Beloved, don’t imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn’t seen God.
Parallel translations
- KJV Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.
- BSB Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.
- NKJV Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.
- NASB Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does what is good is of God; the one who does what is evil has not seen God.
- NLT Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
John urges Gaius to imitate good rather than evil, for doing good shows one belongs to God, while doing evil shows one has not truly known him. A person's habitual conduct reveals their true spiritual condition.
Overview
With Diotrephes as a negative example, John exhorts Gaius to follow what is good. The contrast between being 'of God' and 'not having seen God' echoes John's first letter, where doing righteousness marks the children of God. This is not salvation by works but the principle that genuine, regenerating knowledge of God in Christ inevitably produces a life of good.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 20
- Isa 1:16–17Wash yourselves, make yourself clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil.
- Ps 37:27Depart from evil, and do good. Live securely forever.
- Eph 5:1Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children.
- 1 Pet 3:11Let him turn away from evil, and do good. Let him seek peace, and pursue it.
- John 3:20For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn’t come to the light, lest his works would be exposed.
- 1 Pet 3:13Now who is he who will harm you, if you become imitators of that which is good?
- Ps 34:14Depart from evil, and do good. seek peace, and pursue it.
- 1 Jn 3:6–9Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him and doesn’t know him.
- 2 Tim 3:10But you did follow my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, steadfastness,
- 1 Jn 2:29If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
- Exod 23:2“You shall not follow a crowd to do evil. You shall not testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice.
- John 10:27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
- John 12:26If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there will my servant also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
- 1 Th 1:6You became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,
- 1 Th 2:14For you, brothers, became imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews;
- Heb 6:12that you won’t be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherited the promises.
- Prov 12:11He who tills his land shall have plenty of bread, but he who chases fantasies is void of understanding.
- 1 Cor 4:16I beg you therefore, be imitators of me.
- 1 Cor 11:1Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.
- Phil 3:17Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Faithful love shown for the sake of 'the Name' is service rendered to Christ, who is the truth in which his people walk.
How 3 John 1:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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