The reading above referred to is that of the most ancient and reputable MSS. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. He seems to have been an excellent person: all testified of his righteousness; the truth - Christianity, itself bore testimony to him; and the apostles themselves added theirs also. Sometimes, and on some special occasions, this may be necessary; but the laborer is worthy of his hire is the maxim of the author of Christianity. Ink and pen are here mentioned; paper and ink in the preceding epistle. John 3 Resources. 1, 2, and 3 John. There are three ways that we can use the word ‘*elder’. For other particulars concerning John, the reader is requested to refer to the preface to his gospel. Jude. Again, as in 2 John, the author refers to himself as the elder. See also 1 John 2:19; Revelation 3:12; and Schleusner, in voc. 3 John 1:1-15 NRSV Large Print Commentary. It is not very common that a man is more prospered in his … 3 John 1:2, ESV: "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." So it should be still in the mission and itinerant ministry. II. 3 John. Demetrius. Audio Edition 3 John 1:1-15 NIV Commentary. ). I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Greet the friends by name - remember me to all those with whom I am acquainted, as if I had specified them by name. The conversation with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21) Get … But the writer was an *elder overall the churches in a large area.Much of this letter is like John’s first letter. "Gaius" There has been much discussion as to whether Gaius or Diotrephes is the pastor of this local church. 2 John and 3 John are almost exactly the same length, and the phraseology is extremely similar. Learn more. 1:14; Acts 19:29, 20:4). Prating against us - Diotrephes might have been a converted Jew, who was unwilling that the Gentiles should be received into the Church; or a Judaizing Christian, who wished to incorporate the law with the Gospel, and calumniated the apostles who taught otherwise. The brethren of whom St. John speaks might have been apostles; the strangers, assistants to these apostles, as John Mark was to Barnabas. Summary- John wrote to Gaius, whom he loved in truth, and prayed that his health would prosper as his soul prospered. A rich soul may be lodged in a weak body; and grace must then be exercised in submitting to such a dispensation. 2 John. The elder - See on the first verse of the preceding epistle ( 2 John 1:1; (note), and also the preface. For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou … He heard that Gaius had been walking in the truth, and testified that his greatest joy was found in his children’s walking in the truth. (I John 4:1-3) b. 3 John 1-8 Bible Study with Discussion Questions, Teaching Points, and Cross References. Diotrephes. The third of John to Caius concerning Demetrius, of whom he witnesses the most excellent things. Thou doest faithfully - Πιστον ποιεις . Third John The Tyndale Commentary introduces this epistle as follows: “Like the second letter, the third is brief enough to have been written on a single sheet of papyrus. Chapter 1. These three things, so necessary to the comfort of life, every Christian may in a certain measure expect, and for them every Christian is authorized to pray; and we should have more of all three if we devoutly prayed for them. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that isin you, just as you walk in the truth. The former (friends) is a very singular appellation, and nowhere else found in Scripture; the latter is of frequent occurrence. I wrote unto the Church - The Church where Caius was; but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the pre-eminence, φιλοπρωτευων, who loves the presidency, or chief place in the Church. To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. and Vatican. The apostle's address to Caius, and his good wishes for his prosperity in body and soul, 3 John 1:1, 3 John 1:2. The epistle called 3 John concerns three individuals, and in this letter the apostle John sends an essential message to each of them: Gaius. Author: The Book of 3 John does not directly name its author. Luke 8:2; : Mary Magdalene; out of whom went, αφ 'ἡς δαιμονια ἑπτα εξεληλυθει, out of whom were Cast, seven demons. 3 John 1, Adam Clarke Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary is one of the most respected interdenominational commentaries ever written. Follow not that which is evil - Μμ μιμου το κακον· Do not imitate that wicked man, i.e., the conduct of Diotrephes; be merciful, loving, and kind. He also knew that Jesus would increase in honour and influence, for of his government and peace there would be no … California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. This individual is well-known to the author of 3 John, but it is not so certain whether they had met in person before or not, since the report of Gaius’ conduct toward the brothers is heard second-hand by the author. 