III John 1 · The Lantern

A Greeting from the Elder

The elder, to Gaius the beloved, whom I love in truth.

To the beloved Elder Gaius, whom I love in truth. It has been said in the preceding letter about such a greeting: and now to repeat explaining the same things over the flow would be excessive, "whom I love in truth." He loves in truth who loves with affectionate love according to the Lord: as has also been frequently stated above.

The elder to the beloved Gaius, etc. Who and what kind of person this Gaius was, is revealed in the course of the Epistle. Because clearly he accumulated good deeds in addition to the faith in Christ which he had received, and although he was not sufficient for preaching the word himself, he rejoiced to sustain those who did preach with his resources.

He loves in truth who loves according to the Lord.

Beloved, concerning all things I pray that you may prosper and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

For I rejoiced greatly when brothers came and bore witness to your truth, just as you walk in truth.

The truth of Gaius's life was seen in the perfection of his works. He was a man who went about without any guile in thought, word or deed. Instead of that, he followed the commandments of God to the best of his ability.

I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and bore witness to your truth, as you walk in the truth. "you walk in the truth." He walks in truth who walks in the righteous simplicity of the Gospel.

He who walks in the truth is one who walks according to the simplicity of the Gospel. By the word "walk" one must understand not the movement of feet, for such stepping motion from place to place is characteristic of every animal that has legs, but the orderly and sober progress in the strivings of the soul, which few achieve even among those who possess reason.

I have no greater joy than these things: that I hear my own children are walking in the truth.

Gaius Commended for Hospitality

Beloved, you do a faithful thing in whatever you work for the brothers, and this for strangers,

who bore witness to your love before the church; whom you will do well to send on their way worthily of God.

For on behalf of the Name they went out, receiving nothing from the Gentiles.

We therefore ought to support such men, so that we may become fellow workers with the truth.

Diotrephes and Demetrius

I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not welcome us.

This verse teaches us that we ought to bear the abuse of those who insult us with equanimity, but sometimes we have to protest it because if we do not do so, these people will corrupt the minds of those who might otherwise have heard something good about us.

I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will bring to light the works he is doing, gossiping wickedly about us. And not content with that, he not only does not receive the brothers himself, but also forbids those who want to receive them and expels them from the congregation.

I would have written to the church, but he who loves to have the preeminence among them, etc. Diotrephes, it seems, was an arch-heretic of that time, someone proud and insolent, preferring to usurp the preeminence of knowledge by teaching new doctrines, rather than humbly listening to the commands of the ancient holy Church, which John preached.

Because of this, if I come, I will remind him of the works he does, babbling against us with evil words. And not being satisfied with these, he does not welcome the brothers himself, and those who want to he prevents, and he casts them out of the church.

Beloved, 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.

And if I glance around at their examples-(examples) of some David heaping up marriages for himself even through sanguinary means, of some Solomon rich in wives as well as in other riches-you are bidden to "follow the better things; " and you have withal Joseph but once wedded, and on this score I venture to say better than his father; you have Moses, the intimate eye-witness of…

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. "do not imitate what is evil." Since there is no unity of light with darkness, nor any unity between Christ and Belial (2 Cor.

Since there is nothing in common between light and darkness, no agreement between Christ and Belial (2 Cor. 6:14–15), he who is enlightened by the knowledge of Christ must not, through imitation of the ungodly, merge with darkness, that is, with their abominable deeds.

To Demetrius witness has been borne by all, and by the truth itself; and we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.

Conclusion

I had many things to write to you, but I do not wish to write to you with ink and pen.