(
ἸùÜííïõ ã
in B. and Cod. Sinait. C. adds
ἐðéóôïëὴ
, G.
ôïῦ ἁãßïõ ἀðïóôüëïõ
.)
I. The Address
3Jn_1:1
The elder unto the well beloved Gains, whom I love in the truth.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
3Jn_1:1. On
ὁ ðñåóâýôåñïò
see Introduction § 1. It can hardly be determined whether this Gaius is one of the two or three persons of that name, who are mentioned as friends and companions of Paul in Act_19:29; Act_20:4; Rom_16:23; 1Co_1:14. Lücke thinks that our Gaius is identical with Gaius of Derbe mentioned Act_20:4, Wolf, in his Curis ad. h. l., that the Gaius mentioned 1Co_1:14 is meant here. Others suppose that the Gaius, mentioned Constit. Ap. 7, 46, and appointed by John Bishop of Pergamus, is the one referred to here (Whiston); but this is also purely hypothetical. Nor can it be inferred from 3Jn_1:8 of this Epistle that Gaius was a presbyter. As John adds to the address the term
ôῷ ἀãáðçôῷ
, so he also addresses him as
ἀãáðçôÝ
in 3Jn_1:3; 3Jn_1:5; 3Jn_1:11, and superadds as in 2Jn_1:1, the words:
ὃí ἐãὼ ἀãáðῶ ἐí ἀëçèåßᾳ
(Oecumenius:
ὁ êáôὰ êýñéïí ἀãáðῶí ἐíäéáèÝôῳ ἀãÜðῃ
).
HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL
Starke: Those who wish to be loved of men, must be lovable and worthy of love; this is done, if they give up the love of the world, and love God only.—Truth and love are precious jewels of Christians, which must be linked together and are more ornamental than golden chains. The one cannot exist without the other; truth without love is dead, and love without truth is blind.
Footnotes:
3Jn_1:1. [German: The presbyter to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.—M.]
