3 John 1:3 kjv
For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.
3 John 1:3 nkjv
For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth.
3 John 1:3 niv
It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.
3 John 1:3 esv
For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth.
3 John 1:3 nlt
Some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth.
3 John 1 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 66:10 | "Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her...that you may suck and be satisfied..." | Joy over the well-being of God's people. |
| Ps 119:104 | "Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way." | The path of truth leads to discernment. |
| Ps 119:128 | "Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right..." | Walking in truth involves valuing all God's commands. |
| Prov 23:24 | "The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; And he who begets a wise son will delight in him." | Parental joy over a child's righteous life. |
| Rom 1:8 | "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being proclaimed in all the world." | Apostolic joy over believers' renown in faith. |
| 1 Cor 4:15 | "For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers..." | Paul as a spiritual father, similar to John. |
| Phil 1:3-4 | "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you...always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy." | Paul's joy in his spiritual children. |
| Phil 2:2 | "fulfill my joy by being likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." | Joy tied to unity and walking together in faith. |
| 1 Thes 2:19-20 | "For what is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy." | Believers' steadfastness is the apostles' joy. |
| 2 Thes 1:3 | "We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly..." | Thanksgiving for spiritual growth. |
| Philem 1:7 | "For I have great joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother." | Joy over refreshing and loving deeds. |
| 2 Jn 1:4 | "I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth..." | Parallel joy found in 2 John regarding truth. |
| 3 Jn 1:4 | "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." | Direct parallel, emphasizing the greatest joy. |
| Eph 4:1 | "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called." | Admonition to live consistently with calling. |
| Col 1:10 | "that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." | The practical outworking of walking worthy. |
| 1 Thes 4:1 | "Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God..." | Continual growth in righteous living. |
| Titus 1:1 | "Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness." | Truth connected to godliness and sound doctrine. |
| Jas 1:22 | "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." | Practical living out of the Word is crucial. |
| Jas 3:17 | "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy." | Wisdom's expression in actions aligns with truth. |
| Heb 5:13 | "For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe." | Growth in understanding and living out righteousness. |
| 1 Jn 1:6-7 | "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth...but if we walk in the light as He is in the light..." | Connection between walking, truth, and light. |
| 1 Jn 2:3 | "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments." | Knowledge of God shown through obedience. |
| Jn 14:6 | "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'" | Jesus personifies "the Truth." |
| Jn 17:17 | "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." | God's Word is the source of truth for sanctification. |
3 John 1 verses
3 John 1 3 Meaning
Third John 1:3 expresses the profound joy the apostle John felt upon hearing good news about believers walking in the truth. It signifies the delight a spiritual father has in seeing his spiritual children live out their faith genuinely and consistently according to the principles of Christ, specifically focusing on their ethical conduct and adherence to apostolic teaching.
3 John 1 3 Context
Third John is a short, personal letter from "The Elder" (John) to a believer named Gaius, praising him for his hospitality and faithfulness to the truth, particularly concerning traveling missionaries. In contrast, it warns against Diotrephes, who rejected John's authority and mistreated the missionaries. Verse 3 serves as the elder's expression of joy and confirmation that Gaius is living a life consistent with his profession of faith, demonstrated by his welcoming of those who propagate the truth. It establishes the central theme of walking in the truth, which is immediately juxtaposed with Diotrephes' actions later in the chapter. The immediate historical context is the early Christian mission, where traveling evangelists depended on the hospitality of believers. John is keen to affirm those who support this ministry and correct those who hinder it.
3 John 1 3 Word analysis
- For (γάρ, gar): A conjunction, introducing the reason for John's prayer or confidence (as mentioned in v. 2, that Gaius would prosper). It links John's hope for Gaius's well-being to the joy he has already received from Gaius's spiritual integrity.
- I (ἐχάρην, echarēn, first person aorist indicative): Refers to the apostle John. The aorist tense denotes a past, completed action of rejoicing, specifically at the moment the news was received. It signifies a genuine, settled joy, not fleeting emotion.
- rejoiced (ἐχάρην, echarēn): Meaning to be glad, to be filled with joy. This is a common biblical expression for spiritual delight, often found in the New Testament when believers live out the will of God. It's a joy distinct from worldly happiness, rooted in God's work in people.
