3 John 1
The full text of 3 John 1 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Greek. Free to read.
1 The elder, to Gaius, my dear friend, whom I love in the truth.
2 Dear friend, I pray that in every way you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.
3 It gave me great joy when brothers and sisters came and testified to your faithfulness to the truth—how you walk in the truth.
4 I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
5 Dear friend, you are being faithful in whatever you do for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you.
6 They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God,
7 because it was for the sake of the Name that they set out, accepting nothing from the pagans.
8 So we ought to support such people, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
9 I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, will not welcome us.
10 So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing—spreading malicious nonsense about us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers and sisters himself, and he stops those who want to and throws them out of the church.
11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. The one who does good is from God; the one who does evil has not seen God.
12 Everyone speaks well of Demetrius—and so does the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.
13 I had much to write to you, but I do not want to write with pen and ink.
14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.
Translation notes (5)
- 3 John 1:1a The Greek phrase en alētheia, meaning 'in truth' or 'in the truth,' may mean genuinely or truly, or it may refer to being 'in the sphere of the gospel truth.'
- 3 John 1:3a The Greek word adelphōn, meaning 'brothers,' here refers to the traveling believers and includes both men and women; it is rendered 'brothers and sisters.'
- 3 John 1:5a The Greek phrase adelphous... kai touto xenous, meaning 'the brothers, and these strangers,' refers to believers who are strangers to Gaius; it is rendered 'brothers and sisters... even though they are strangers.'
- 3 John 1:7a The Greek word ethnikōn, meaning 'the Gentiles' or 'pagans,' here refers to non-believers, those outside the church.
- 3 John 1:14a Some traditions number this final greeting as a separate verse 15; the way verses are divided varies.
About this translation
The Trinity Bible Version (TBV) is Trinity Bible's own modern English translation, worked directly from the original Greek and honest to the earliest manuscripts. It was completed in 2026 — the most modern English Bible translation — and is exclusive to Trinity Bible. Every chapter, including all of 3 John, is free to read here on the web.
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