Who have given testimony to thy charity in the sight of the church. Whom thou shalt do well to bring forward on their way in a manner worthy of God:
οι εμαρτυρησαν σου τη αγαπη ενωπιον εκκλησιας ους καλως ποιησεις προπεμψας αξιως του θεου
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
"They bore witness concerning you," that is, they praised you before the Church. You led many strangers on their way. You act as one ought for God's sake, that is, according to God's commandment. "For His name's sake," that is, for the name of the Lord.
They themselves, both the brethren and especially the strangers, bore witness before the Church about your love. This may have been done publicly, in a common assembly on some occasion, or privately in praise of one or another of the believers. More probably it was public, in the assembly.
They testified about your love generally toward all the brethren and especially toward strangers. That is, they publicly testified to Gaius's love for strangers.
"Before the Church" does not mean the church where Gaius lived, as is clear from the structure of the speech. It means the church where the Apostle John was staying when the Epistle was written, probably the Church of Ephesus.
You act well toward them, as a faithful man, by receiving them. You will also act well if you send them on their way, and as you do send them, for God's sake, as is fitting, according to God, in a way worthy of God (1 Thess 2:12; Col 1:10). This means that you should continue this good work of hospitality for God's sake and not abandon it.
"You will send them on their way" means that you will care for their safety, accompany them in peace, and not only accompany and dispatch them, but also see that they lack nothing (cf. 1 Cor 16:10-11; Tit 3:13).
Seeing the need of the heralds of the Word to set out on a journey, the Apostle John asks Gaius again to receive them kindly. At the same time he again praises hospitality and says that Gaius, in this case, will do it as though for God Himself. Here one cannot fail to recall the Lord's words: "I was a stranger, and you took Me in" (Mt 25:35), and especially the words spoken to the apostles: "He who receives you receives Me" (Mt 10:40).
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 14 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS