Support and Opposition

3 John 1

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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
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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