Exegesis and Exposition of 3 John 11-12 3 John 11 Command and Prohibition 3 John 11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. (NASB95) Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good is composed of the following: (1) vocative masculine singular form of the adjective agapētos (ἀγαπητός), beloved (2) negative particle me (µή), not (3) second person singular present middle imperative form of the verb mimeomai (µιµέοµαι), do imitate (4) articular accusative neuter singular form of the adjective kakos (κακός), what evil (5) conjunction alla (ἀλλά), but (6) articular accusative neuter singular form of the adjective agathos (ἀγαθός), what good. Asyndeton In 3 John 11, the apostle John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is employing the figure of asyndeton in order to emphasize the statement here in this verse. The Holy Spirit through John uses this figure because He wants Gaius to dwell or meditate upon this statement that he is to never to imitate what is evil but only what is good. The good and evil is determined by the immediate preceding context. In verse 9, John told Gaius that he wrote something to a certain church but instead Diotrephes who loves to be first over them never recognized his apostolic authority. Then, in verse 10, he tells Gaius that because of this, when he arrived at Diotrephes location, he would call attention to his actions which he continued to perpetrate by continuing to slander John by means of evil assertions. Furthermore, John informs Gaius that while not being satisfied with these, for his own benefit, Diotrephes continued to not welcome the traveling communicators of the gospel whom John had put his seal of approval. Diotrephes also continued to forbid those under his authority who desired to support these itinerant communicators in obedience to his apostolic command to do so. He even expelled them from the church! Therefore, when John says never imitate what is evil but only what is good, he means that Gaius should not imitate Diotrephes example but instead continue to obey his command to support these itinerant communicators of the truth. Thus, the figure of asyndeton in verse 11 is emphasizing with Gaius the importance of 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1
continuing to obey his apostolic command. The figure expresses the fact that John is being solemn and very serious with Gaius. Agapetos As was the case in 3 John 1-2 and 5, the adjective agapetos here in 3 John 11 is employed as a substantive and means beloved. It is indicating the close personal relationship that existed between Gaius and those Christians who testified to the apostle John that Gaius was walking in truth by demonstrating God s love to itinerant pastor-teachers and evangelists. It does not necessarily refer to John s relationship to Gaius since as we noted in 3 John 3 John received secondhand information regarding the fact that Gaius was walking in truth and demonstrating God s love to itinerant teachers and evangelists in the church. This adjective agapetos also speaks of Gaius relationship to the Trinity. It designates Gaius as a Christian since it expresses the fact that he was the recipient and beneficiary of God s love. It serves as a reminder to Gaius that he is the beneficiary and object of the Father s love, the Son s and the Spirit s. It would serve to remind Gaius that he was the beneficiary of God s divine-love before conversion and is now the object of His personal love after conversion and which divine-love he was to continue to reflect towards these itinerant communicators of the gospel by demonstrating hospitality to them. In 3 John 11, agapetos functions as a vocative of simple address expressing the fact that John is making a deep, emotional Spirit inspired command that Gaius never imitate what is evil but what is good. Mimeomai The verb mimeomai means to imitate in the sense of following an example or use as a model. It occurs 789 in classical literature but only 4 times in the LXX and Greek New Testament (2 Thessalonians 3:7, 9; Hebrews 13:7; 3 John 11). Here in 3 John 11, the word is used of imitating another person s conduct. The word is negated by the negative particle me, which denies any idea of Gaius imitating what is evil. Therefore, it denotes that John is commanding Gaius that he not imitate what is evil which in context would be Diotrephes behavior. He does not want Gaius to imitate this pastor s disobedience to John s apostolic authority, which was demonstrated by his refusal to follow John s directions in supporting the itinerant communicators of the gospel whom the apostle had placed his seal of approval. The present imperative form of this verb in this prohibition has the force of a general precept. This kind of prohibition does not make any comment regarding whether the action is going on or not. The context indicates that Gaius was in fact 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2
not imitating Diotrephes bad example but obeying John s authority. In verse 5, John told Gaius that he continued to act faithfully with regards to whatever he worked hard accomplishing on behalf of his spiritual brothers and sisters even though this is on behalf of strangers, who are reference to the itnerant communicators of the gospel and their families. In verse 6, he tells Gaius that these communicators and their families testified to his divine-love in the presence of the church. John instructs Gaius that he will act correctly by sending these individuals on their way in a manner of the one and only God. In verse 7, the apostle tells Gaius that the reason he should continue to do this is that these individuals when out for the sake of the Name, i.e. the Lord Jesus while accepting absolutely nothing from the heathen. Lastly, in verse 8, John communicates an eternal spiritual truth to Gaius, namely that all Christians are obligated to make it their habit of supporting such individuals in order that they would become co-workers on behalf of and in association with the truth. Therefore, the present imperative form of this verb mimeomai in this prohibition indicates that John is commanding Gaius to continue to make it his habit of not imitating that which is evil but that which is good. So in 3 John 11, the present imperative form of the verb paradechomai and the negative particle me has the force of a general precept and makes no comment about whether the action is going on or not. However, the context indicates that John wants Gaius to continue on a particular course of action, namely obedience. The present tense is customary speaking of Gaius continuing a habitual action. Therefore, the present imperative form of the verb and the negative particle me indicate that as a general precept, Gaius must continue making it his habit of not imitating what is evil but what is good. Kakos Walter Grundmann has compiled the following meanings for the adjective kakos from his research: (1) Mean, unserviceable, incapable, poor of its kind (Homer Odyssey 17, 246; Aeschylus Prom. 471) (20 Morally bad, wicked (Homer Odyssey 11, 384; Thucydides I, 86, 1) (3) Weak (Herodotus VII, 11; Plato Menex. 