A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK

The Pulpit Commentary — 3 John

Alfred Plummer [1841-1926] · 13,731 words · 16 reading sections

SECTION 1

The Pulpit Commentary — 3 John — Section 1

THE PULPIT COMMENTARY. J EDITF.ll BY THE VERY REV. H. D. M. SPENCE, D.D., DEAN OF GLOUCESTBB; AND BY THE REV. JOSEPH S. EXELL, M.A. I I I. JOHN. @xposftion BY REV. A. PLUMMER, M.A., D.D., .IU.STEII OF UNIVBIISITY COLLIIO.BI, DUii.BA II, 1Qomfletfcs BY REV. C. CLEMANCE, B.A., D.D. ~omflirs b11 1-Tntious ~ut…

756 words
SECTION 2

The Pulpit Commentary — 3 John — Section 2

thie TerB<' snlisfMt.orily; ,..,,,..,.&,, ..-o..i's 8 U,v appoint n. deRcon to go thitller 1\8 G orl's E,ryricrp £if -roVt UB,~-i,obs 1tal -rotii-o {ivovr. ambtteeRdor, that he may congrntulato them Here we hM·e three difficulties: (I) to when they are e.ssembled together, and ma.y dett'rmine the meaning of ,,.,,,..…

1,019 words
SECTION 3

The Pulpit Commentary — 3 John — Section 3

Ver. 10.-For this oe.u,e, if I oome, I will is a person of whom Gains has nr,t hitherto bring to remembranoe Ha works whioh he known much; otherwiso this clt1bomto doeth. The e.poetle is proceeding on the commendation would scarcely be necessary. lines proeoribecl by Obrist. He has remon. Conjectures e.bout him a.re…

978 words
SECTION 4

The Pulpit Commentary — 3 John — Section 4

its work. Gaius WR~ R member of a Christian Church (ver. 9, -r'ff ,,.,.,..,,O',,), thou~h we oo not know of which. Ho wae, npparontly, one of St. John's own spiritual children (ver. 4, -ra. lµl -rl,cvm), who gave the e.postle unfeigned joy (ver. 3), BB, beholding his 8teadfast grasp of the truth (ver. 3) and hie upr…

900 words
SECTION 5

The Pulpit Commentary — 3 John — Section 5

V. THIS CBUROH BAD TO BEAB A BORE TRIAL THROUGH UNBANCTIFIED HUMAN AMBITION. In the preceding Epistle the "e.d vance " man (..-poJ:y,,w) is the bane of the Ohurch. Here the ambitious man (,p,>..,nrp,,,,,.,6,,,.,) is such. This spirit showed itself very early among the disciples (Mark ix. 38, 39), and was severely re…

835 words
SECTION 6

The Pulpit Commentary — 3 John — Section 6

"'·nlkcsl in trul h." Perhaps Gaius himself nccde<l this assurance of hie spiritual proe- per_ity. "The wor<ls of the apostle seem to imply," says Dr. Binney," that tho health of Gams was somewhat enfeebled. This might affect hie feelings, and rondor the actual pwspcrity of his soul, while visible to others, unperceive…

842 words
SECTION 7

The Pulpit Commentary — 3 John — Section 7

lato conformity with the truth believed. St. John quite as earnestly insisted upon prnctising tho truth 88 upon holding it. "He that doeth good is of God; he that doeth evil hnth not eeen God" (ver. 11; and 1 John iii. 7, 10). Let us, like Oaius, hold the truth, make it our own; and also live the truth, walk in it day …

810 words
SECTION 8

The Pulpit Commentary — 3 John — Section 8

2. Tiie person by whom it had been l!CIJ6rcised. Gaius. But St. John in the text sets forth the exercise of hospitality &s specially becoming in Christil\ns. He speaks of it RB "a faithful work," i.e. a work worthy of a faithful man or a Christian. Hospitality is fr0que11tly in the sacred Scriptures enjoined upon Chris…

842 words
SECTION 9

The Pulpit Commentary — 3 John — Section 9

some motive or motives. Christian work is no exception to this rule, In Christian propagnndism thore m11y be various motives; e.g. zeal for a cause or society, or for the spread of certain doctrinos or forms of Church government, etc. Each of these is allowable in its place; but neither of them is the highest and best …

979 words
SECTION 10

The Pulpit Commentary — 3 John — Section 10

Vcrs, 9, 10.-Diotrephes : a beacon. " I wrote unto the Church : but Diotrephes," etc. 1. THE CHARACTER OF DroTREPHES BRIEFLY STATED. "Diotrephes, who loveth to have the pre-eminence among them." We do not know who or what this ma.n wa.e beyond what is stated in our text. ,vhether he was pastor, elder, deacon, or other…

663 words
SECTION 11

The Pulpit Commentary — 3 John — Section 11

him?elf !1?r allow others to do so. "The dog in the manger" is the best exponent of his spmt nncl concllld, He prevented some from d,,in ( two thin"'B which nre at onco duties nnd privileges: (1) exercising hospitality to the "brethren 7md strangers; " (2) aiding thorn in their work of evangelization. How terribly evil…

845 words
SECTION 12

The Pulpit Commentary — 3 John — Section 12

action, but the general t.enor of life and conduct. He that doeth evil Is one the general chl\rac.ti,ristic of whose works is evil. Such a one h11s not seen God, The beholding of God is spiritnal. And the vision of God and the doing of evil are incompatible; because: (1) Purity of heart Is essentie.l to the seeing of…

868 words
SECTION 13

The Pulpit Commentary — 3 John — Section 13

forgiven , • , go in peace." "Being jnetified by faith, let ue have peace with God," eto. The peace nleo which flows from confidence in God as regards the possibilities of the future (see M11tt, vi. 26-84). "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind le stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee." 2. P= in our re…

808 words
SECTION 14

The Pulpit Commentary — 3 John — Section 14

dition. His soul wns prospering; he was therefore a man for whom this might bo eafoly sought. He wss making a good use of his means in the interest of the trnth and s0 his health was precious. ,vhat, then, John wishes for Gains is in effect this~ mo~ means and bet#er health, that he might have more to serve God with…

958 words
SECTION 15

The Pulpit Commentary — 3 John — Section 15

they told, ia presence of tho Church, how well they bad been treated by Gaius. Thus the things which were lovely became also the things of good report. (3) Encoura,qed. "Whom thou wilt do well to set forward on their journey worthily of God." 'fhe missioaary brethren were returning to their labours his way; the apostle…

873 words
SECTION 16

The Pulpit Commentary — 3 John — Section 16

of shutting bis door against the missionariee; and when some (onl being Gaius) chose to be guided rather by the apostle's letter, he at once vetoed them, and 1 on their non- fill bmission to bis authority, excommunicated them. But this working, meBntime triumphant, would soon, and very simply, be put a stop to, "Knowe…

755 words
Page 1 of 1

Source & rights

Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.

Project Gutenberg source record →

Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.