THIRD JOHN
                       ABOUT A.D. 85 TO 90

                      BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION

        Certainly III John is addressed to an individual, not to
a church, though which Gaius we do not know. There are three
friends of Paul with this name; Gaius of Corinth ( 1Co 1:14 ),
Gaius of Macedonia ( Ac 19:29 ), Gaius of Derbe ( Ac 20:4 ), but
it is unlikely that this Gaius of Pergamum (Findlay would call
him) is either of these, though the _Apostolical Constitutions_
does identify him with Gaius of Derbe. It is possible that in
 3Jo 1:9  there is an allusion to II John and, if so, then both
letters went to individuals in the same church (one a loyal
woman, the other a loyal man). Three persons are sharply sketched
in III John (Gaius, Diotrephes, Demetrius). Gaius is the
dependable layman in the church, Diotrephes the dominating
official, Demetrius the kindly messenger from Ephesus with the
letter, a vivid picture of early church life and missionary work.
John is at Ephesus, the last of the apostles, and with an eagle's
eye surveys the work in Asia Minor. The same Gnostic deceivers
are at work as in the other Johannine Epistles. Pergamum is
described in  Re 2:13  as the place "where Satan's throne is."

約翰三書 1:1-1:1

註釋:

 {The beloved} (	(9369) agap(8874)(9369)). Four times in this short
letter this verbal adjective is used of Gaius (here,  2,5,11 ).
See  2Jo 1:1  for the same phrase here, "whom I love in truth."

約翰三書 1:2-1:2

註釋:

 {I pray} (euchomai). Here only in John's writings. See  Ro
9:3 . {In all things} (peri pant(936e)). To be taken with
euodousthai and like peri in  1Co 16:1 , "concerning all
things." {Thou mayest prosper} (se euodousthai). Infinitive in
indirect discourse (object infinitive) after euchomai, with
accusative of general reference se (as to thee). Euodo(935c) is
old verb (from euodos, eu and hodos, prosperous in a
journey), to have a good journey, to prosper, in LXX, in N.T.
only this verse (twice),  1Co 16:2  Ro 1:10 . {Be in health}
(hugiainein). In Paul this word always means sound teaching
( 1Ti 1:10  6:3 ), but here and in  Lu 5:31  7:10  15:27 , of
bodily health. Brooke wonders if Gaius' health had caused his
friends anxiety. {Even as thy soul prospereth} (kath(9373) euodoutai
sou h(8820)psuch(885c)). A remarkable comparison which assumes the
welfare (present middle indicative of euodo(935c)) of his soul
(psuch(885c) here as the principle of the higher life as in  Joh
12:27 , not of the natural life as in  Mt 6:25 ).

約翰三書 1:3-1:3

註釋:

 {I rejoiced greatly} (echar(886e) lian). As in  2Jo 1:4  Php
4:10 , not epistolary aorist, but reference to his emotions at
the good tidings about Gaius. {When brethren came} (erchomen(936e)
adelph(936e)). Genitive absolute with present middle participle of
erchomai, and so with marturount(936e) (bare witness, present
active participle of marture(935c)). Present participle here denotes
repetition, from time to time. {To the truth} (	(8869) al(8874)hei(8369)).
Dative case. "As always in the Johannine writings, 'truth' covers
every sphere of life, moral, intellectual, spiritual" (Brooke).
{Even as thou walkest in truth} (kath(9373) su en al(8874)hei(8369)
peripateis). "Thou" in contrast to Diotrephes (verse  9 ) and
others like him. On peripate(935c) see  1Jo 1:6  and on en
al(8874)hei(8369) see  2Jo 1:4 .

約翰三書 1:4-1:4

註釋:

 2Jo
1:4 一共查出 0 筆，引用資料有問題！select chineses,engs from main where sengs = '2Jo
1' or engs='2Jo
1'

約翰三書 1:5-1:5

註釋:

 {A faithful work} (piston). Either thus or "thou makest
sure," after an example in Xenophon quoted by Wettstein (poiein
pista) and parallel to kaina poie(935c) in  Re 21:5 . But it is not
certain. {In whatsoever thou doest} (ho ean ergas(8869)).
Indefinite relative with modal ean (=an) and the first aorist
middle subjunctive of ergazomai. See  Col 3:23  for both
poie(935c) and ergazomai in the same sentence. {And strangers
withal} (kai touto xenous). "And that too" (accusative of
general reference as in  1Co 6:6  Php 1:28  Eph 2:8 ). This
praise of hospitality ( Ro 12:13  1Pe 4:9  1Ti 3:2  5:10  Tit
1:8  Heb 13:2 ) shows that in  2Jo 1:10  John has a peculiar case
in mind.