246e; Xenophon Mem. III, 3, 4) (4) Unhappy, bad, ruinous, evil (Aeschylus Pers. 346; Ag. 1203; Soph. Ai. 323; Homer Iliad 17, 701) (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, volume 3, page 469). He goes on to make the following statement, The question of lack or incapacity, which in the most varied forms affects all spheres of life in terms of kakos, has always been particularly significant in relation to life and religion. It provokes a question of supreme significance, namely, that of the origin and purpose of evil, of the meaning of the world, of the plan and purpose of God. This is the problem of theodicy, and it involves the moral 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3
question of the overcoming of evil (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, volume 3, pages 469-470). The adjective kakos among the Greeks described that which was evil. Liddell and Scott list a two-fold usages for this adjective: (1) Of people (a) Of appearance, ugly, birth, ill-born, mean (b) Of courage, craven, base (c) Bad of his kind (d) In moral sense, base, evil (e) wretched (2) Of things, evil, pernicious (page 863). The adjective kakos appears extensively in the Septuagint, occurring 374 times and is used predominately for the Hebrew term ra` and ra`ah (227 times). It appears 50 times in the Greek New Testament. The word is used to describe in the New Testament anything by way of thought, word and action that is produced by the old sin nature and is motivated by indoctrination from the cosmic system of Satan, thus it refers to any thought, word or action which is contrary to the perfect character and integrity of God. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words makes the following comments regarding the adjective kakos, stands for whatever is evil in character, base, in distinction (wherever the distinction is observable) from poneros (see No. 2), which indicates what is evil in influence and effect, malignant. Kakos is the wider term and often covers the meaning of poneros. Kakos is antithetic to kalos, fair, advisable, good in character, and to agathos, beneficial, useful, good in act ; hence it denotes what is useless, incapable, bad; poneros is essentially antithetic to chrestos, kind, gracious, serviceable ; hence it denotes what is destructive, injurious, evil. As evidence that poneros and kakos have much in common, though still not interchangeable, each is used of thoughts, cf. (Matt. 15:19) with (Mark 7:21); of speech, (Matt. 5:11) with (1 Pet. 3:10); of actions, (2 Tim. 4:18) with (1 Thess. 5:15); of man, (Matt. 18:32) with (24:48). The use of kakos may be broadly divided as follows: (a) of what is morally or ethically evil, whether of persons, e. g., (Matt. 21:41; 24:48; Phil. 3:2; Rev. 2:2), or qualities, emotions, passions, deeds, e. g., (Mark 7:21; John 18:23, 30; Rom. 1:30; 3:8; 7:19,21; 13:4; 14:20; 16:19; 1 Cor. 13:5; 2 Cor. 13:7; 1 Thess. 5:15; 1 Tim. 6:10; 2 Tim. 4:14; 1 Pet. 3:9,12); (b) of what is injurious, destructive, baneful, pernicious, e. g., (Luke 16:25; Acts 16:28; 28:5; Titus 1:12; Jas. 3:8; Rev. 16:2), where kakos and poneros come in that order, noisome and grievous (page 390). In the Greek New Testament, the adjective kakos describes that which is done against the laws of God and in opposition to Him and independently of Him and can refer to both moral and immoral degeneracy. The word describes any thought, word or action performed by either the unbeliever or apostate believer. The adjective kakos can describe the person or his thoughts, words and actions which are a result of sin nature control and indoctrination from the cosmic system of Satan. 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 4
The New Thayer s Greek-English Lexicon lists the following: (1) Universally of a bad nature; of such as it ought to be (2) Of a mode of thinking, feeling, acting; base wrong, wicked; of persons (3) Troublesome injurious, pernicious, destructive, baneful (page 103). Louw and Nida list the following usages: (1) Pertaining to being bad, with the implication of harmful and damaging bad, evil, harmful, harshly (88.106). (2) Pertaining to being harsh and difficult bad, harsh, difficult (65.26). (3) Pertaining to having experienced harm harmed, harm, injured (20.18). (4) Pertaining to being incorrect or inaccurate, with the possible implication of also being reprehensible incorrect, wrong (72.22). The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised: (1) Bad, of a bad quality or disposition, worthless, corrupt, depraved (2) Wicked, criminal, morally bad (3) Evil, wickedness, crime (4) Malediction (5) Mischievous, harmful, baneful (6) Evil, mischief, harm, injury (7) Afflictive (8) Evil, misery, affliction, suffering (page 210). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature-Third Edition lists the following meanings for the adjective: (1) pertaining to being socially or morally reprehensible, bad, evil (2) pertaining to being harmful or injurious, evil, injurious, dangerous, pernicious (Page 213). Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament writes, Basically, denoting a lack of something bad, not as it ought to be (1) morally of persons characterized by godlessness evil, bad (2) as moral conduct, attitudes, plans of godless people evil, base, wicked (3) neuter as a substantive evil as being present in the world (4) of circumstances and conditions that come on a person harmful, evil, injurious (5) as characterized by reprehensible lack of accuracy wrong, incorrect (Page 278). In 3 John 11, the adjective kakos is in the singular and means evil It functions as a substantive as indicated by its articular construction. The word is used to describe any action that appeals to and is produced by the old sin nature and is motivated by indoctrination from the cosmic system of Satan. Thus it refers to any thought, word or action which is contrary to the perfect character and integrity of God and in disobedience to the will of the Father. Therefore, John is teaching Gaius that disobedience to his apostolic command to support itinerant communicators of the gospel who he has given the seal of approval is evil in the sense that it is produced by the sin nature and motivated by indoctrination from the cosmic system of Satan. This disobedience is in fact disobedience to the will of the Father. Kakos describes this disobedience as evil in the sense that it constitutes living independently of God s will. Therefore, disobedience is evil in quality and character since it rejects the will of the Father. 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 5
The articular construction of the adjective kakos defines this evil more closely and emphasizes the evil quality and character of Diotrephes disobedience to John s apostolic authority. The word functions as an accusative direct object meaning that it is receiving the action of the verb paradechomai whose meaning is negated by the the negative particle me. The articular constructions also functions as a substantiver meaning it nominalizes (i.e. converts to a noun) and conceptualizing this prepositional phrase. Thus, we can translate the article with the noun phrase that which is. Alla The strong adversative conjunction alla is introducing a course of conduct which is totally antithetical to imitating that which is evil in character. The word is introducing a command which called for Gaius to continue making it his habit of imitating that which is good in character. Therefore, alla marks an emphatic contrast between imitating that which is evil, i.e. Diotrephes rejection of John s apostolic authority and imitating that which is good, i.e. obeying John s command to support financially and materially those itinerant evangelists and pastors and their families whom John had put his seal of approval on. Agathos The adjective agathos appears throughout Greek literature, both classical and Hellenistic. It came to be associated with that which was perfect or excellent and with that which distinguished itself by its value or worth. The Attic authors and philosophers commonly used kalos or agathos to explain the total summary of the qualities, which an Attic man of honor displayed. It was used in a substantive sense meaning to do what is good. Although there is at times some semantic overlap with kalos, there are some different nuances between the two. First of all, kalos suggests aesthetic beauty, usefulness, fitness while agathos acquires philosophical and ethical connotations. The word assumes a predominately religious meaning in the Septuagint where it denotes the goodness of God as demonstrated by His deliverance of Israel from the Egyptians (Exodus 18:9; Numbers 10:32; Hosea 8:3). Agathos was used to identify God and to describe His creation and works in the Septuagint and Greek New Testament and expresses the significance or excellence of a person or thing. In the Greek New Testament, the adjective means, what is intrinsically valuable, what is intrinsically good, inherently good in quality but with the idea of good which is also profitable, useful, benefiting others, 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 6
benevolent. It is used in the New Testament primarily of that which is divine in quality and character and is beneficial to others. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature-Third Edition lists the following definitions: (1) pertaining to meeting a relatively high standard of quality of things (2) pertaining to meeting a high standard of worth and merit (Pages 3-4). Vine commenting on the word, writes, Agathos describes that which, being good in its character or constitution, is beneficial in its effect; it is used (a) of things physical, e. g., a tree, Matt 7:17; ground, Luke 8:8; (b) in a moral sense, frequently of persons and things. God is essentially, absolutely and consummately good, Matt 19:17; Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19. To certain persons the word is applied in Matt 20:15; 25:21,23; Luke 19:17; 23:50; John 7:12; Acts 11:24; Titus 2:5; in a general application, Matt 5:45; 12:35; Luke 6:45; Rom 5:7; 1 Peter 2:18. (Vine s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers) Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains list the following meanings for the noun: (1) positive moral qualities of the most general nature good, goodness, good act (88.1). (2) pertaining to having the proper characteristics or performing the expected function in a fully satisfactory way good, nice, pleasant (65.20). (3) pertaining to being generous, with the implication of its relationship to goodness generous (57.110). (4) (occurring only in the plural): possessions which provide material benefits, usually used with reference to movable or storable possessions rather than real estate goods, possessions (57.33). Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament lists the following meanings for agathos: (1) of the moral character of persons good, upright, worthy (2) of outward performance capable, excellent, good (3) of the quality of things good, beneficial; of soil fertile; of gifts beneficial; of words useful; of deeds good (4) substantivally as what is morally good the good, what is good, right; as what is for one s well-being good things, fine things; of materially valuable things goods, possessions, treasures; the Good One; the good person (5) neuter as an adverb in a good way, helpfully (Page 30). In 3 John 11, the adjective agathos means divine good of intrinsic quality and character. It describes obedience to John s command to support itinerant communicators of the gospel and their families whom he put his seal of approval on as divine in quality and character. It is divine and quality and character because this hospitality is produced by the Holy Spirit who inspired John to issue this command in the first place, which was according to the Father s will. Therefore, this hospitality towards these traveling communicators of truth is divine in quality and character because it is according to the Father s will which is revealed by the 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 7
