3 John 1

Greeting

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

2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 3 For c I rejoiced greatly when the brothers 1 came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that d my children are walking in the truth.

Support and Opposition

5 Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for e these brothers, f strangers as they are, 6 who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner g worthy of God. 7 For they have gone out for the sake of h the name, i accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

9 I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.

11 Beloved, j do not imitate evil but imitate good. k Whoever does good is from God; l whoever does evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius m has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and n you know that our testimony is true.

Final Greetings

13 o I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.

15 Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, p every one of them.

  1. Cross References
    2 John 1:1
    The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth.
  2. Cross References
    1 John 3:18
    Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
    2 John 1:1
    The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth.
  3. Cross References
    2 John 1:4
    I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father.
  4. Cross References
    1 Corinthians 4:14 - 15
    I do not write these things to make you ashamed...
    Galatians 4:19
    My little children, for whom I am again in the ...
    1 Timothy 1:2
    To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, ...
    2 Timothy 1:2
    To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and...
    Titus 1:4
    To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grac...
    Philemon 1:10
    I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose f...
  5. Cross References
    Galatians 6:10
    So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
    Hebrews 13:1
    Let brotherly love continue.
  6. Cross References
    Matthew 25:35
    For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.
  7. Cross References
    1 Thessalonians 2:12
    We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
    Colossians 1:10
    So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
  8. Cross References
    Acts 5:41
    Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
  9. Cross References
    1 Corinthians 9:12
    If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.
    1 Corinthians 9:15
    But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting.
  10. Cross References
    Psalms 34:14
    Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
    Psalms 37:27
    Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.
    Isaiah 1:16 - 17
    Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil.
  11. Cross References
    1 John 2:29
    If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
  12. Cross References
    1 John 3:6
    No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
  13. Cross References
    1 Timothy 3:7
    Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
  14. Cross References
    John 21:24
    This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
  15. Cross References
    2 John 1:12
    Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete.
  16. Cross References
    John 10:3
    To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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