Inductive Study: 3 John 1:13-14

I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink; but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face.  Peace to you. Our friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.

3 John 1:13-14

Dear Heavenly Father, as my wife and I transition to this new stage of life.  Please encourage us and lead us to do your will.  Please be with my children keep them from the evil one.  Live in them.  Guide them.  Protect them Dear Father.   In Jesus's name I pray, Amen.

We are in the Conclusion/Farewell portion of the letter.  John concludes the letter with a heart felt farewell.  In certain translations, verse 14 is actually broken into two verses.  For example, in the ESV and NLT translations, this citation of Scripture would be 3 John 1:13-15.  To bring deeper understanding to today's text, let's examine some key words and their companion or similar verses.

"Many" in the Greek is polus which means much, many, often, high in number, multitudinous, plenteous, great in amount, numerous.  "Write" in the Greek is grapho which means it is written, it stands written, sent this letter, to give information.  "Wish" in the Greek is thelo which means I will, desire, intend, design, willing, wanting to persuade.  "Pen" in the Greek is kalamos which means reed, measuring rod, a writer's reed. 2 John 1:12 states " Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full."  John conveys the same message here.  John wanted to impart his wisdom to them.  However, he doesn't desire it to be only through writings. 

"But" in the Greek is de which means on the other hand, moreover, indeed now, on top of this, next.  "Hope" in the Greek is elpizo which means expect, trust, actively waiting for God's fulfillment about faith through the power of His love, hopefully trust in.  "See" in the Greek is harao which means look upon, experience, perceive, discern, beware, to see with the eyes.  "Shortly" in the Greek is eutheos which means immediately, soon, at once, straight away, forthwith.  This phrase points to the previous Scripture.  On top of the fact that John wants to impart his wisdom, he expects and trusts that he will see them with his eyes immediately.

"Speak" in the Greek is laleo which means say, chatter, proclaiming, not be silent, to use words to declare one's mind and disclose one's thoughts.  "Face" in the Greek is stoma which means the mouth, speech, eloquence of speech, the point of  a sword, mouth turned to mouth, the breath of his mouth.  "To" in the Greek is pros which means towards, with, interface with, in each other's presence.  Once they are in each other's presence, John will impart his wisdom.  That way, he can see their reaction and see if they understand.  The best communication is face-to-face. 

"Peace" in the Greek is eirene which means peace of mind, sense of health and welfare of an individual, common Jewish farewell, properly wholeness, when all essential parts are together, peace that leads to salvation, peace with God. It is from the root word, eiro, which means to join, together into a whole.  "Friends" in the Greek is philos which means associate, someone dearly loved (prized) in a personal intimate way, a trusted confidant, close personal bond.  It is derived from the root word, phil, which conveys experiential personal affection.  John prays that they have their lives all together and in peace with God.  He prays for his dearly loved trusted confidants.

"Greet" in the Greek is apazomai which means salute, pay my respects, welcome, wish well to.  "Name" in the Greek is onoma which means character, reputation, fame, manifestation or revelation of someone's character, name is inseparable from the person who it belongs (something of their essence).  John 10:3 states "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out."  Welcome all believers using their name which conveys their character, reputation, and essence.

As an Apostle, John was also a teacher.  He longed to be with his pupils and the community of Christ.  Although he could only reach them through letters, he desperately wanted to see them.  He wanted to impart his wisdom that he received from God to them.  Being in their presence, he could see their body language and discern whether he was being understood.  The least effective way to learn is reading.  Hearing the teaching, taking notes, and asking clarifying questions is a better way to learn.  However, the best way to learn is to teach.  

In closing the letter, John expresses his love for them.  He asks for peace that leads to salvation which is peace with God.  He asks them to provide hospitality for fellow believers.  He asks them to call believers by their name which is the revelation of their character.  So the closing is not a good bye but a prayer for his beloved friends.

I had many things [to say when I began] to write to you, but I prefer not to put it down with pen (reed) and black (ink); but I hope to see you soon, and we will speak face to face. Peace be to you. The friends [here] greet you. Greet the friends [personally] by name.

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W.O.R.D. Worksheet verse 13

W.O.R.D. Worksheet verse 14

Inductive Study: 3 John 1:12

Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.

3 John 1:12

Dear Heavenly Father, we have family struggling.  They need you desperately.  Please show Your face.  Bring them closer to You.  Lord save them.  Continue to be with me as I study tonight.  I praise and glorify Your name!  In Jesus's name I pray, Amen.

We are in the Conclusion/Farewell portion of the letter.  To bring deeper understanding to today's text, let's examine some key words and their companion or similar verses.

"Demetrius" in the Greek is Demetrius which means devoted to Demeter, the Greek goddess of grain, agriculture, harvest, growth, and nourishment.  "Good Testimony" in the Greek is martureo which means witness, testify, give evidence, give a good report, attested, to utter honorable testimony, well reported of, accredited, commendation, speak well or highly of.  1 Timothy 3:7 states "Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil."  John 21:24 states "This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true."  John contrasts the actions of Diotrephes with Demetrius.  John reminds his readers that Demetrius testimony is proved by tangible evidence.

"All" in the Greek is pas which means every kind of the whole, focusses on the parts making up the whole.  "Truth" in the Greek is aletheia which means not merely truth as spoken, truth of idea, reality, fact, not an illusion, sincerity, truth in the moral sphere, divine truth revealed to man, straightforwardness, standard of God's word.  Demetrius is known for his Godly life as demonstrated by real facts and told by everyone.  It is undeniable.

