see with discernment;
Literal
Meaning: “beloved, do not imitate what is evil”,
“imitate”: take a man or a thing as an ideal model and follow; “what is evil”,
here it refers to things that Diotrephes had done (see v.10);
“But what is good”, “what is good” refers to
the good testimony of Demetrius (see v.12).
“He who does good is of God”, “of God”: be
out of God and thus of God;
“But he who does evil has not seen God”,
“has not seen God”: do not know God (see 1John 3:6).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God is the source of all good (see Matt.
19:17). Everyone who always does good is motivated by God, so he is out of God
and of God.
2) He who has seen God must know God dislikes
man to do evil. Therefore, he who does evil has not seen God.
3) Man’s habitual good works show his relation
with God is good. Contrarily, man’s constant evil works show he lies under the
wicked one (see 1John 5:19).
3John. 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.”
YLT:
“to Demetrius testimony hath been given by all, and by the truth itself, and we
also -- we do testify, and ye have known that our testimony is true.”
Meaning
of Words: “has … a testimony”:
bear witness; “true”:
real, honest;
Literal
Meaning: “Demetrius has a good testimony from all”,
“has a good testimony”: keep in mind and serve others in love (see Heb. 10:24;
Gal. 5:13); “all”: believers in the church; “has a good testimony”: be praised
and approved;
“And from the truth itself”, it indicates
that all his works are according to the truth (see v.3-4; 1John 3:18-19). In
other words, he keeps the truth and obeys the word of God, so the word of God
itself (the truth) bears witness concerning him.
“And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true”,
“we”: the apostle John and his fellow workers and even believers who are with
the apostle John;
This verse is to introduce Demetrius to Gaius. It was said that
Demetrius was a fellow-worker in the place where the apostle John was and was
entrusted to bring this epistle to Gaius.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) We have never seen God, but we can see His
works on other believers who have good testimonies so that we will be
encouraged.
2) It is dangerous when all the people ---- no
matter those who are saved or not saved, good or bad ---- say you are good, for
it means compromise and hypocrisy. However, it is good when all believers that
love the Lord in the church approve your life and testimony.
3) Man’s testimony is not totally true.
However, if there is still the testimony of the truth, that will be the
testimony of both God and men. Surely, it is true.
4) F.B. Hole said, “Note that here it is not he
bears witness of the truth, but the truth bears witness of him. No one can be
the standard of trying the truth, but truth is the standard of evaluating
believers.” If our works are worthy of the standard of the truth after the
evaluation of the truth, the truth will bear witness of us.
3John. 13 “I had many things to write, but I do not wish to
write to you with pen and ink;”
YLT:
“Many things I had to write, but I do not wish through ink and pen to write to
thee,”
Meaning
of Words: “have”: possess;
“many”: abundant, a lot of; “wish”: desire;
Literal
Meaning: “I had many things to write”, it is not
sufficient to write all things in this short epistle.
“But I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink”, it suggests it was
better to speak face to face to deal with the troublesome things as the case of
Diotrephes (see v.14).
3John. 14 “but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak
face to face.”
YLT:
“and I hope straightway to see thee, and mouth to mouth we shall speak.”
Meaning
of Words: “hope”: expect; “shortly”: soon,
immediately; “face
to face”: mouth to mouth; “speak”:
talk;
Literal
Meaning: please read the commentary of the Second
Epistle of John, verse 12.
3John. 15 “Peace to you. Our friends greet you. Greet the
friends by name.”
YLT:
“Peace to thee! salute thee do the friends; be saluting the friends by name.”
Meaning
of Words: “peace”: rest,
harmony; “friends”:
beloved ones; “greet”:
salute;
Literal
Meaning: “peace to you. Our friends greet you”. “Our
friends” refer to the fellow-workers and believers who are with the writer;
“peace to you”: it is a personal greeting; “our friends greet you”: it is a
corporate greeting;
“Greet the friends by name”, “by name”: some
individual believers; “the friends”: the fellow-workers and believers who are
with Gaius;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) There personal and corporate relations of
believers with the brethren in the church. Let us have both sense of belonging
toward the whole church as well as friendship with individual believers.
2) Dictators in the church will have fewer and
fewer friends. However, he who walks according to the truth will have more and
more friends with whom they can share the love of Christ.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
Relations between the Truth and Believers
A. Love in truth (v.1);
B. Truth that is in believers (v
C. Walk in truth (v.3b, 4);
D. Work for the truth (v.8);
E. Truth bears witness to believers (v.12);
Two “As ”s
A. Prosper in all things and be in health, just
as your soul prospers (v.2) ---- consistency between what is inside and
outside;
B. The truth that is in you, just as you walk
in the truth (v.3) ---- consistency between knowledge and conversation;
Do Not Imitate What is Evil But What is Good
A. Do good:
1. What Gaius has done:
a.Walk in truth (v.3-4);
b.Do faithful for the brethren and for
strangers ---- receive in love (v.5-6);
c. Be fellow-workers for the truth (v.7-8);
2. He who does good is of God and has a good
testimony from all, and from the truth itself (v.11-12).
B. Do evil:
1. Things done by Diotrephes (v.9-10):
a.Who loves to have the preeminence in the
church;
b.Who himself does not receive the brethren
and forbids those who wish to;
c. Who prates against the servants of God
with malicious words and puts those who receive brothers out of the church;
2. He who does evil has not seen God (v.11);
Three Kinds of Testimonies
A. The testimony of the truth ---- when
brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you (v.3);
B. The testimony of love ---- they have borne
witness of your love before the church (v.6);
C. The testimony of good works ---- (v.12);
1. Have a good testimony from all;
2. And from the truth itself;
3. And we also bear witness, and you know that
our testimony is true;
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Mary Zhou