3 John 1

3 John 1:1

Jude, one of the disciples (and apostles) of Christ, the son of Alphæus, (as James also was,) and called also Lebbæus and Thaddæus, Matt. x. 3, to

[a] Gaius] Who this Gaius was cannot certainly be affirmed. That it is the same that is mentioned by St. Paul, Rom. xvi. 23, may seem probable by that which is there said of him, that he was ξένος μου, the person that entertained Paul and the whole church, or generality of Christians, in like manner as here, ver. 5. Gaius is said to have been very kind to the brethren and to the strangers, and to have furnished them for their journey in a very liberal manner. But one circumstance there is which is of force against this. This Gaius, Rom. xvi, appears to be a Corinthian, and so to be mentioned there (from whence St. Paul writes that Epistle) as his host, and so as an inhabitant, not a stranger there. And then there is little reason to doubt but that this is he that is mentioned 1 Cor. i. 14, as one that was there converted to the faith, and baptized by Paul, whereas the Gaius here is by St. John called his son or τέκνον, ver. 4, which signifies him to have been begotten in the faith, that is, converted by St. John. Another of that name there is mentioned Acts xix. 39, of whom it is said that he was συνέκδημος τοῦ Παύλου, fellow traveller of Paul, and this was a Macedonian, and of the city of Derbe, Acts xx. 4, and so distinct from him of Corinth also, and probably from him that is mentioned here, who could not have been so fit for the employment, ver. 5, of entertaining the brethren and strangers, if he were employed in preaching the gospel, as a fellow traveller of St. Paul. It remains therefore that this Gaius here be some third person, of a Roman name, (Gaius and Caius being all one, and a very common and vulgar name, of which therefore it is not strange that there should be three distinct persons mentioned in the New Testament,) and so some Gentile Christian, an eminent member of that church, ver. 9, to which St. John seems to have written his second Epistle, (see note [a] on 2 John,) no where else but in this place mentioned in the New Testament.

3 John 1:2

It is my fervent prayer for thee, that it may be with thee in all outward things as it is in respect of thy soul, that every thing may succeed prosperously with thee.

3 John 1:3

For it was great matter of comfort and joy to me, when the Christians that came out of Judæa came and told me of the sincerity of thy Christian course, (see note [g] 1 Cor. xiii.) and gave me assurance of thy perseverance.

3 John 1:4

There is nothing that I more delight in in the world, or of which I more abundantly rejoice, than to hear that those which have been converted by me, do adhere to that profession, and live after a true Christian manner.

3 John 1:5

It is most christianly done of thee to do as thou dost toward the poor Christians, and strangers that have been among you: Rom. xvi. 23.

3 John 1:6

Who gave public testimony of thy charity shewed to them. And as then thou didst, so it will be a pious work in thee to help them now again, and furnish them for their travel (see note [a] 1 Cor. xvi.) in publishing the gospel, and that in a Christian manner, and for Christ’s sake, whose ministers they are.

3 John 1:7

For it is on Christ’s errand that they have taken this journey, that is, to preach the gospel of Christ; or for the testimony which they have given to the gospel; that is, because they have published the Christian faith, they have been driven out of their country, that is, Judæa, by the Jews; and being so, they are also looked on shyly by the Gentile Christians where they come, ver. 10; cast out by their countrymen the Jews for being Christians, and not entertained with any kindness by the Gentile Christians for being Jews.

[b] went forth] The word ἐξῆλθον, went out, is capable of two notions. First, it may signify a voluntary going out, and then ὑπὲρ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ, for the name of Christ, must signify their preaching and

3 John 1:8

And therefore it is but necessary that they be relieved by some and they that shall relieve them; shall thereby have the comfort of cooperating and contributing their part toward the propagating of the gospel of Christ.

3 John 1:9

To this purpose I wrote to the church; but Diotrephes, that would fain be bishop there, gives no heed to my letters.

[c] Diotrephes] This Diotrephes was a Christian that from Gentilism received the faith in that church to which Gaius belonged, and to which the apostle seems to have written the former Epistle commendatory of the brethren, ver. 9. From hence appears that which was intimated, Rom. xiv. 1, that the Gentile Christians were in part guilty of the breach betwixt the Jewish Christians and them, and not only the Jews. There it seems, as the Jewish judged and condemned the Gentile Christians for using their Christian liberty, so the Gentile Christians despised and set at naught the Jewish. Here it seems the matter was driven higher, that is, they did not so freely relieve the Jewish Christians that were driven out of their country for the faith, as they ought in Christian liberality to have done. That seems to be the meaning of ver. 7, that the Jewish Christians that were driven out of Judæa for the profession of the faith (see note [b]) were not now in this church of Asia so liberally and hospitably treated as the laws of Christian charity obliged, and as belonged to them as strangers, ver. 5, to furnish them for their journey, ver. 6. Secondly, they were, some of them, so far guilty in this matter, that when St. John wrote his letters of commendation for them, these were not effectual; Diotrephes rejected, or gave no reception or heed to his letters; and by this means the rest of the church also, being otherwise willing to have entertained them, were detained from doing it, ver. 10. Thirdly, he not only denied them that hospitable reception and relief, but utterly rejected them from their communion, cast them out of the church, ver. 10. Whether this Diotrephes were a bishop in this church it may be doubted, or whether only one that immoderately affected that dignity, or assumed it, not belonging to him. Φιλοπρωτεύων may signify one that loves and useth immoderately this dignity when he hath it, and one that seeks it inordinately, or assumeth it. It is possible that he was a bishop, and being so did ἐκβάλλειν, cast out, the Jewish Christians out of the church, and that in spite of St. John’s commendatory letters, who had an apostolical power over him, and all other bishops of Asia. But it may also be very probable, that as the heretics of those times did contemn and affront the bishops and apostles themselves, so this Diotrephes might do, without having any real authority in the church, but only assuming it, as αὐθάδης and τολμητής, a presumptuous, confident, bold person.

3 John 1:10

For which contempt of his, I shall at my coming use some severity upon him, and teach him to use me better, especially seeing he is not content thus to

[b] neither bid him God speed] This form of interdict here is an imitation of the practice of the Jews in their חרב or anathema against the מומבין or apostates, who were to be excluded not only from commerce, but from the smallest kind of ordinary salutation.

3 John 1:11

He that doth not discountenance him as much as is possible, assists and encourages him.

Brethren, be not ye followers of these evil ways, but contrariwise follow all Christian meekness towards the Jewish Christians, Rom. xiv. 1. He that is kind and merciful, and willing to receive all to communion, is of a Christian temper, and so shews himself to be: but he that is malicious, and proud, and separates from others, knows not what belongs to Christianity.

3 John 1:12

What I have more to say to you, I do choose not to commit to this public way of epistle, but refer it till I come unto you, which I hope will be ere long, to our mutual comfort.

Demetrius, indeed, a Gentile convert, hath a very good testimony from all men that know him, and indeed hath done many things which testify more fully of him than the suffrages of men can do: and the same testimony I and others with me give him also, and ye know that what we say is true.

3 John 1:13

The members of thy fellow-church from which I write, send thee greeting: see note [a]. # THE THIRD ¹EPISTLE OF ²JOHN. THE elder unto the wellbeloved

See 2 John 12. # THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF *[4] J U D E. JUDE, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,