"Know" in the Greek is eido which means remember, appreciate, I see what you mean, perceiving, seeing that becomes knowing, discern, behold.  "True" in the Greek is alethes which means unconcealed, true in fact, worthy of credit, what can't be hidden, an actual occurrence.  John points out that he and his disciples also have proven Demetrius' tested and true confession of his faith and obedience to God.

One of the companion verses for this text comes from 1 Timothy.  The citation is part of Paul's description of church leadership.  However, as Christians, we are all called to this standard.  In our Scripture tonight, John identifies Demetrius's walk as God honoring by comparing it to the truth spoken from him and his disciples along with God's standard that describes Demetrius.  

So, what is God's standard.  What is this good testimony that will keep us from reproach and the snare of the devil?  Our life needs to be innocent of wrongdoing, be committed to family, have self control over temptations, be logical, do the right thing, be welcoming, be a mentor, not love money, and be humble in all things.  Let me just say that is impossible!  Ah, but what did Demetrius have or how could he have this good testimony?  He has what all believers in Christ have, God's helper, the Holy Spirit.  When you cease control over your life and follow the Holy Spirit's direction, you will have a "good testimony."  We may fail, but we will never lose.

Demetrius has received a good testimony and commendation from everyone—and from the truth [the standard of God’s word] itself; and we add our testimony and speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.

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W.O.R.D. Worksheet

Inductive Study: 3 John 1:11

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.

3 John 1:11

Dear Heavenly Father, please be with me as I study tonight.  Help me grow in wisdom and be humble in all things.  Please with my daughter on her vacation.  Protect her and bring her back to campus safely.  Please be with my son as he prepares for college.  Continue to encourage and direct my wife.  In Jesus's name I pray, Amen.

We are beginning the conclusion of the letter.  After his rebuke of Diotrephes, John gives instructions to Gaius and summarizes his admonishment.  To bring deeper understanding to today's text, let's examine some key words and their companion or similar verses.

"Beloved" in the Greek is agapetos which means divinely loved, personally experiencing God’s agape love, esteemed, dear, favorite, bound together by mutual affection, fellow Christian.  Gaius, the recipient of this letter, is one who John highly esteems and is loved by God.

"Imitate" in the Greek is mimeomai which means follow, emulating a mentor or example. Psalm 34:14 states "Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it." Psalm 37:27 states "Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore." Isaiah 1:16-17 states "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow."  John instructs Gaius to emulate good not evil and to model his life and behavior on the good example.  But what is good and what is evil?

"Evil" in the Greek is kakos which means bad, evil in the widest sense, inner malice, inwardly foul, morally rotten, contrary to the law (divine or human),  wrong, wicked, commit sin.  In the previous verses in Psalms and Isaiah, "Evil" in the Hebrew is ra or rao which means adversity, disagreeable, unethical, wrong, badness, rottenness, sadness, ugliness, wickedness.  1 John 3:6 states "Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him."  John instructs Gaius to not live breaking God's law.  John instructs him not to sin.  Sin is evil.

"Good" in the Greek is agathos which means intrinsically good, good in nature, inherently good, describes what originated from God and is empowered by Him in their life through faith, exhibiting Godly character/moral character/integrity, upright, honorable, acceptable to God.  In the previous verses in Psalms and Isaiah, "Good" in the Hebrew is towb or yatab which means beautiful, pleasant, agreeable to the senses, well, pleasing, do well, right, ethically, absolute toward men.  1 John 2:29 states "If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him."  John instructs Gaius to do what is acceptable to God, upright, and honorable.  "Good" is the direct opposite to "evil."  Therefore, if what we do is not acceptable to God, the action is acceptable to Satan.  It is a question of morality.

In the Stanford Dictionary of Philosophy, "Morality" is defined "descriptively to refer to certain codes of conduct put forward by a society or a group (such as a religion), or accepted by an individual for her own behavior, or normatively to refer to a code of conduct that, given specified conditions, would be put forward by all rational persons."  God defines "morality" for us in the Bible.  If we venture from that "morality," in reality, our morals become of our own choosing subject to the whims of society at even given point in history.  Without God, there are no morals that are universally accepted by rational persons.  Put simply, being accepted or rational again depends on the whims of society at any given point in history, geographic location, and/or culture.  This is proven by the fact that the world has no universal government.  Every time the world strives for one government, it fails.  People are too full of their own wants, desires, and beliefs in what is right.  People sin.  That is also why the world cannot make peace.

"Seen" in the Greek is horao which means look upon, experience, perceive, discern, beware, to seek with mind, observe, give attention to, has no personal experience with Him, doesn’t know Him.  "God" in the Greek is theos which means God the creator and maker of all things, God the Father, the only true God.  A person who is upright and honorable shines God the Father.  A person who breaks God's law doesn't know God.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:15-20, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.   Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them."

In September 25, 2015, Scientific America published an article, "Morals, Not memories define who we are."  The scientists stated "Although Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases may powerfully impact the mental functioning of individuals, sufferers can find some solace in the fact that substantial memory deficits—when unaccompanied by changes in moral characteristics—seem to have no effect on how others perceive 'who you are.'"  They further stated "Analysis of the data revealed that participants perceived the greatest disruptions in patients’ identity when they observed changes in moral traits. Other cognitive deficits—like those seen with amnesia—had no measurable effect on the perception of identity. Consequently, those with frontotemporal dementia showed the greatest changes in perceived identity, since it specifically affects the frontal lobe functions underlying moral reasoning and behavior." 

Who we are is defined by our moral character. 

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but [imitate] what is good. The one who practices good [exhibiting godly character, moral courage and personal integrity] is of God; the one who practices [or permits or tolerates] evil has not seen God [he has no personal experience with Him and does not know Him at all].

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W.O.R.D. Worksheet