3 John 1:6
in 3 John 1They have testified to the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
who bare witness to thy love before the church: whom thou wilt do well to set forward on their journey worthily of God:
KJV
Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:
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This verse in 3 John 1
Commentary
8 notes on this verseWhich have borne witness of thy charity - Of thy love and benevolence. Before the Church - The believers at Ephesus; for to this Church the apostle seems to refer. Whom if thou bring forward - If thou continue to assist such, as thou hast done, thou shalt do well. The brethren of whom St. John speaks might have been apostles; the strangers, assistants to these apostles, as John Mark was to Barnabas. Both were itinerant evangelists. After a godly sort - Αξιως του Θεου· Worthy of God; and in such a way as he can approve.
This site's exposition
for the brothers
on 3 John 1:5-8
Gaius cared for brothers who were strangers to him. To send them on their way, propempsas, meant supplying them, since they went out on behalf of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. So we ought to support such men, the other side of 2 John 10.
This site's exposition
send them on their way
Such care was costly. John Wesley glosses the sending as seeing the workers supplied with what they need for the road. Adam Clarke reads the brothers and strangers as travelling evangelists, and a manner worthy of God as a way God can approve.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Visitors praised Gaius to the rest of the church because of his generous hospitality to those who were in God's service.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Who have testified of thy love before the church - The congregation with whom I now reside. Whom if thou send forward on their journey - Supplied with what is needful.
The testimony or thing testified concerning Gaius--the truth that was in him, the reality of his faith, the sincerity of his religion, and his devotedness to God; and this evinced by his charity, which includes his love to the brethren, kindness to the poor, hospitality to Christian strangers, and readiness to accommodate them for the service of the gospel.
Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church - It would seem that they had returned to John, and borne honorable testimony to the love manifested to them by Gaius. Before what church they had borne this testimony is unknown. Perhaps it was the church in Ephesus. Whom if thou bring forward on their journey - οὕς προπέμψας hous propempsas. “Whom bringing forward, or having brought forward.” The word refers to aid rendered to them in their journey, in facilitating their travels, either by personally accompanying them, by furnishing them the means of prosecuting their journey, or by hospitably entertaining them. Gaius probably aided them in every way in which it was practicable. It has been made a question whether this refer, to the fact that he had thus aided them in some visit which they had made to the church where Gaius was, or to a visit which they purposed to make. The Greek would seem to favor the latter construction, and yet it would appear from the Epistle, that the “brethren and strangers” actually had been with him that they had been rejected by the church through the influence of Diotrephes, and had been thrown upon the hospitality of Gaius, and that they had returned, and had borne honorable testimony to his hospitality. These views can be reconciled by supposing, as Lucke does, that having been once on their travels, and having shared the hospitality of Gaius, they were purposing to visit that region again, and that John, praising him for his former hospitality, commends them again to him, stating the reason 3Jn 1:9-10 why he did not, in accordance with the usual custom, recommend them to the care of the church. […]
The words behind it
14 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οἳ | hoi | who | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἐμαρτύρησάν | emarturesan | testified | G3140 → | 76 times |
| σου | sou | of your | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| τῇ | tea | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀγάπῃ | agape | love | G26 → | |
| ἐνώπιον | enopion | before | G1799 → | |
| ἐκκλησίας, | ekklesias | [the] church, | G1577 → | 113 times |
| οὓς | hous | whom | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| καλῶς | kalos | well | G2573 → | |
| ποιήσεις | poieseis | you will do | G4160 → | 569 times |
| προπέμψας | propempsas | having set forward | G4311 → | |
| ἀξίως | axios | worthily | G516 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ. | theou | of God. | G2316 → | 1312 times |
οἳwho
hoiG3739 →1405 times
ἐμαρτύρησάνtestified
emarturesanG3140 →76 times
σουof your
souG4771 →2973 times
τῇ<the>
teaG3588 →19766 times
ἀγάπῃlove
agapeG26 →
ἐνώπιονbefore
enopionG1799 →
ἐκκλησίας,[the] church,
ekklesiasG1577 →113 times
οὓςwhom
housG3739 →1405 times
καλῶςwell
kalosG2573 →
ποιήσειςyou will do
poieseisG4160 →569 times
προπέμψαςhaving set forward
propempsasG4311 →
ἀξίωςworthily
axiosG516 →
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦ.of God.
theouG2316 →1312 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Colossians 1:10so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
it leads to
- Ephesians 4:1
As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hebrews 13:21
equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
- 2 Peter 1:2–3
Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
- John 15:16
You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.
- 1 John 3:22
and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.
- Ephesians 4:1
Through
1 Thessalonians 2:12encouraging you, comforting you, and urging you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
it leads to
- 1 John 2:6
Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.
- 1 John 1:6–7
If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13–14
But we should always thank God for you, brothers who are loved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning to be saved by the sanctification of the Spirit and by…
- 1 John 2:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
On this chapter
About 3 John
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Hilary of Arles, INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 3 JOHN; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.