Commentary on 3 John
COMMENTARY ON 3 JOHN
1 f • ^HE ELDER to the dearly beloved Gaius whom I I love in the truth. Who and what sort of person this Gaius may have been is shown in the course of the Letter, because namely by his good deeds he increased the faith in Christ that he had received and if he was not at all in a position himself to preach the word he nonetheless rejoiced in supporting from his resources those who did preach. Now we think that this is the Gaius whom Paul mentions in his Letter to the Romans, Gaius my host and
For because both he who receives and he who is received are usually called the host,! that of the whole Church greets you.
1] he was a host of the entire Church because he kindly received all who came to him, namely, both preachers and hearers of the word, as the following parts of this Letter clearly explain. Hence John also loves him in the truth, that is, not for the sake of temporal advantages but only in the consideration of the everlasting goods which he sees he loves.
Gaius, however, appears to have been at Corinth, from the fact that Paul was staying in that city when he wrote his
Letter to the Romans, whom he also greeted in his person.
But he also makes mention of Gaius as if he were a citizen of Corinth in his Letter to the Corinthians, saying, I give thanks to my God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that you were baptized in my name.
2 Dearly beloved, I make it my prayer for you to begin to prosper in everything, as your soul does prosperously.
1. Rm 16:23
2.1 Co 1:14-15
Commentary on 3 John 2—8 I earnestly long for this, he says, from the Lord in my frequent prayers, that you bring to a good end what you are doing well, and as your soul, that is, the inward intention of your mind, now does favorably, that is, makes progress in your works of almsgiving, since you are rich both in the good ness of a generous spirit and in resources of money, that you bestow these on the needy and so with the Lord's help always be able to lead a life full of virtues.
I am thankful for nothing more than these, when I hear that my children are walking in the truth, that is, when I per ceive those whom I have begotten for God by preaching and baptizing keeping to the truth both of the proper faith and good action.
5 Dearly beloved, you are doing faithfully whatever you perform for your brothers and also for strangers. When he says, You are doing faithfully, he means, 'You are doing this as one who is truly faithful by making your faith clear by your works'.
7 For they have departed for the sake of the name and have received nothing from the gentiles. When he says, For the sake of the name, there must be understood, of the Lord
Jesus Christ. The ancients were accustomed to speak this way. For they departed for the sake of the name of the Lord for two reasons, namely, either by coming to preach his name of their own free will or after having been driven from their native land by their fellow-citizens or fellow-tribesmen on account o f their faith in and confession of the holy name.
8 We ought, therefore, to receive such as these, in order to be fellow-workers of the truth. Blessed John, who had left everything on account of Christ, joins himself to these individuals of the wealthy faithful that he might thus make them more ready to take pity upon the poor and stragglers.
Commentary on 3 John 8—10
And he must not be disbelieved to have been truly able to say what we read that Paul said, You yourselves know that these hands of mine ministered to my own necessities and to those who were with me. I have shown you in every way that by so laboring it is fitting to sustain the weak and to remember the word of the Lord, as he said, Tt is more blessed to give than to receive.* He speaks of them as being fellow-workers of the truth, however, because anyone who bestows temporal means on those who have spiritual gifts is a fellow-worker in those very spiritual gifts. For since there are few who have amassed spiritual gifts and many who abound in temporal possessions, the wealthy in this way become sharers in the virtues o f the poor when they provide relief for these same holy poor from their riches.
For thus indeed it was that the Lord said, He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive the reward of a prophet, and he who receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of a righteous person.
9 Perhaps I would have written to the Church, but he who loves to hold the first place among them, Diotrephes, does not receive us. Diotrephes, it appears, was some proud and arrogant heresiarch o f that time who preferred teaching new things and laying claim to primacy of knowledge for himself to listening humbly to the ancient commandments of the holy Church which John was preaching. Hence [his name]
Diotrephes is well interpreted as [meaning] 'distinguished fool or tasteless elegance', 6 that he might express the faith lessness of his heart even by his name, 10 For this reason, if I come I may remind you of his works,
3. Ac 20:34-35 4. Greg., Horn. ev. 1.20.12; PL 76:1166A-B 5. Mt 10:41
6. Jer., Norn. Hebr.; CC 72:151,10
Commentary on 3 John 10—15 that is, by censuring him more overtly I may bring them forward to everyone's notice, according to that saying of the apostle Paul, What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod?
The things that he is doing by babbling against us with his evil words. It must be noted that as we ought not by our own fault to stir up against us the tongues of slanderers, lest they themselves perish, so we ought to bear calmly those stirred up [against us] by their own malice, that our merit may increase. But occasionally we ought also to restrain them, however, lest in spreading evil about us they pervert the hearts of those innocents who might have heard us to their good. Hence it is that John refuted the tongue of his detractor, for fear that those who might have heard would not hear his preaching and remain in their evil ways.
11 Dearly beloved, do not imitate evil but what is good.
He makes clear what good he wanted him to imitate by going on and saying:
12 Witness is being given to Demetrius by all, namely, be cause he was sustaining the weak and supporting the needy for the sake of the truth. He proposes him to Gaius, there fore, as an example to be imitated, that he might himself be able to be worthy of like praise from all.
15 Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends in the name. He bestows the grace of peace and salvation on the friends, that through them he might show that Diotrephes and the other enemies of the truth are cut off from salvation and true peace.
7.1 Co 4:21
NOTES TO COMMENTARY ON 3 JOHN
The Latin hospes may mean both 'host' and *guest\ Cf. French hote.
