3 John 1:5

5 Most dear brother, thou doest faithfully, whatever thou workest in brethren [Most dear, thou doest faithfully, whatever thou workest into brethren], and that into pilgrims,

3 John 1:5 Meaning and Commentary

3 John 1:5

Beloved, thou doest faithfully
Or a faithful thing, and as became a faithful man, a believer in Christ; in all his beneficence and charity he acted the upright part; he did not do it in an hypocritical way, to be seen of men, and gain applause from them, but from a principle of love, and with a view to the glory of God:

whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;
which may design either different persons; and by "brethren" may be meant the poor brethren of the church that. Gaius belonged to, and others that were well known to him; and by "the strangers", not unconverted persons, but such of the saints as came from foreign parts, and travelled about to spread the Gospel, and enlarge the interest of Christ: or else the same persons may be intended, for the words may be read, as they are in the Alexandrian copy, and some others, and in the Vulgate Latin version, "what thou doest to the brethren, and this to strangers"; that is, as the Arabic version renders it, "to strange brethren"; or, as the Syriac version, "to the brethren, [and] especially [them] that are strangers"; so that Gaius was a very hospitable man, one that entertained and lodged strangers, and used them very civilly and courteously, with great liberality, and with much integrity and sincerity.

3 John 1:5 In-Context

3 I joyed [full] greatly, for brethren came, and bare witnessing to thy truth, as thou walkest in truth.

4 I have not more grace of these things, than that I hear that my sons walk in truth.

5 Most dear brother, thou doest faithfully, whatever thou workest in brethren [Most dear, thou doest faithfully, whatever thou workest into brethren], and that into pilgrims,

6 which yielded witnessing to thy charity, in the sight of the church; which thou leadest forth [whom thou leadest forth], and doest well-worthily to God.

7 For they went forth for his name, and took nothing of heathen men. [Soothly for his name they went forth, nothing taking of heathen men.]