約翰三書 1:6-1:6

註釋:

 1Co
16:6,11 一共查出 0 筆，引用資料有問題！select chineses,engs from main where sengs = '1Co
16' or engs='1Co
16'

約翰三書 1:7-1:7

註釋:

 {For the sake of the Name} (huper tou onomatos). The name
of Jesus. See  Ac 5:4  Ro 1:5  for huper tou onomatos and  Jas
2:7  for the absolute use of "the name" as in  1Pe 4:16 . "This
name is in essence the sum of the Christian creed" (Westcott) as
in  1Co 12:3  Ro 10:9 . It is like the absolute use of "the Way"
( Ac 9:2  19:9,23  24:22 ). {Taking nothing} (m(8864)en
lambanontes). Present active participle with the usual negative
with participles ( 1Jo 2:4 ). {Of the Gentiles} (apo t(936e)
ethnik(936e)). Instead of the usual ethn(936e) ( Lu 2:32 ), late
adjective for what is peculiar to a people (ethnos) and then
for the people themselves (Polybius, Diodorus, not in LXX), in
N.T. only here,  Mt 5:47  6:7  18:17 . Like our heathen, pagan.
John is anxious that Christian missionaries receive nothing from
the heathen, as our missionaries have to watch against the charge
of being after money. There were many travelling lecturers out
for money. Paul in  1Co 9  defends the right of preachers to pay,
but refuses himself to accept it from Corinth because it would be
misunderstood (cf.  1Th 2:6ff.  2Co 12:16ff. 12:16ff. ). Note
apo here as in collecting taxes ( Mt 17:25 ) rather than
para, which may be suggestive.

約翰三書 1:8-1:8

註釋:

 {Ought} (opheilomen). See for this word  1Jo 2:6  3:16  4:11 . {To welcome} (hupolambanein). Present active infinitive
(habit of welcoming) of hupolamban(935c), old word, to take up
under, to carry off ( Ac 1:9 ), to reply ( Lu 10:30 ), to suppose
( Ac 2:15 ), only here in N.T. in this sense of receiving
hospitably or to take under one's protection like hupodechomai
( Lu 10:38 ). {Such} (	ous toioutous). "The such" according to
the Greek idiom ( 1Co 16:16,18 ). {That we may be} (hina
gin(936d)etha). Purpose clause with hina and the present middle
subjunctive of ginomai, "that we may keep on becoming."
{Fellow-workers} (sunergoi). Old compound (sun, ergon). {With
the truth} (	(8869) al(8874)hei(8369)). So associative instrumental case
with sun in sunergoi, but it is not certain that this is the
idea, though sunerge(935c) is so used with ergois in  Jas 2:22 .
Sunergos itself occurs with the genitive of the person as in
	heou sunergoi ( 1Co 3:9 ) or with genitive of the thing 	(8873)
char(8373) ( 1Co 3:9 ). So then here the meaning may be either
"co-workers with such brethren for the truth" (dative of
advantage) or "co-workers with the truth" (associative
instrumental case).

約翰三書 1:9-1:9

註釋:

 {I wrote somewhat unto the church} (egrapsa ti t(8869)
ekkl(8873)i(8369)). A few MSS. add an to indicate that he had not
written (conclusion of second-class condition), clearly spurious.
Not epistolary aorist nor a reference to II John as Findlay
holds, but an allusion to a brief letter of commendation ( Ac
18:27  2Co 3:1  Col 4:10 ) sent along with the brethren in verses
 5-7  or to some other itinerant brethren. Westcott wrongly
thinks that 	i is never used of anything important in the N.T.
( Ac 8:9  Ga 6:3 ), and hence that this lost letter was
unimportant. It may have been brief and a mere introduction.
Diotrephes (Dios and 	reph(935c), nourished by Zeus). This
ambitious leader and sympathiser with the Gnostics would probably
prevent the letter referred to being read to the church, whether
it was II John condemning the Gnostics or another letter
commending Demetrius and John's missionaries. Hence he sends
Gaius this personal letter warning against Diotrephes. {Who
loveth to have the preeminence among them} (ho philopr(9374)eu(936e)
aut(936e)). Present active articular participle of a late verb, so
far found only here and in ecclesiastical writers (the example
cited by Blass being an error, Deissmann, _Light_ etc., p. 76),
from philopr(9374)os, fond of being first (Plutarch), and made like
philopone(935c) (papyri), to be fond of toil. This ambition of
Diotrephes does not prove that he was a bishop over elders, as
was true in the second century (as Ignatius shows). He may have
been an elder (bishop) or deacon, but clearly desired to rule the
whole church. Some forty years ago I wrote an article on
Diotrephes for a denominational paper. The editor told me that
twenty-five deacons stopped the paper to show their resentment
against being personally attacked in the paper. {Receiveth us
not} (ouk epidechetai h(886d)(8373)). Present active indicative of this
old compound, in N.T. only here and verse  10 . Diotrephes
refused to accept John's authority or those who sided with him,
John's missionaries or delegates (cf.  Mt 10:40 ).

約翰三書 1:10-1:10

註釋:

 2Pe
1:12 一共查出 0 筆，引用資料有問題！select chineses,engs from main where sengs = '2Pe
1' or engs='2Pe
1'

約翰三書 1:11-1:11

註釋:

 2Th
3:7,9 一共查出 0 筆，引用資料有問題！select chineses,engs from main where sengs = '2Th
3' or engs='2Th
3'

約翰三書 1:12-1:12

註釋:

 1Jo
5:6 一共查出 0 筆，引用資料有問題！select chineses,engs from main where sengs = '1Jo
5' or engs='1Jo
5'

約翰三書 1:13-1:13

註釋:

 {I had} (eichon). Imperfect active of ech(935c), when I began
to write (grapsai, ingressive aorist active infinitive of
graph(935c)). {I am unwilling to write} (ou thel(9320)graphein). "I do
not wish to go on writing them. {With ink and pen} (dia melanos
kai kalamou), "by means of (dia) black (ink) and reed (used as
pen)." See  2Jo 1:12  for melanos and  Mt 11:7  for kalamos,
used for papyrus and parchment, as grapheion (a sharp stilus)
for wax tablets.