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3Jn_1:13-14
3Jn_1:13. I should have much to write to thee.— Ðïëëὰ , emphatic, placed first. The Imperfect åἶ÷ïí without ἄí , is idiomatic Greek and must be rendered in the Subjunctive in German. See Winer p. 283 sqq.; [The objection to the rendering of E. V. “I had many things to write” is that the Apostle does not advert to the past but to the present. So Huther 2d ed. “I should have much to write” brings out this shade of thought in English.—M.].
But I will not write unto thee with ink and pen.—Cf. 2Jn_1:12.
3Jn_1:14. But I hope, soon to see thee.—The contrast to writing, for which the Apostle has no further inclination (Düsterdieck), is oral intercourse which he hopes soon to realize.
And we shall speak mouth to mouth.—The Future ëáëÞóïìåí denotes the assurance of hope. The object is ðïëëὰ 3Jn_1:13, and the particulars indicated in the Epistle.
Greetings 3Jn_1:14.
3Jn_1:14. Peace be to thee.—The greeting of the Apostle to the beloved Gaius. As at the beginning of the Epistle the simple ÷áßñåéí is not sufficient for the fulness of the Christian greeting, so at the close the common ἔῤῥùóï (Act_23:30; Act_15:29) is displaced by richer and deeper forms. There the wish of peace is most appropriate (Gal_6:16; Eph_6:23; 1Pe_5:14; 2Th_3:16; Rom_15:33 and al.), because peace may be regarded as the sum-total of the Divine gifts of grace in Christ (Luk_2:4; Joh_14:27) as N. de Lyra correctly explains it: “Pax interna conscientiæ, pax fraterna amicitiæ, pax superna gloriæ” (Düsterdieck). [Alford: “Remember our Lord’s legacy, Joh_14:27; and His greeting after the resurrection, åἰñÞíç ὑìῖí , Joh_20:19; Joh_20:26.”].—Joy moreover is health of the soul.
The friends salute thee.—Bengel: “Rara in N. T. appellatio, absorpta majori fraternitatis. Errant philosophi, qui putant amicitiam non instrui a fide.” Joh_15:15. The expression suits a purely private Epistle, written on purely personal relations (Lücke). Bede: “Amicis gratiam pacis mandat et salutis et per hæc Diotrephen ceterosque veritatis inimicos a salute et pace vestra monstrat extraneos.” Among the ἀäåëöïß , which are generally saluted (Php_4:21; 1Co_16:20; Eph_6:23), John, according to 2Jn_1:9-11, probably included Diotrephes, because he acted only as an ambitiosus, but does not seem to have been wrong and erred in the doctrine of Christ’s incarnation; but he and his party were not ößëïé to the Apostle, like Gaius and Demetrius. Cf. Joh_11:11; Act_27:3.
Greet the friends by name.— Êáô ’ ὄíïìá = ὀíïìáóôß (Joh_10:3); Bengel: “Non secus ac si nomina eorum præscripta essent.” The greetings, and especially those by name, have so deep an import and so great a value, that Paul fills a whole chapter of his Epistle to the Romans (Rom_16:1-24) with them, and often adds a series.
Heubner:—We see, how even letters of friendship are hallowed by faith. Everything should have the impress of our evangelical frame of mind. A mind wholly penetrated by the spirit of Christianity will not deny itself even in unimportant letters of friendship. Examples may be seen in Sailer’s Christian letters of every century, in the letters of Luther, Tersteegen and John Newton.—The children of peace receive peace (Luk_10:5-6).
Besser:—John greets the friends by name; he carries them all in his heart, and every one in particular. This is presbyter-fidelity.—
[Wordsworth:—The good pastor imitates that Good Shepherd, who “calleth His sheep by name.” Joh_10:3.—M.].
Footnotes:
3Jn_1:13. A. B. C. Cod. Sin. read: ãñÜøáéóïé .
3Jn_1:13. B. C. Cod. Sin.: ïὐ èÝëù . The reading ïὐê ἐâïõëÞèçí in A. originated from 2Jn_1:12, and like ïὐê ἤèåëïí formed alter it.
3Jn_1:13. B. C. Cod. Sin.: óïéãñÜöåéí ; A: ãñÜöåéíóïé .
3Jn_1:13. [German: “I should have much to write unto thee, but I will not write unto thee with ink and pen.”—M.]
3Jn_1:14. [German: “But I hope soon to see thee, and we shall speak mouth to mouth.”—M.]
3Jn_1:14. B. C. G. K. Cod. Sin. read: ößëïé ; A. ἀäåëöïß . [German: “The friends salute thee.”—M.]
3Jn_1:14. Several unimportant Codd. read ἀäåëöïýò instead of ößëïõò .
3Jn_1:14. G. inserts ἀìÞí .—A. B. Cod. Sin. have the subscription: ἸùÜííïõ ã . The usual additions occur here and there, but are not sufficiently authenticated.