3 John 1:2

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. ABOVE ALL THINGS, [ peri (G4012)] - 'concerning all things.' Alford, in all respects. Wahl justifies the English version (cf. 1 Peter 4:8). Since his soul's prosperity is presupposed, "above all things" does not imply that John wishes Gaius' bodily prosperity above that of his soul, but as the first object to be desired next after spiritual health. I know you are prospering in your soul. I wish you similar prosperity in your body. Perhaps John had heard from the brethren (3 John 1:3) that Gains was in bad health, and was tried in other ways (3 John 10), to which the wish refers....

1-8 Those who are beloved of Christ, will love the brethren for his sake. Soul prosperity is the greatest blessing on this side heaven. Grace and health are rich companions. Grace will employ health. A rich soul may be lodged in a weak body; and grace must then be exercised in submitting to such a dispensation. But we may wish and pray that those who have prosperous souls, may have healthful bodies; that their grace may shine where there is still more room for activity. How many professors there are, about whom the apostle's words must be reversed, and we must earnestly wish and pray that their souls might prosper, as their health and circumstances do! True faith will work by love. A good report is due from those who receive good; they could not but testify to the church, what they found and felt. Good men will rejoice in the soul prosperity of others; and they are glad to hear of the g...

Verse 3 John 1:2. _I WISH ABOVE ALL THINGS_] περι παντων ευχομαι. _Above_ _all things I pray that thou mayest prosper, and be in health_, και υγιαινειν. to which one MS. adds εν αληθεια, which gives it a different meaning, viz., _that thou mayest be sound in the truth_. The prayer of St. John for Caius includes _three_ particulars: 1. Health of body; 2. Health of soul; and 3. Prosperity in secular affairs. _That thou mayest_ PROSPER _and be in_ HEALTH, _as thy_ SOUL PROSPERETH. These _three_ things, so necessary to the comfort of life, every Christian may in a certain measure expect, and for them every Christian is authorized to pray; and we should have more of all three if we devoutly prayed for them. It appears from the last _clause_ that the soul of Caius was in a very prosperous state....

BELOVED, I WISH ABOVE ALL THINGS - Margin, “pray.” The word used here commonly means in the New Testament to pray; but it is also employed to express a strong and earnest desire for anything, Acts 27:29; Rom 9:3; 2 Corinthians 13:9. This is probably all that is implied here. The phrase rendered “above all things” - περὶ πάντων peri pantōn - would be more correctly rendered here “concerning, or in respect to all things;” and the idea is, that John wished earnestly that “in all respects” he might have the same kind of prosperity which his soul had. The common translation “above all things” would seem to mean that John valued health and outward prosperity more than he did anything

BELOVED, I WISH ABOVE ALL THINGS THAT THOU MAYEST PROSPER,.... Or succeed in all temporal affairs, in the business of life, in which he was; and as success of this sort depends upon the blessing of God, which maketh rich, it is to be wished and prayed for from him: AND BE IN HEALTH; that is, of body, which above all things above all outward mercies, is the most desirable; for without this, what are the richest dainties, the largest possessions, or the best of friends? without this there can be no comfortable enjoyment of either of them; and therefore of this sort of mercies, it is in the first place, and above all others, to be wished for, and desired by one friend for another. The rule and measure of this wish is according to the prosperity of his soul, EVEN AS THY SOUL PROSPERETH: the soul is diseased with sin, and may be said to be in good health, when all its iniquities are forgive...

COMMENTARY ON THE SECOND EPISTLE THE THIRD EPISTLE The Third Epistle is addressed by the elder, the aged Apostle John, to a brother by name of Gaius. A Gaius is mentioned in Acts 19:29; Acts 20:4, Romans 16:23 and 1 Corinthians 1:14. It is impossible to say whether this is the same. John calls him well-beloved, whom he loved in the truth. Thus he emphasizes the truth once more as he had done before. He wishes that he might prosper in his body, in health, as even his soul prospered. He had heard from the brethren who testified of the truth in him and that he walked in the truth. He rejoiced in this and declares “I have no great

3 JOHN 1:12. COMMENDATION OF DEMETRIUS. He was probably the bearer of this letter and one of the evangelists. The name was so common that any identification with the Demetrius of Acts 19:24 is improbable. 3 JOHN 1:13. CONCLUSION. The writer adds no more because he hopes soon to visit Gaius. He sends greetings from himself and others. 3 John 1:14. the friends: this is almost a technical expression denoting an inner circle in the churches to which the writer and Gaius belonged. Those constituting each group were drawn together by moral affinities and love of the truth. Here the friends at Ephesus send a greeting to Gaius an

The Elder to Gaius, the beloved, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that everything is going well with you, and that you are in good health of body, as it goes well with your soul. It gave me great joy when certain brothers came and testified of the truth of your life, as indeed you do walk in the truth. No news brings me greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. No New Testament letter better shows that the Christian letters were exactly on the model which all letter-writers used in the time of the early church. There is a papyrus letter from Irenaeus, a ship's captain, to his brother Apolinarius: Irenaeus to Apolinarius his brother, my greetings. Continually I pray that you may be in health, even as I myself am in health. I wish you to know that I arrived at land on the 6th of the month Epeiph, and I finished unloading my ship on the 18th of the same...

WISH. pray. App-134. ABOVE. concerning. App-104. PROSPER. Greek. _euodoumai._ See Romans 1:10. BE IN HEALTH. Greek. _hugiaino._ See Luke 5:31. SOUL. App-110. 3 John 1:1. As Gaius had. sound mind, John desires for him. sound body also....

Personal Good Wishes and Sentiments 2. _I wish above all things that_ Rather, I PRAY THAT IN ALL RESPECTS; literally, _concerning all things_. It might well surprise us to find S. John placing health and prosperity _above_all things; and though the Greek phrase (περὶ πάντων) has that meaning sometimes in Homer, yet no parallel use of it has been found in either N.T. or LXX. _prosper_ The word (εὐοδούσθαι) occurs elsewhere in N.T. only Romans 1:10 and 1 Corinthians 16:2, but is frequent in LXX. Etymologically it has the meaning of being prospered in a _journey_, but that element has been lost in usage, and should not be restored even in Romans 1:10. and be in health