Beloved, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, and especially since they are strangers to you.
Parallel translations
- WEB Beloved, you do a faithful work in whatever you accomplish for those who are brothers and strangers.
- KJV Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;
- NKJV Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers,
- NASB Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brothers and sisters, and especially when they are strangers;
- NLT Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you.
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 commends Gaius for faithfully serving fellow believers, including traveling strangers he did not personally know. Genuine faith expresses itself in practical, hospitable love.
Overview
Gaius had welcomed and supported itinerant Christian workers, even those who were strangers to him. In the early church, such hospitality was vital because traveling missionaries depended on local believers for lodging and provision. This faithful, costly love is the visible fruit of the truth Gaius confessed, the kind of love Christ commanded among his people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Gal 6:10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.
- Luke 16:10–12Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
- Col 3:17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
- Luke 12:42And the Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their portion at the proper time?
- 2 Cor 4:1–3Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this ministry, we do not lose heart.
- Matt 24:45Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time?
- 1 Pet 4:10–11As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.
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 1:5 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.