Ver. 2 ... _thy soul._] Strange difficulty seems to be felt in some quarters about the word ψυχη, as used by our Lord and the Apostles. The difficulty arises from a singular argument advanced by M. Renan. He maintains that Christ and His first followers knew nothing of "the soul" as the immortal principle in man--that in him which is capable of being saved or lost. It was simply, according to him, _either_ the animal natural life[395] (Matt. ii. 20; John xii. 25); _or_ at most the vague Greek immortality of the shadows, as opposed to the later Hebrew Resurrection-life. But there are very numerous passages in the New Testament where "soul" _can_ only be used for "life as created by God;" for the thinking substance, different from the body and indestructible by death, created with possibilities of eternal happiness or misery. (The following passages are decisive--Matt. x. 28, xi. 29; Acts ii. 27; 2 Cor. xii. 13; Heb. xiii. 17; 1 Pet. i. 9, 22, ii. 11, 25; Jas. i. 21, v. 20; 3 John 2; Apoc. vi. 9, xx. 4).
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[372] Caius, a Macedonian (Acts xix. 29); Caius of Derbe (Acts xx. 4); Caius of Corinth (Rom. xvi. 23; 1 Cor. i. 14).
[373] Rom. xvi. 23.
[374] No doubt ver. 10 presents some difficulty. Voyages between Corinth were regularly and easily performed. Still it is scarcely probable that the aged Apostle should have contemplated such a voyage. But the form (εαν ελθω) purposely expresses possibility rather than probability--the smallest amount of presumption--if I shall come, which is not quite impossible. (Donaldson, _Gr. Gr._, "Conditional Propositions." 501.) The hope of seeing Caius "face to face" (ver. 14) contains no objection, as it may refer to a visit of Caius to Ephesus.
[375] "Synopsis S.S." '76. (S. Athanas., _Opp_., iv. 433. Edit. Migne.)
[376] Read together 3 John 12, and John xxi. 24.
[377] The writer had worked out his conclusions about Caius independently before he happened to read Bengel's note. "Caius _Corinthi_ de quo Rom. xvi. 23, vel huic Caio, Johannis amico, fuit _simillimus_ in hospitalite--vel _idem_;--si idem, ex Achaia in Asiam migravit, vel Corinthum Johannes hanc epistolam misit."
[378] Acts xix. 23-41.
[379] "Almost throughout all Asia this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying, that they be no gods, which are made with hands."--Acts xix. 26.
[380] vii. 46.
[381] Apoc. iii. 7, 8, 12.
[382] "All men."
[383] Και ὑπ' αυτης της αληθειας _i.e._, Jesus (Apoc. iii. 7, 12). This type of expression marks the "Asiatic school." So Papias; απ' αυτης της αληθειας (Ap. Euseb. _H. E._, iii. 39). Cf. John xiv. 6.
[384] "And we also bear witness." 3 John 12.
[385] 3 John 5, 6, 7.
[386] 2 John 9.
[387] 3 John 9, 10.
[388] See authorities quoted by Archdeacon Lee (_Speaker's Commentary_, Tom. ii., N.T., p. 512).
[389] μιμου ... το αγαθον, 3 John 11.
[390] 3 John 13.
[391] The verb αγαθοποιειν is found in a few places in the LXX and New Testament. "Amongst profane writers, astrologers only used this verb. They signified by it, _I offer a good omen_. So in Proclus and others." See Bretsch. and Grimm, s. v. αγαθοποιεω.
[392] "Worthily of God" ver. 6; "is of God--hath not seen God" ver. 11.
[393] Ver. 7.
[394] "The friends salute thee: salute the friends by name," ver. 14 The mention of friendship is not common in the New Testament. Beautiful exceptions will be found in Luke xii. 4; John xi. 11, xv. 14, 15; cf. Acts xxvii. 3.
[395] As indicated by breathing--from ψυχω
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