The Third Epistle of John
3 John 1
Chapter I · Vol. IV, pp. 509–510
1 He commendeth Gaius for his piety. 5 and hospitality 7 to true preachers: 9 complaining of the unkind dealing of ambitious Diotrephes on the contrary side, 11 whose evil example is not to be followed: 12 and giveth special testimony to the good report of Demetrius.
2 Beloved, dI wish2 above all things3 that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as ethy soul prospereth.
d Ro.13.10. Ps.122.6,8. Phi.2.4.
2 Or, pray.
3 Above all things. Rather, 'As to all things (external) I pray that thou mayest prosper, even as thy soul prospereth' (Robinson's Gr. Lex. περὶ, d). The apostle having probably heard that Gaius had fallen into ill health.—C.
3 For gI rejoiced greatly when the brethren came and testified of hthe truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.Cited in WLC 144
g 2 Jn.4. ver.4. Phi.4.1. 1 Th.2.19,20.
h 2 Jn.2. 1 Jn.2.14,24. Jn.15.7. Col.3.16. Phi.1.6. Ps.119.11; 51.6. Jn.1.47.
5 Beloved, kthou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;
k Lu.12.42. 1 Pe.4.2,10. He.13.1-3.
6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if lthou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:
8 Weo therefore ought to receive such, that we might be pfellow-helpers to the truth.
o Mat.10.14,40. Lu.10.7.
p Zec.8.19. Pr.23.23. 2 Th.3.1. Jude 3. 2 Ti.1.13; 2.15. Tit.1.9. 1 Ti.1.18,19; 6.20.
9 I wrote unto the church:4 but Diotrephes,5 who qloveth to have the pre-eminence among them, receiveth us not.6Cited in WLC 132
4 I wrote unto the church. Rather, I have written, to wit, in this letter, which, though addressed individually to Gaius, was intended for all.—C.
5 See note * in second column.
q Ro.12.10. Mar.9.34. Lu.22.24. Mat.23.4-8. 1 Ti.6.3,4.
6 Refuseth to own my authority.
* Who this 'Diotrephes' was, is totally unknown; and conjecture is more than useless—it is a waste of time. His character, however, abides—proud, ambitious, exclusive, calumnious, malicious, inhospitable, a suppresser of generosity in others, and a tyrannical ruler in the church.—C.
10 Wherefore, if I come, rI will remember7 his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.Cited in WLC 151
r 2 Co.10.6,9,10. Pr.10.8,10. Is.66.5. Jn.16.2.
7 I will remember. Rather, 'I will remind him.'—C.
11 Beloved, sfollow8 not that which is evil, but that which is good. tHe that doeth good is of God:9 but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.
Notes
Ver. 1, 2. My dear Gaius, whom God has loved with an everlasting love, and drawn with his lovingkindness, and whom I sincerely and heartily love as a true Christian, who faithfully adheres to the truths of the gospel in his profession and practice—I, who am now a very aged ruler of the Christian church, earnestly wish all manner of temporal prosperity and bodily health, as I have reason to believe that your soul prospers in an increase of spiritual knowledge, familiar fellowship with Christ, and delightful conformity to him, in a lively exercise of faith, hope, love, and new obedience. 3, 4. For I was exceedingly filled with joy and comfort when some of those who go about preaching the gospel informed me of your remarkable experience of the power of Christ and his gospel truths, and with what faithfulness and integrity you profess, adhere to, and improve them, in a delightful, edifying, and progressive practice of holiness; for nothing gives me greater pleasure than to hear that those who have been converted to Christ by my ministrations continue steadfast in their holy profession of gospel truth, and more and more adorn it by a lively Christian conversation. 5-8. You act like a true believer, and a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, in your candid and disinterested benevolence to poor saints, particularly to such as are driven from their homes for their adherence to him, or go about preaching his gospel—some of whom, being greatly affected with your distinguished kindness, made mention of it in our public worshipping assemblies.—And you cannot employ your substance better than in further assistance of such in carrying on their work, as an imitation of your kind and merciful God, and a token of your gratitude to him, for calling you, by his grace, to his kingdom and glory.—For to the honour of Christ and his gospel, and to manifest their entire disinterestedness in their labours to win souls, these ministers have freely preached the gospel to the Gentiles, refusing to accept of a necessary subsistence from their new converts: we ought therefore cheerfully to entertain them in our houses, and, according to our ability, supply them with necessaries—that we may thus assist them in the propagation of the glorious gospel, to the honour of Christ and the salvation of multitudes. 9, 10. I indeed wrote to your church to provide for such preachers; but Diotrephes, that proud ambitious man, who attempts to lord it over his hearers and fellow-ministers, refused my letter a public reading, or hindered the people's compliance with its contents; but, if the Lord will, I intend to visit you, expose his wicked conduct, and censure him for it; for he not only throws out a multitude of false and ill-natured reflections on me and other faithful ministers of Christ, and refuses to show any kindness to persecuted and travelling preachers, but does all he can to hinder such as have inclination or ability to supply them; and even pretends to excommunicate from the church, and deliver up to Satan, these afflicted brethren, if not also such as entertain them. 11. Dear friend, never make him nor any other your pattern in anything sinful; but, in imitation of Jesus Christ and his Father, exercise yourself in brotherly kindness, and in every other branch of holy conversation. For it is only those who do so that are the children of God and heirs of his kingdom. But they who indulge themselves in pride, hatred of brethren, or the like, have no spiritual knowledge of nor fellowship with him.—12. Demetrius is a most excellent person, whom I, and all that regard either truth or the gospel, do and must speak well of. Let him, under Christ, be a pattern which you study to imitate.
Reflections.—Bodily health is an invaluable mercy when it enables us to improve our spiritual gifts and graces for the extensive benefit of mankind. And delightful is it when Christians remarkably increase and flourish in grace and good works, and when their faith and love to Christ, and his ministers and people, are such as cannot be kept secret.—Alas! what a plague to the church are proud, insolent, domineering imposers of their tenets, and malicious revilers of Christ's truths and faithful ministers, who will neither do good themselves nor suffer others that would! Richly they deserve to be detested by every Christian, and exposed and censured by every church.
Concluding Remarks on the First, Second, and Third Epistles General of John.
The First Epistle is peculiarly characterized by a pervading strain of love—God's love to sinners; the debt of love due by Christians in return; love to the Father necessarily begetting, in one child, love to all the members of the Father's family;—these are the topics upon which the apostle delights to expatiate, the peculiar prominence of which concurs with the record of the historian, in which it is stated, that, in his extreme old age, when unable to walk, he was accustomed to be carried into the Christian assembly at Ephesus, to look upon the people with the tenderness of a dying father; and that, being unable to read or preach, his custom was to summon up all his energies for one sentence—'Children, love one another!'
The Second Epistle is remarkable as affording a delightful specimen of primitive domestic Christianity, and as a record of the superabundant reward that pious mothers receive when their prayers and instructions are blessed in the conversion of their families. The sisters appear to have been two widows—but the Lord was more than a husband to each, and more than a father to their fatherless children.
The Third Epistle is remarkable as portraying some striking varieties in the character of professing Christians. The features depicted are few; but, like the outline pencillings of some master-hand, they fully exhibit the peculiarities of the originals. Truth and hospitality stand personified in Gaius; ecclesiastical ambition and selfishness, in Diotrephes; while Demetrius stands forth one of those rare specimens of excellence in principle and manner that 'win golden opinions from all men,' while they sacrifice their truth and their consistency to none. C.