2 n By this we know that we love the children of God , when we love God and obey his commandments . supply αν after εγραψα, and several judicious critics believe it is implied, the translation will run thus: I would have written to the Church to receive these men kindly, but Diotrephes, who affects the presidency; and into whose hands, if I wrote to the Church, my letter must come, receiveth us not - would not acknowledge my authority to interfere with any of the matters of his Church; and therefore I have written unto thee, whose love to the brethren and general hospitality are well known, that thou wouldst receive those strangers and persecuted followers of our common Lord. The probability of this Caius being the same with the Corinthian Caius has suggested the thought that this epistle was sent to Corinth; and consequently that the second epistle was sent to some place in the neighborhood of that city. Demetrius hath good report - Perhaps another member of the Church where Caius was; or he might have been one of those whom the apostle recommends to Caius; or, possibly, the bearer of this letter from John to Caius. (5-8) Jesus explains the new birth. Salem Media Group. The prayer of St. John for Caius includes three particulars: When the brethren came - Probably the same of whom he speaks in the fifth ( 3 John 1:5;) and following verses, and who appear to have been itinerant evangelists. Soul prosperity is the greatest blessing on this side heaven. John 7:53 [The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53—8:11. ἔγραψά τι τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ] The τι, which according to the authorities is probably genuine, does not serve, as Lücke rightly remarks, to intensify = “something important,” but rather to weaken = “something, a little.”. Ill John was written to John's friend Gaius. 3 John 1:9-10. The tradition from the earliest days of the church has been that the apostle John is the author. Above all things — Or, with respect to all things, as περι παντων rather signifies; that thou mayest prosper and be in health — Namely, of body; even as, I doubt not, thy soul prospereth — In faith, love, and every virtue. That St. John took such a voyage Michaelis thinks probable; "for since Corinth lay almost opposite to Ephesus, and St. John, from his former occupation, before he became an apostle, was accustomed to the sea, it is not improbable that the journey or voyage which he proposed to make was from Ephesus to Corinth.". John 3:5 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] John 3:5, NIV: "Jesus answered, 'Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit." That thou mayest Prosper and be in Health, as thy Soul Prospereth. Our Library /. Go To 3 John Index Title: The epistle’s title is “3 John”. But some construe εξηλθον, they went out, with απο των εθνων, from the Gentiles, or rather by the Gentiles, and give the passage this sense: They went out, i.e., were driven out by the Gentiles, taking nothing with them, i.e., leaving all their property behind, so that they were in a state of great destitution. a. Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in … I have already shown in the preface to those epistles termed catholic, that the word καθολικος is not to be taken here, and elsewhere in these epistles, as signifying universal, but canonical; for it would be absurd to call an epistle universal that was written to a private individual. The truth that is in thee - The soundness of thy faith and the depth of thy religion. Mark 9:29; : This kind can come forth by nothing εν ουδενι δυναται εξελθειν, can be Driven Out by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. The Third Epistle of John the apostle is ended. Here it means that the writer is a leader in the church. To hear that my children - From this it has been inferred that Caius was one of St. John's converts, and consequently not the Corinthian Caius, who was converted, most probably, by St. Paul. Taking nothing of the Gentiles - Receiving no emolument for their labor, but in every respect showing themselves to be truly disinterested. Each localchurch had its leaders who were the ‘elders’. This haughty and unfeeling man would give no countenance to the converted Gentiles; so far from it, that he would not receive any of them himself, forbade others to do it, and excommunicated those who had been received into the Church by the apostles. The main messages of the books. I wish above all things - Περι παντων ευχομαι· Above all things I pray that thou mayest prosper, and be in health, και ὑγιαινειν· to which one MS. adds εν αληθεια, which gives it a different meaning, viz., that thou mayest be sound in the truth. 3 and 2 John present the closest approximation in the New Testament to the conventional letter form of the contemporary Greco-Roman world, since they were addressed from an individual to individuals. Kypke thinks that πιστον is put here for πιστιν, and that the phrase signifies to keep or preserve the faith, or to be bound by the faith, or to keep one's engagements. Third John shows us something of the problem of personalities within the church, and three people are mentioned here. Grace and health are rich companions. (II John 1:5, 13) 3. The Third Epistle of St. John the apostle is ended. A. 3 John 1. We therefore ought to receive such - Those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, and have professed the truth at the hazard of their lives, and the loss of all their worldly substance. Exhorts Caius to avoid his example, and to follow what is good, 3 John 1:11. of Chapter 1. 3 John /. εξερχομαι . Meyer's NT Commentary. Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary 3 John. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. And yet the epistle contains many excellent sentiments, which, if judiciously handled, might be very useful to the Church of God. This Pillar commentary seeks to clearly explain the meaning of John's letters to teachers, pastors, and general readers looking for a reliable resource for personal study. Alex. 1-3 John (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) - Kindle edition by Yarbrough, Robert W.. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Instead of απολαμβανειν, to receive, the most ancient and reputable MSS. All rights reserved. Commending Christian Hospitality. This also is a private letter written, some time after First John, to his personal friend, Gaius. Audience. 1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. Teacher Study Hints for Thinking Further. (Read 3 John 1:1-8) Those who are beloved of Christ, will love the brethren for his sake. Bible /. Plug in, Turn on and Be En light ened! Do we suffer them to lack the bread that perisheth, while they minister to us with no sparing hand the bread of life? It could meanthat the person was old. John 3:5, ESV: "Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-general-epistles/third-john Click chart to enlarge Charts from Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission See another Chart from Swindoll Click to enlarge. A curious reading here, εθνικων, heathenish men, for εθνων, Gentiles, which latter might imply those who were converted from among the Gentiles, while the sense of the other term seems to be restrained to those who were still unconverted, may seem to strengthen the above interpretation; and although the construction seems rather harsh, yet it is not, on the whole, unlikely. 3 John 1:2-4. I John 2:7; 3:2,21; 4:1,7,11; III John 1,2,5,11), but is not found as a title for believers in the Gospel or the Revelation. Grace will employ health. Prosperity in secular affairs. 3 John 1-8. The three epistles of John are surely the work of one man and most scholars conclude that it is John the apostle. have ὑπολαμβανειν, to take up, undertake for, or kindly receive. Book List. The well-beloved Gaius - Γαιος Gaius, is the Greek mode of writing the Roman name Caius; and thus it should be rendered in European languages. Best Commentaries on 3 John. a. I had many things to write - That is, I have many things that I might write; but having the hope of seeing thee shortly, I will not commit them to paper. If he went by water, he must cross the Aegean Sea, and navigate among the Cyclades Islands, which was always a dangerous voyage. 3 John 1:1-15 NRSV Commentary. Book Overview - 3 John by Arend Remmers. Whom if thou bring forward - If thou continue to assist such, as thou hast done, thou shalt do well. If he went by land, he must traverse a great part of Asia, go through Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly, and down through Greece, to the Morea, a most tedious and difficult journey. It is the third in a series of 3 epistles that bear the Apostle John’s name. They denied that God could be packaged in flesh. - Arabic. 3 For o this is the love of God , that we p keep his commandments . 3 John Overcoming the World 5 k Everyone who believes that l Jesus is the Christ has been born of God , and m everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him . - Latin text of the Complutensian. As some MSS. There was some confusion about receiving certain evangelists. For his name's sake they went forth - For the sake of preaching the Gospel of the grace of God, and making known Jesus to the heathen. 1. 3 John. 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. As in his first two epistles, John continues to stress the importance of “the truth” and how he was filled … Beloved, I wish — Or, I pray, as ευχομαι is translated by Beza, Estius, Erasmus, Schmidius, Doddridge, and others. This is a proof to me that this epistle was not sent to Corinth, where it is not likely John ever was; and where it is not likely he had any particular acquaintances, unless we could suppose he had seen some of them when he was an exile in Patmos, an island in the Aegean Sea. He had the complete dog in the manger principle: he would neither do, nor let do; and when good was done that he did not approve, he endeavored to undo it. Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete) /. John Gill's Exposition of the Bible /. Commentary on John 3:22-36 (Read John 3:22-36) John was fully satisfied with the place and work assigned him; but Jesus came on a more important work. He was doubtless an officer in the Church, at least a deacon, probably a bishop; and, being one, he magnified himself in his office; he loved such eminence, and behaved himself haughtily in it. - Codd. - A. C. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, Which have borne witness of thy charity -. Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Bible Commentaries /. There is a man named Gaius, to whom this letter is written; another man named Diotrephes, and a third individual named Demetrius. At the start of the letter, the writer calls himself the‘*elder’. Commends Demetrius, 3 John 1:12. Choose a verse from '1 John 3' to begin your 'Verse-by-Verse' study of God's Word using the more than 100 commentaries available on StudyLight.org The end of the epistles of the pure Apostle and Evangelist John. Nor is it certain whether Gaius … Now as the apostle promises, both in the second and in this epistle, to see the persons shortly to whom he wrote, I take it for granted that they could not have lived at Corinth, or anywhere in the vicinity of that city. A few manuscripts include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7: 3 6, John 21:25, Luke 21: 3 … This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. The main message, of I John is that Jesus was God come in the flesh to save humanity. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Notice of Diotrephes. The Third catholic Epistle of John the evangelist and divine. For example, 1 John 3:11 refers to the message which the people heard “from the beginning.” It is usually assumed that this means from the first time they started hearing anything about the Gospel, but it could also be a more general use, referring to the ... Commentary). That the voyage was too long and dangerous for a man at John's advanced age to think of taking. Our friends salute thee - Desire to be affectionately remembered to thee. Author. Presented here is a verse by verse exposition of the New Testament. John 3 - In-depth verse-by-verse Bible study and commentary of John chapter 3 in plain English. False teachers had infiltrated the church denying the divinity of Jesus Christ. Receiveth us not - Does not acknowledge the apostolical authority. This appears to be the meaning of neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the Church. If I come, I will remember - I will show him the authority which, as an apostle of Jesus Christ, I possess. For whatever profession any man may make, it will ever appear that he who doeth good is of God - he alone is the person who uses rightly the grace received from God, and he alone shall enjoy the Divine approbation; While he that doeth evil - He who is unfeeling, unmerciful, unkind, hath not seen God - has no proper knowledge of that God whose Name is mercy, and whose Nature is love. This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. Several persons of the name of Caius occur in the New Testament. In the itinerant ministry of the apostles it appears that each Church bore the expenses of the apostle to the next Church or district to which he was going to preach the word of life. Thou hast acted as the faith - the Christian religion, required thee to act, in all that thou hast done, both to the brethren at home, and to the strangers - the itinerant evangelists, who, in the course of their travels, have called at thy house. There is not a word here about the pilgrims and penitential journeys which the papists contrive to bring out of this text. Gaius had received them while Diotrephes had opposed their reception. See Mark 5:13, Mark 7:29; : The devil is gone out of thy daughter, εξεληλυθε, is Expelled. Updated: Sat, 01/02/2021 - 19:38 By admin PREVIOUS NEXT. Audio Edition with New International Version. He also wrote Body of Divinity, 3 volumes, and several other volumes. Colin G. Kruse, Pillar New Testament Commentary (PNTC), Eerdmans, 2000, 277 pp. These three men are like three kinds of Christians found in the church in any age. Commentary on 3 John 1:1-8. But I think the distance between Ephesus, where St. John resided, and Corinth, was too considerable for such an aged man as St. John is represented to be to travel, whether by land or water. The addressee’s name, Gaius, was a very common one in the Roman Empire and it is highly unlikely that the person addressed here is the same Gaius associated with Paul (Rom 16:23; 1 Cor. This and the preceding epistle both read over in reference to a new edition, Jan. 3rd, 1832. - Syriac Philoxenian. Commentary on 3 John James Rosscup - Gill (1697–1771), a pastor of England, wrote these which are two-column pages, ca. In this epistle the apostle congratulates Gaius upon the prosperity of his soul ( v. 1, v. 2 ), upon the fame he had among good Christians ( v. 3, v. 4 ), and upon his charity and hospitality to the servants of Christ ( v. 5, v. 6 ). He commends him for his steadiness in the truth, and his general hospitality, especially to the itinerant evangelists, 3 John 1:3-8. "the beloved" This is characteristic of John's letters (cf. Let a certain class of religious people, who will find themselves out when they read this note, consider whether, when their preachers have ministered to them their certain or stated time, and are called to go and serve other Churches, they send them forth in a manner worthy of God, making a reasonable provision for the journey which they are obliged to take. That to be driven out or expelled is one scriptural meaning of the verb εξερχομαι, see Matthew 8:32; : And when they were come out, οἱ δε εξελθοντεσς, and when they were Driven Out. New Revised Standard Version and Student Study Handout for 3 John 1:1-15. Bible Commentaries /. Excuses himself from writing more fully, and proposes to pay him a visit shortly, 3 John 1:13, 3 John 1:14. We seldom hear this epistle quoted but in the reproof of lordly tyrants, or prating troublesome fellows in the Church. There have been occasional doubts raised by those who thought it possible that this was written by another disciple of the Lord named John, but all the evidence points to the author as John the beloved disciple who also wrote the … - Ditto, Greek text. Proud member Fellow helpers to the truth - And thus encourage the persecuted, and contribute to the spread and maintenance of the Gospel. Matthew 12:43; : When the unclean spirit is gone out, εξελθη, is Driven Out. The end of the Third catholic Epistle of St John. He preached in the same church as C. H. Spurgeon over one hundred years earlier. Before the Church - The believers at Ephesus; for to this Church the apostle seems to refer. Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. Both were itinerant evangelists. And those congregations of Christians are ever found to prize the Gospel most, and profit most by it, who bear all expenses incident to it, and vice versa. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. by Karen H. Jobes. Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born … The third of John. 900–1,000 pages per volume, Originally they were 9 volumes, folio. Speaks of the bad conduct of Diotrephes; his abuse of his power in the Church; and his slander of the apostles, 3 John 1:9, 3 John 1:10. It could mean that the people respected him as amature man. After a godly sort - Αξιως του Θεου· Worthy of God; and in such a way as he can approve.