3 John 1:11

Contextual Overview

⁹I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. ⁹ I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. ⁹ I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. ⁹I wrote a short note to the outfit there, but Diotrephes, who likes to think of himself as some sort of ramrod, would not listen to what I had to say. ⁹ I sent a letter to the church, but Diotrephes, whose desire is ever to have the first place among them, will not have us there. ⁹ I wrote something to the assembly; but Diotrephes, who loves to have the first place among them, receives us not. ⁹ I wrote to the assembly, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, doesn't accept what we say. ⁹ I wrote to the church; but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the pre-eminence among them, receiveth us not. ⁹ I wrote to the Church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the first place among them, refuses to listen to us. ⁹ I wrote vnto the Church, but Diotrephes, who loueth to haue the preeminence among them, receiueth vs not.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Beloved: Beloved, בדבנחפו [Strong's G27], is in the vocative singular, and therefore refers to Gaius.

follow: Rather, imitate לילןץ. Exodus 23:2, Psalms 37:27, Proverbs 12:11, Isaiah 1:16, Isaiah 1:17, John 10:27, John 12:26, 1 Corinthians 4:16, 1 Corinthians 11:1, Ephesians 5:1, Philippians 3:17, 1 Thessalonians 1:6, 1 Thessalonians 2:14, 2 Timothy 3:10, *marg. Hebrews 6:12, 1 Peter 3:13

He that doeth good: 1 Peter 3:11, 1 John 2:29, 1 John 3:6-9

he that doeth evil: John 3:20

Reciprocal: Ezra 1:5 - whose spirit Psalms 15:3 - doeth Psalms 26:3 - For Psalms 34:14 - do Psalms 53:3 - none Proverbs 2:20 - General Proverbs 12:28 - General Amos 5:15 - Hate Luke 6:27 - do Luke 8:21 - which John 3:21 - they are John 8:47 - General 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Follow 1 Corinthians 16:18 - therefore Galatians 6:10 - do good Ephesians 5:9 - goodness 1 Thessalonians 5:15 - ever 2 Thessalonians 2:12 - but 2 Thessalonians 3:6 - that ye 1 Timothy 6:18 - they do 2 Timothy 2:22 - follow Hebrews 12:14 - and holiness Hebrews 13:16 - to do James 1:22 - be 1 John 3:10 - is

Cross-References

Genesis 1:9
And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so.

Genesis 1:9
And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so.

Genesis 1:9
Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.

Genesis 1:9
Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.

Genesis 1:9
And God saide: let the waters vnder the heauen be gathered together into one place, and let the drye lande appeare: and it was so.

Genesis 1:9
Then God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered together so that the dry land will appear." And it happened.

Genesis 1:9
And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so.

Genesis 1:9
Forsothe God seide, The watris, that ben vndur heuene, be gaderid in to o place, and a drie place appere; and it was doon so.

Genesis 1:9
And God said, Let the waters vnder the heauen be gathered together vnto one place, and let the dry land appeare: and it was so.

Genesis 1:9
And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Beloved, follow not that which is evil,.... Follow not evil in general, it being hateful to God, contrary to his nature and will, and bad in itself, as well as pernicious in its consequences; and particularly follow not, or do not imitate the particular evil or evils in Diotrephes; as his pride, ambition, love of preeminence, and tyrannical government in the church, and especially his hard heartedness, cruelty, and inhospitality to the poor saints; and so the Arabic version reads, "do not imitate him in evil"; the examples of persons in office and authority have great influence, especially in cases of charity, when men can be excused thereby, and save their money, or be freed from an expense:

but that which is good; follow and imitate that, be a follower of God, imitate him in acts of kindness and beneficence, be merciful as he is; copy the deeds of Jesus Christ, who went about doing good, and declared it to be more blessed to give than to receive; and tread in the steps of those good men, who have shown love to the name of Christ, by ministering to his saints; for though the apostle may mean everything that is good, which is to be followed and imitated in any, yet he chiefly designs acts of kindness and beneficence to poor saints and ministers: to which he encourages by the following,

he that doeth good is of God; he is a child of God, he appears to be so, in that he is like to his heavenly Father, who is kind and merciful; he is born of God, he is passed from death to life, which his love to the brethren shows; he has the grace of God, and strength from Christ, and the assistance of the Spirit, without either of which he could not do that which is good:

but he that doeth evil hath not seen God; has had no spiritual saving sight of God in Christ; for if he had, he would abhor that which is evil, and, with Job, abhor himself for it, and reckon himself, with Isaiah, as undone, Job 42:6, for such effects has the sight of God on the souls of men; such an one knows not God, nor what it is to have communion with him: for those who live in sin, in whom it is a governing principle, cannot have fellowship with God; nor has such an one ever felt the love of God in his soul, or been made a partaker of his grace, which would teach and constrain him to act otherwise. Compare this text with 1 John 3:10, which shows the Apostle John to be the writer of this epistle. The Ethiopic version reads, "shall not see God"; that is, hereafter, in the world to come.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good - There can be no doubt that in this exhortation the writer had Diotrephes particularly in his eye, and that he means to exhort Gaius not to imitate his example. He was a man of influence in the church, and though Gaius had shown that he was disposed to act in an independent manner, yet it was not improper to exhort him not to be influenced by the example of any one who did wrong. John wished to excite him to acts of liberal and generous hospitality.

He that doeth good is of God - He shows that he resembles God, for God continually does good. See the sentiment explained in the notes at 1 John 3:7.

He that doeth evil hath not seen God - See the notes at 1 John 3:8-10.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 3 John 1:11. Follow not that which is evil — Μμ μιμου το κακον· Do not imitate that wicked man, i.e., the conduct of Diotrephes; be merciful, loving, and kind. For whatever profession any man may make, it will ever appear that he who doeth good is of God - he alone is the person who uses rightly the grace received from God, and he alone shall enjoy the Divine approbation;

While he that doeth evil — He who is unfeeling, unmerciful, unkind, hath not seen God - has no proper knowledge of that God whose NAME is mercy, and whose NATURE is love.