(Old Testament quotations/allusions are underlined. [Brackets] indicate a textual variant.fnWhen two (or more) different copies of an original manuscript disagree on any given word or phrase — addition, omission, word order, etc. — the disagreement is called a "textual variant". ~99% of existing textual variants are either minor (like spelling), obviously not original (often appearing only in a few late manuscripts), or don't affect meaning (like "Jesus Christ" vs. "Christ Jesus"). The ~1% that remain do not affect any central doctrine of Christianity. The BOS Bible only marks significant textual variants that affect the meaning; smaller variants that do not affect meaning won't be marked for readability. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings — agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. An asterisk (*) indicates a verb in the Greek perfect tense.fnThe Greek perfect tense signifies a completed action in the past with a result and/or an ongoing state that extends into the present. For example, Hebrews 12:2 says in part: "He *sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"; the verb for "sat" is in the perfect tense, indicating that He sat down once (completed action in the past), and also that He remains seated until the present moment (ongoing state).)
Gaius, Diotrephes, and Demetrius
- The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I ^love in truth.
- Beloved, I pray for you to prosper in all things and to be healthy, just as your soul prospers.
- For I rejoiced greatly at the brothers’ coming and their testifying of the truth in you, just as you walk in the truth.fnquotation/allusion to Psalm 86:11, Psalm 26:3, and 1 Kings 2:4
- I have no greater joy than these things, that I might hear of my children walking in the truth.
- Beloved, you’re faithfully doing whatsoever you do for the brothers, and also do this for strangers,
- men who testified of your ^love before the church assembly, for whom you will do honorably by having sent them on their way in a manner worthy of God.
- For they went out for the sake of The Name, accepting nothing from the pagans.fn“pagans” could also be translated “gentiles”
- Therefore, we’re obligated to accept such men so that we might become fellow workers in the truth.
- I wrote something to the church assembly, but the man loving to be first among them, Diotrephes, doesn’t welcome us.
- Because of this, if I come, I will call to mind his works that he is doing, prattling against us with evil words. And not being satisfied by these, he himself doesn’t welcome the brothers either, and he hinders the men resolving to do so and casts them out of the church assembly.
- Beloved, don’t imitate evil, but good. The man doing good is from God. The man doing evil hasn’t seen God.
- Good testimony of Demetrius has been given by all, and by the truth itself. And we also testify, and you *know that our testimony is true.
- I had many things to write to you, but I don’t want to write to you through pen and ink.
- But I hope to see you very soon, and we will speak mouth to mouth. Peace to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.
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