- greatly (λίαν, lian): An adverb emphasizing the intensity of John's joy. It underscores the deep satisfaction he experienced, highlighting the profound significance of the news about Gaius.
- when (ὅτι, hoti): Introduces the content of the news that caused John's great joy. It serves as a direct quotation marker.
- brothers (ἀδελφοί, adelphoi): Refers to Christian fellow-believers who came to John from Gaius. This highlights the communal aspect of early Christianity and the reliance on itinerate teachers and their reports. These "brothers" are likely the traveling evangelists Gaius had shown hospitality to.
- came (ἦλθον, ēlthon): Indicating a specific event in the past when the messengers arrived with news.
- and testified (καὶ ἐμαρτύρησαν, kai emarturēsan): Meaning they bore witness, gave testimony, or confirmed. This implies they had firsthand observation of Gaius's character and conduct. The truth of Gaius's walk was not based on rumor but credible testimony.
- to your (σου, sou): Possessive pronoun, directly addressing Gaius.
- truth (ἀληθείᾳ, alētheia): More than mere factual accuracy, this denotes faithfulness, sincerity, genuineness, and adherence to the revealed divine truth (the Gospel of Jesus Christ and apostolic teaching). It speaks of consistency between profession and practice.
- as (καθώς, kathōs): Introduces a comparison, showing how Gaius's actions correspond exactly to his inward state.
- indeed (καὶ, kai): Reinforces the preceding statement, adding emphasis. "And indeed" or "even as".
- you (σύ, sy): Refers to Gaius.
- walk (περιπατεῖς, peripateis): This verb literally means "to walk around," but figuratively it often describes one's manner of life, conduct, or daily behavior. In biblical usage, "walking in truth" signifies living in accordance with the principles and teachings of Christ.
- in truth (ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, en alētheia): A prepositional phrase emphasizing the sphere or realm in which Gaius lives his life. It implies his entire disposition and action are governed by God's truth. This phrase links his daily conduct directly to his understanding and adherence to the Gospel.
- For I rejoiced greatly when brothers came and testified to your truth: This whole phrase signifies John's personal emotional response. It is a heartfelt expression from a spiritual elder receiving good news about a spiritual child. The joy is intense because it validates his trust in Gaius and confirms the effectiveness of the Gospel.
- your truth, as indeed you walk in truth: This is a crucial rhetorical repetition. The first "your truth" refers to the report of Gaius's truthfulness – his consistent Christian life, especially his hospitality to missionaries. The second "walk in truth" confirms this report by stating that Gaius is actually living in this manner. It's an affirmation of character matching conduct, inner conviction matching outer action. This emphasizes that "truth" is both something one possesses (integrity, faithfulness) and something one actively does (lives by God's revealed Word).
3 John 1 3 Bonus section
The phrase "walk in truth" (περιπατεῖν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ) is distinctive to John's writings in the New Testament (found also in 2 John 1:4 and 3 John 1:4). This repetition underscores its critical importance to John's theology, suggesting that truth is not just an intellectual belief but a lived reality that manifests in behavior. This is in direct contrast to gnostic tendencies that were emerging in the early church, which often separated knowledge from ethical conduct, positing that one could possess secret "truth" without it impacting their moral actions. John explicitly refutes such separation, emphasizing that genuine Christian "truth" will always produce a discernibly righteous "walk."
3 John 1 3 Commentary
Third John 1:3 beautifully encapsulates the heart of a spiritual leader like John. His profound joy wasn't derived from worldly successes, but from the spiritual integrity and practical faithfulness of his fellow believers. This verse sets the stage for the rest of the letter, where John contrasts Gaius’s adherence to truth and hospitality with Diotrephes’s opposition. "Walking in truth" is a key Johannine theme, signifying a life lived consistently with God’s revealed word and the example of Christ, particularly expressed through love for one another and support for the Gospel mission. For Gaius, this truth manifested practically in welcoming itinerate missionaries who spread the Word. It serves as a powerful reminder that authentic faith is demonstrated through righteous living and concrete acts of love and service, bringing genuine delight to those who spiritually nurture others. It shows that obedience to truth is not a static concept but a dynamic, ongoing walk that can be observed and affirmed by others.