Holy Spirit through the apostle s command to show hospitality to these Christian brothers and sisters. Agathos describes this hospitality as being intrinsically valuable, intrinsically good, inherently good in quality but with the idea of good which is also profitable, useful, benefiting others, benevolent because it is based upon and motivated by the Spirit. The articular construction of the adjective agathos defines this good more closely. It emphasizes the divine quality and character of obedience to John s command to support financially and materially those itinerant evangelists and pastors and their families whom John approved of. The word also functions as an accusative direct object meaning that it is receiving the action of the verb paradechomai whose meaning is negated by the negative particle me. The articular constructions also functions as a substantiver meaning it nominalizes (i.e. converts to a noun) and conceptualizing this prepositional phrase. Thus, we can translate the article with the noun phrase that which is. The One Who Does Good is of God 3 John 11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. (NASB95) The one who does good is of God is composed of the following: (1) articular nominative masculine singular present active participle form of the verb agathopoieō (ἀγαθοποιέω), the one who does good (2) preposition ek (ἐκ), of (3) articular genitive masculine singular form of the noun theos (θεός) (thay-oce), of God (4) third person singular present active indicative form of the verb eimi (εἰµί), is. Asyndeton Once again, the apostle John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is employing the figure of asyndeton in order to emphasize the statement that the one who does good is of God. It stresses with Gaius that he is to dwell or meditate upon this statement. Thus, the figure of asyndeton expresses the fact that John is being solemn and very serious with Gaius. Agathopoieō The verb agathopoieō does not occur in classical Greek and only 5 times in the LXX and 9 times in the Greek New Testament (Luke 6:9, 33, 35; 1 Peter 2:15, 20; 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 8
3:6, 17; 3 John 11). Here in 3 John 11, the verb means to do good and speaks of performing divine good, which is produced by the Holy Spirit when Gaius obeyed John s Spirit inspired command to support these traveling communicators of truth and their families. The participle form of this verb is functioning as a substantive as indicated by its articular construction which functions as a substantiver. The present tense is a customary or stative present referring to a Christian in the state of performing divine good by demonstrating hospitality to those traveling evangelists and pastors and their families. The active voice is stative as well expressing the same thing as the present tense. Eimi The verb eimi means to live and is employed with the prepositional phrase ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ, which means by means of God as a source indicating that John is telling Gaius that the one who is performing divine good is, as an eternal spiritual truth living by means of God as a source. The present tense is gnomic used to make a statement of a general, timeless fact indicating that it is an eternal spiritual truth or spiritual axiom that the one who is performing divine good is living by means of God as a source. The present tense can also be interpreted as a customary present indicating that the one who is performing divine good exists in the state of living by means of God as a source. The active voice of the verb is stative as well indicating the same thing as the present tense. The indicative mood is declarative presenting this assertion as a noncontingent or unqualified statement. Theos In 3 John 11, the noun theos means God referring to the Trinity. The articular construction of the word denotes the uniqueness of the God the Christian worships and serves. This noun is functioning as the object of the preposition ek, which is functioning as a marker of means constituting a source indicating that the one who is performing divine good is, as an eternal spiritual truth living by means of God as a source. 3 John 11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. (NASB95) The one who does evil has not seen God is composed of the following: (1) articular nominative masculine singular present active participle form of the verb kakopoieō (κακοποιέω), the one who does evil (2) emphatic negative particle 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 9
ouk (οὐκ), not (3) third person singular perfect active indicative form of the verb horao (ὁράω), has seen (4) articular accusative masculine singular form of the noun theos (θεός) (thay-oce), of God. Asyndeton Once again, John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is employing the figure of asyndeton but this tiem to emphasize the statement that the one who does evil has never seen God. This figure emphasizes that Gaius was to dwell or meditate upon this statement. Thus, the figure of asyndeton once again expresses the fact that John is being solemn and very serious with Gaius. Kakopoieō The verb kakopoieō occurs 28 times in classical literature and 27 times in the LXX but only 4 times in the Greek New Testament (Mark 3:4; Luke 6:9; 1 Peter 3:17; 3 John 11). Here in 3 John 11, the verb means to commit evil, to do that which is evil or wrong. Here it refers to disobeying the apostle John s apostolic instructions to support financially and materially those itinerant communicators of the gospel whom he had put his seal of approval on since John is speaking in the context of Diotrephes disobeying these instructions. The participle form of this verb is functioning as a substantive as indicated by its articular construction which functions as a substantiver. The present tense is a customary or stative present referring to a Christian in the state of committing that which is evil. The active voice is stative as well expressing the same thing as the present tense. Classical Usage of Horao In classical Greek, the verb horao only appears in the present and perfect active form. The verb horao is common from Homer onwards and in the active means, to see, look, perceive, observe (Homer, Odyssey, 4, 540). But it is found more often (with the preposition eis) meaning to look towards something or (with the accusative) see something. Aeschylus also uses it in the middle voice and already by Homer s time it had the meaning of to conceive or experience, and even be present at or participate. In the figurative sense it means, to understand, recognize, consider, attend to (Thucydides, 5, 27). From the passive used with an intransitive sense it came to mean to appear, become visible. In Sophocles it means roughly you will surely see, i.e. be shown. The passive use is absent in Homer. 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 10
Liddell and Scott: (1) Abstractly, see, look (2) Transitively, see an object, behold, perceive, observe (3) Metaphorically, of mental sight, discern, perceive (4) Abstractly, see visions (5) Interview (Greek-English Lexicon, New Edition, pages 1244-1245). The verb horao was used to describe ordinary sight of physical, tangible objects, but it can also denote spiritual perception, seeing in dreams and visions, and perceiving or understanding mental complexities. To see captures the quality of the senses and Michaelis states that horao can be used for akouo, to hear. The Greeks viewed sight or seeing as the main avenue of perception and this is reflected even in their religious systems. The Greeks were a people of the eye, in distinction to the Hebrews who were primarily a people of the ear whereas Greeks at times erected visible statues or saw gods in terms of human and animal forms; the Israelites served an unseen God. Later as Greeks like Plato drew distinctions between the real and perceived world, sight s preeminence gave way to the mind, which could perceive true reality. For the Greeks even supreme and purely intellectual striving is always a seeing. Septuagint Usage of Horao The verb horao appears 1259 times in the Septuagint where it is used to,(ר אָה) translate ten Hebrew words. Primarily, it is used to translate the verb ra ah see. The word was used in both a literal and figurative sense. The word was used in the literal sense to mean, to see (Genesis 13:15; Joshua 8:21). Supernatural visions, sights and events are also made to appear, and sight or spiritual perception plays an important role in the spiritual life of Israel (e.g. Ex. 3:2-3, 16; 24:11). The verb horao is employed in the LXX in relation to theophanies (Exodus 4:5; Genesis 12:7; 17:1; 18:1). It has the following figurative senses in the LXX: (1) Used of intellectual or spiritual perception, notice, become conscious (2) What man experiences or suffers (3) Regard, attend to, know or have experienced, be concerned about something (4) The word is used of prophetic perception in Israel. Prophets are said to see the revelation of God and His will for the people, although this may often involve a word from the Lord that needs to be heard. The spiritual condition of Israel is often depicted in the Old Testament as their having an inability to see and understand (e.g. Is. 6:9-10; Ezek. 12:2). Seeing also involves mental perception and consideration. Thus appearing leads to hearing (Deuteronomy 31:11) and to see means to discover, acquire an understanding of (e.g. 1 S. 19:3 [LXX 1 K. 19:3]). 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 11
The LXX employs all the classical understandings and freely uses horao in both a spiritual and non-spiritual sense. It is assumed in the Old Testament that God sees and watches man. He sees injustice (Lamentations 3:34 ff.), the death of His prophet (2 Chronicles 24:22), the distress of His own (Exodus 3:7). God looks for faithfulness among His people (Psalm 101 [100]:6) and for trust (Jer. 5:3). He also has His eye on the sinful kingdom (Amos 9:8). Man cannot hide (Psalm 139[138]:3, 7, 16). God sees into man s innermost being (1 Samuel 16:7). In late Judaism seeing gave way to hearing. Besides the general meaning of to know, horao and its derivatives can mean to obtain knowledge, and occasionally to see God. The verb horao is never used of aesthetic qualities and sometimes in connection to everyday objects. It is usually used to refer to people such as the Lord Jesus Christ, the disciples, the Pharisees. The word often refers to supernatural acts, supernatural beings, and the resurrected Christ and anthropocentrically of God Himself. New Testament Usage of Horao As in the LXX and classical literature, the verb horao is one of many terms used to convey the concept of see, perceive in the Greek New Testament and is used in both a literal and figurative sense. The word was used of seeing in the literal sense and it was used figuratively for perceiving, recalling, ascertaining, realizing (e.g. Mt. 13:14). Outside narrative sections, John uses horao for the seeing of Christ (3:11; 6:46; 8:38). When men saw the Lord Jesus, no special terms are used to emphasize the significance of their encounter with Him. As in the LXX, horao was used of men seeing visions (cf. Acts 16:19). The word in Acts 22:26 means to take heed. Because God is spirit no man can see God but one can see God incarnate, when He looks at the God-Man, the Lord Jesus Christ. John s Gospel employs the perception of physical sight quite a bit (Jn. 1:18; 14:9; 16:16-17, 19, 22; cf. Heb. 11:27). The Lord Jesus was seen by witnesses who testified of Him (Jn. 19:35; cf. 3:11, 32; 1 Jn. 1:1). There were witnesses who saw the resurrected Christ (Jn. 20:18, 25; cf. Acts 22:15; 26:16; 1 C. 15:5-8). Such sight elicited faith in those who saw Him but those who have faith without having seen are blessed (Jn. 20:29; cf. 1 Pet. 1:8). In his first epistle, John wrote that those who insist on sinning have not seen Him meaning are intimately aware of His presence, and know Him experientially through obedience to His Word (cf. 1 Jn. 3:2; cf. 3 Jn. 11; cf. Heb. 12:14). Sight can also represent salvation (cf. Lk. 3:6; Jn. 3:36; Heb. 12:14; 1 Jn. 3:2) for to see at times means to grasp by faith that the Son has in fact come and that He offers salvation to all mankind (Rm. 15:21). 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 12
The New Thayer s Greek-English Lexicon (pages 451-452): (1) To see with the eyes (2) To see with the mind, to perceive, know (3) To see i.e. to become acquainted with by experience, to experience (4) To see to, look to; to take heed, beware; to care for, pay heed to (5) I was seen, showed myself, appeared (Page 451-452). Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament: (1) transitively (a) of sense perception see, perceive, catch sight of; go to see, visit (b) as seeing what is being communicated supernaturally see; passive become visible, appear (c) in an experiential way as coming to knowledge see, experience, know, witness (d) of mental and spiritual perception perceive, take note, recognize, find out (2) intransitively (a) look at someone (b) predominately used in warnings and instructions see to (it); take care (lest); look out for, watch out, be on guard (against); elliptically don t do that (Page 284). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature-Third Edition: (A) transitively (1) to perceive by the eye, catch sight of, notice (2) to see someone in the course of making a friendly call, visit (3) to experience a condition or event, experience, witness (4) to be mentally or spiritually perceptive, perceive (B) intransitively (1) to fix one s gaze, look (2) to be alert or on guard, pay attention, see to it that (3) to accept responsibility for causing something to happen (Pages 719-720). Louw and Nida lists the following meanings for the verb: (1) To see, sight, seeing (24.1). (2) To take special notice of something, with the implication of concerning oneself to take notice of, to consider, to pay attention to, to concern oneself with (30.45). (3) To come to understand as the result of perception to understand, to perceive, to see, to recognize (32.11). (4) To go to see a person on the basis of friendship and with helpful intent to visit, to go to see (34.50). (5) To experience an event or state, normally in negative expressions indicating what one will not experience to experience, to undergo (90.79). (6) To acquire information, with focus upon the event of perception to learn about, to find out about (27.5). (7) To take responsibility for causing something to happen to see to it that something happens, to arrange for something to happen (13.134) (Greek- English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains). Horao 3 John 11 The verb horao is employed in a figurative or metaphorical sense and means to see in the sense of experiencing God s presence through fellowship which is accomplished by exercising faith in the Spirit s teaching in the Word of God which reveals the Father s will. This faith produces obedience to the Spirit inspired teaching of the Word of God. This verb speaks of an experiential knowledge of the 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 13
triune God in the sense of personally encountering God, which results in being affected by this encounter with the Trinity and the gaining of practical spiritual wisdom and more of the character of Christ. The meaning of the verb horao is emphatically negated by the emphatic negative adverb ouk, which means never since it expresses an absolute, direct and full negation. Therefore, the verb horao and ouk indicate that the one who commits evil never sees God in the sense that they never gain an experiential knowledge of the triune God. They never personally encounter God, which results in being affected by this encounter with the Trinity and the gaining of practical spiritual wisdom and more of the character of Christ. The perfect tense of the verb is an intensive perfect, which is used to emphasize the results or present state produced by a past action. The present state in our context is never seeing God in the sense of experiencing God and the past action is committing evil. The active voice is stative expresses the state of never experiencing God. The indicative mood is declarative presenting this assertion as a non-contingent or unqualified statement. Theos Once again, the noun theos means God referring to the Trinity. The articular construction of the word is anaphoric meaning that the word was used in the previous sentence and that the meaning and referent in this previous is being retained here in this final sentence in the verse. The noun is an accusative direct object meaning that it is receiving the action of the verb horao whose meaning is emphatically negated by the emphatic negative adverb ouk. Translation of 3 John 11 3 John 11 Beloved, you must continue making it your habit of not imitating that which is evil in character but rather that which is divine good in character. The one who is performing divine good is, as an eternal spiritual truth, living by means of the one and only God as a source. The one who is committing evil never sees the one and only God. Exposition of 3 John 11 Verse 11 is asnydetic meaning it is marked by the figure of asyndeton. This figure occurs with each of these statements in the verse. The figure expresses the solemn nature of these statements to Gaius and that John wants Gaius to meditate upon each one and think about what they mean to him. 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 14
This verse also has a chiastic structure: evil, good, good, evil which emphasizes the importance of Gaius continuing to perform divine good by demonstrating hospitality to those itinerant communicators of the gospel and their families whom John had set his seal of approval on. For the fourth and final time in this epistle, the apostle John addresses Gaius as beloved, which is indicating the close personal relationship that existed between Gaius and those Christians who testified to the apostle John that Gaius was walking in truth by demonstrating God s love to itinerant pastor-teachers and evangelists. However, it does not necessarily refer to John s relationship to Gaius since as we noted in 3 John 3 John received secondhand information regarding the fact that Gaius was walking in truth and demonstrating God s love to itinerant teachers and evangelists in the church. It also speaks of Gaius relationship to the Trinity. It designates Gaius as a Christian since it expresses the fact that he was the recipient and beneficiary of God s love. It serves as a reminder to Gaius that he is the beneficiary and object of the Father s love, the Son s and the Spirit s. It would serve to remind Gaius that he was the beneficiary of God s divine-love before conversion and is now the object of His personal love after conversion and which divine-love he was to continue to reflect towards these itinerant communicators of the gospel by demonstrating hospitality to them. Here in verse 11, John is issuing a deep, emotional Spirit inspired command that Gaius never imitate what is evil but what is good. He is commanding Gaius that he not to imitate what is evil which in context would be Diotrephes behavior. He does not want Gaius to imitate this pastor s disobedience to his apostolic authority, which was demonstrated by his refusal to follow John s directions in supporting the itinerant communicators of the gospel whom the apostle had placed his seal of approval. The context indicates that Gaius was in fact not imitating Diotrephes bad example but obeying John s authority (cf. 5-8). Thus, John was exhorting him to continue his obedience to his commands to support these itinerant communicators and their families. John wants Gaius to continue to make it his habit of imitating that which is good but in what sense? It implies that John is to imitate someone who is doing good, i.e. obeying his apostolic command to support these itinerant communicators of the gospel and their families. So who did John want Gaius to imitate? Some say Demetrius. However, this is unlikely since it would appear that Demetrius was an itinerant communicator of the gospel himself. Furthermore, John says to imitate that which is good and does not say to imitate Demetrius. It is also unlikely that John wanted Gaius to imitate himself since they were not familiar with each other as we noted. It appears John wants Gaius to follow the example of those pastors in Ephesus who like himself were obeying his apostolic command to demonstrate hospitality to these traveling evangelists and pastors. Who these individuals were, 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 15
John does not say. More than likely he was referring to other pastors who unlike Diotrephes, were obeying John s instructions. This would make clear that John was concerned that Gaius would be influenced by Diotrephes bad example. The apostle is teaching Gaius that disobedience to his apostolic command to support itinerant communicators of the gospel who he has given his seal of approval is evil in the sense that it is produced by the sin nature and motivated by indoctrination from the cosmic system of Satan. This disobedience is in fact disobedience to the will of the Father. It is evil in the sense that it constitutes living independently of God s will. By continuing to obey the apostle John s instructions regarding the itinerant communicators of the gospel, Gaius would be performing that which is divine good in character. It is divine in character because this hospitality is produced by the Holy Spirit who inspired John to issue this command in the first place, which was according to the Father s will. Therefore, this hospitality towards these traveling communicators of truth is divine in quality and character because it is according to the Father s will which is revealed by the Holy Spirit through the apostle John s command to show hospitality to these Christian brothers and sisters. This hospitality is intrinsically valuable, intrinsically good, inherently good in quality with the idea of good which is also profitable, useful, benefiting others, benevolent because it is based upon and motivated by the Spirit. Thus, this hospitality benefits the body of Christ and God as well. Following the initial command, John communicates two eternal spiritual truths to Gaius. The first is that the one who is performing divine good is living by means of the one and only God as a source. The one who is performing divine good is an obvious reference to obeying John s command to support financially and materially those itinerant communicators of the gospel and their families. This hospitality is divine good because it is produced by the Holy Spirit when Gaius obeyed John s Spirit inspired command to support these traveling communicators of truth and their families. It is divine good because it is intrinsically valuable, intrinsically good, inherently good in quality but with the idea of good which is also profitable, useful, benefiting others, benevolent because it is based upon and motivated by the Spirit. The Christian who is performing divine good is living by means of God as a source since performing divine good is the direct result of being in union with Jesus Christ who is the Son of God and being identified with Him in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session. It is also the direct result of obeying the Father s will which is revealed by the Spirit through the apostles teaching which is now in the Greek New Testament. It is also the direct result of obedience to the Holy Spirit who in turn produces divine good in the Christian. 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 16
The one performing divine good is living by means of God as a source since it is the direct result of experiencing fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The second eternal spiritual truth that John communicates to Gaius which completes verse 11 is that the one who is committing evil never sees the one and only God. The evil of course is a reference to disobeying the apostle John s apostolic instructions to support financially and materially those itinerant communicators of the gospel whom he had put his seal of approval on since John is speaking in the context of Diotrephes disobeying these instructions. These disobedient believers like Diotrephes never see God in the sense that they never have an experiential knowledge of God. They never experience God s presence through fellowship which is accomplished by exercising faith in the Spirit s teaching in the Word of God which reveals the Father s will. This faith produces obedience to the Spirit inspired teaching of the Word of God. They never see God in the sense that they never personally encounter God, which results in being affected by this encounter with the Trinity and the gaining of practical spiritual wisdom and more of the character of Christ. So 3 John 11 makes clear that a Christian and a pastor like Diotrephes can commit evil simply by disobeying the teaching of the Word of God. Evil is living independently of God and Satan is the author of evil. John is telling Gaius that Diotrephes, though a pastor was committing evil because he sought to live independently of God. This he demonstrated by disobeying the Father s will regarding these itinerant communicators of the gospel whom John gave his seal of approval. The Father s will was that the body of Christ would support these men and their families materially and financially. John s command to support these men and their families was inspired by the Holy Spirit. 