Humanitext Reader

New Testament · 3 John §1.1-1.15

Praise for Gaius and Warning Against Diotrephes

Passage 1 of 1 · Greek

Summary

The Elder commends the beloved Gaius for his hospitality to traveling brothers, criticizes Diotrephes for his arrogant behavior in the church, recommends Demetrius, and concludes the letter expressing hope for a face-to-face visit.

§1.1Ο ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΟΣ Γαίῳ τῷ ἀγαπητῷ, ὃν ἐγὼ ἀγαπῶ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ.
The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.
§1.2Ἀγαπητέ, περὶ πάντων εὔχομαί σε εὐοδοῦσθαι καὶ ὑγιαίνειν, καθὼς εὐοδοῦταί σου ἡ ψυχή.
Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.
§1.3ἐχάρην γὰρ λίαν ἐρχομένων ἀδελφῶν καὶ μαρτυρούντων σου τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, καθὼς σὺ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ περιπατεῖς.
For I rejoiced greatly when brothers came and testified to your truth, just as you walk in truth.
§1.4μειζοτέραν τούτων οὐκ ἔχω χάριν, ἵνα ἀκούω τὰ ἐμὰ τέκνα ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ περιπατοῦντα.
I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
§1.5Ἀγαπητέ, πιστὸν ποιεῖς ὃ ἐὰν ἐργάσῃ εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τοῦτο ξένους, §1.6οἳ ἐμαρτύρησάν σου τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἐνώπιον ἐκκλησίας, οὓς καλῶς ποιήσεις προπέμψας ἀξίως τοῦ θεοῦ·
Beloved, you do a faithful thing in whatever you accomplish for the brothers, and especially when they are strangers, who have testified to your love before the church.
§1.7ὑπὲρ γὰρ τοῦ ὀνόματος ἐξῆλθαν μηδὲν λαμβάνοντες ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνικῶν.
You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God; for they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.
§1.8ἡμεῖς οὖν ὀφείλομεν ὑπολαμβάνειν τοὺς τοιούτους, ἵνα συνεργοὶ γινώμεθα τῇ ἀληθείᾳ.
Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.
§1.9Ἔγραψά τι τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ· ἀλλʼ ὁ φιλοπρωτεύων αὐτῶν Διοτρέφης οὐκ ἐπιδέχεται ἡμᾶς.
I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept us.
§1.10διὰ τοῦτο, ἐὰν ἔλθω, ὑπομνήσω αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα ἃ ποιεῖ, λόγοις πονηροῖς φλυαρῶν ἡμᾶς, καὶ μὴ ἀρκούμενος ἐπὶ τούτοις οὔτε αὐτὸς ἐπιδέχεται τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τοὺς βουλομένους κωλύει καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐκβάλλει.
For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brothers, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church.
§1.11Ἀγαπητέ, μὴ μιμοῦ τὸ κακὸν ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀγαθόν.
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good.
ὁ ἀγαθοποιῶν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστίν· ὁ κακοποιῶν οὐχ ἑώρακεν τὸν θεόν.
The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.
§1.12Δημητρίῳ μεμαρτύρηται ὑπὸ πάντων καὶ ὑπὸ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας· καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ μαρτυροῦμεν, καὶ οἶδας ὅτι ἡ μαρτυρία ἡμῶν ἀληθής ἐστιν.
Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we also testify, and you know that our testimony is true.
§1.13Πολλὰ εἶχον γράψαι σοι, ἀλλʼ οὐ θέλω διὰ μέλανος καὶ καλάμου σοι γράφειν· §1.14ἐλπίζω σὲ εὐθέως δε ἰδεῖν, καὶ στόμα πρὸς στόμα λαλήσομεν.
I had many things to write to you, but I am not willing to write them to you with pen and ink; but I hope to see you shortly, and we will speak face to face.
§1.15Εἰρήνη σοι.
Peace be to you.
ἀσπάζονταί σε οἱ φίλοι.
The friends greet you.
ἀσπάζου τοὺς φίλους κατʼ ὄνομα.
Greet the friends by name.

Notes

  1. §1.2περὶ πάντων — The prepositional phrase `περὶ πάντων` can be interpreted either as 'concerning all things' or 'above all things.' In the context of standard epistolary greetings in Hellenistic letters, it is best understood in the adverbial sense of 'in all respects' or 'in all things' concerning Gaius's physical well-being.
  2. §1.4ἵνα ἀκούω — The conjunction `ἵνα` with the subjunctive does not express purpose ('in order that') here, but rather functions appositionally to define the content of the preceding demonstrative pronoun `τούτων` ('than this, namely, to hear...').
  3. §1.5πιστὸν ποιεῖς — The adjective `πιστόν` (neuter accusative singular) functions as an object complement to the relative clause `ὃ ἐὰν ἐργάσῃ` (serving as the direct object), meaning 'you do a faithful deed in whatever you accomplish.'
  4. §1.12Δημητρίῳ μεμαρτύρηται — The dative noun `Δημητρίῳ` functions either as a dative of agent with the perfect passive verb `μεμαρτύρηται` ('testimony has been borne by Demetrius'), or more likely as a dative of respect/interest ('concerning Demetrius, testimony has been borne').

Cite this passage

New Testament, 3 John §1.1-1.15. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0031.tlg025.humanitext-grc2:1.1-1.15

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