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For they went out on behalf of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.
3 John 1:7 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB because for the sake of the Name they went out, taking nothing from the Gentiles.
  • KJV Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.
  • NKJV because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles.
  • NASB For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.
  • NLT For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers.

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

These workers went out for the sake of Jesus' name, refusing support from unbelievers. Their integrity in not depending on outsiders makes them especially worthy of the church's backing.

Overview

'For the sake of the Name' refers to the name of Jesus, the cause for which these missionaries labored. By taking nothing from the Gentiles (here, unbelievers), they avoided any appearance that the gospel was for profit or under obligation to outsiders. Their reliance on fellow Christians for support set the pattern that those who proclaim Christ should be sustained by his people.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 12

  • 2 Cor 4:5For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
  • Rev 2:3Without growing weary, you have persevered and endured many things for the sake of My name.
  • 2 Kgs 5:15–16Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, “Now I know for sure that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”
  • 2 Cor 12:13In what way were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!
  • 2 Cor 11:7–9Was it a sin for me to humble myself in order to exalt you, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?
  • 1 Cor 9:18What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it.
  • Col 1:24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church.
  • 2 Kgs 5:20–27Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared this Aramean, Naaman, while not accepting what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”
  • Acts 5:41The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
  • Acts 9:16I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.”
  • 1 Cor 9:12–15If others have this right to your support, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not exercise this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.
  • Acts 8:4Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 3 John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 3 John 1:7YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 3 JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 1:7 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.