3 John 12 Demetrius Received a Good Testimony from the Entire Church and Truth Itself 3 John 12 Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true. (NASB95) Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself is composed of the following: (1) dative masculine singular form of the proper name Dēmētrios ( ηµήτριος), Demetrius (2) third person singular perfect passive indicative form of the verb martureo (µαρτυρέω), has receive a testimony (3) preposition hupo (ὑπό), from (4) genitive masculine plural form of the adjective pas (πᾶς), everyone (5) conjunction kai (καί), and (6) preposition hupo (ὑπό), from (7) genitive third person feminine singular form of 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 17
the intensive personal pronoun autos (αὐτός), itself (8) articular genitive feminine singular form of the noun alētheia (ἀλήθεια), the truth. Asyndeton In 3 John 12, the apostle John once again under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is employing the figure of asyndeton in order that Gaius would dwell or meditate upon this statement that Demetrius received a good testimony from the church and from the truth itself. This figure expresses the fact that John is being solemn and very serious with Gaius since Demetrius would serve as his ally in standing against Diotrephes. Dēmētrios The proper name Dēmētrios means follower of (the goddess of crops) Demeter. It is functioning as a dative direct object meaning that the word is receiving the action of the verb martureo. John puts the word in the dative rather than accusative case because he wants to emphasize the personal relation between Gaius and the Christian community he comes from. Classical Usage of Martureo The verb martureo means, to testify, give evidence, give testimony, bear record, affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something or provide information about a person or an event concerning which the speaker has direct knowledge. Liddell and Scott: (1) Bear witness, give evidence (2) Bear witness to or in favor of another, confirm what he says (3) Bears witness to my opinion; bear favorable witness to, give a good report of a person (4) Testify to a thing (5) Testify that a thing is (6) Testify to, acknowledge the value of his alliance (7) Give hearsay evidence (8) Testimony is borne by, testimony has been give before you (9) Ascribed to (10) Bear a character (11) Whose character is approved by testimony (12) Astrologically, to be in aspect with (Greek-English Lexicon, New Edition, page 1082). The verb martureo appears from the fifth century B.C. onwards. It is primarily a legal term meaning to bear witness, to give testimony, to testify, or to confirm something to someone s advantage by giving evidence (Herodotus, 8, 95). The word s cognate noun martus comes from a common Indo-European root smer, to be mindful of, to bear in mind, to remember, to be careful. It is the Aeolic form of martur, which is not found in the Greek New Testament. 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 18
Martus denoted a witness, especially a legal witness. The function of the witness is normally denoted by the verb martureo. This can be used in the abstract to come forward as a witness, but also commonly with the dative to denote the one for whom one testifies or the agreement to which one is a witness, then the accusative or peri and the genitive or a hoti clause for the content of the statement in so far as the witness is testifying to anything specific. The Greeks believed that hearing was less reliable testimony than seeing, even in the religious context of the word. Martus was one who remembers, who has knowledge of something by recollection, and who can thus tell about. In the legal sphere where the word is primarily used, martus denoted one who can and does speak from personal experience about actions in which he took part and which happened to him, or about persons and relations known to him. A martus may be a witness at a trial, or, in legal transactions of different kinds, a solemn witness in the most varied connections. The witness at a trial and his marturia, testimony is dealt with fully by Aristotle in his work Rhetorica. The inscriptions and especially the papyri offer an almost inexhaustible number of examples of the solemn witness in every possible kind of written agreement and record, including official records. The word also has a use outside of the legal sphere where it is used of a person who is a witness to facts and also to truths or views. Martus along with martureo, marturia and marturion have a general use outside the legal sphere. This group refers not merely to the establishment of events or actual relations or facts of experience on the basis of direct personal knowledge, but it also signifies the proclamation of views or truths of which the speaker is convinced. It thus relates to things, which by their very nature cannot be submitted to empirical investigation. The Greeks would appeal to the gods as witnesses in treaties, solemn agreements or declarations, assurances and oaths. Even if no other witness was present, they, the so-called omniscient gods, could confirm the truth of a statement or the fact of an agreement. Those who appealed to them as witnesses did so in the belief that they should be lying, or should they break the agreement, they would fall victim to divine punishment. Martus has an additional usage that is outside of its legal sense. It is used of declaring a particular viewpoint, attitude or conviction. The philosophers adopted martureo in this manner to speak of their giving evidence for their truths, doctrines and principles. Septuagint Usage of Martureo Martureo appears infrequently in the Septuagint where there are only 13 instances of the word. It is used to translate the following Hebrew terms in the 2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 19