3 John 1:7

Because that for his name's sake they went forth,.... From Judea; either of their own accord to preach the Gospel, or being drove out by the unbelieving Jews, for professing the name of Christ; and be it which it will, there was good reason why they should be regarded, and especially since they did as follows, taking nothing of the Gentiles; even of those who were converted, though their preaching the Gospel, to whom they ministered, for of others, the unconverted Gentiles, they could not expect to receive; and this they did, as the apostles before them, because they would not be chargeable to them, and lest it should be thought they sought their own worldly interest, and not the good of souls and glory of Christ, and so a stumblingblock be laid in the way of the Gospel, to hinder the progress of it. The Ethiopic version reads this in the singular number, "and I went forth for his name's sake, taking nothing of the Gentiles".

1:1-8 Those who are beloved of Christ, will love the brethren for his sake. Soul prosperity is the greatest blessing on this side heaven. Grace and health are rich companions. Grace will employ health. A rich soul may be lodged in a weak body; and grace must then be exercised in submitting to such a dispensation. But we may wish and pray that those who have prosperous souls, may have healthful bodies; that their grace may shine where there is still more room for activity. How many professors there are, about whom the apostle's words must be reversed, and we must earnestly wish and pray that their souls might prosper, as their health and circumstances do! True faith will work by love. A good report is due from those who receive good; they could not but testify to the church, what they found and felt. Good men will rejoice in the soul prosperity of others; and they are glad to hear of the grace and goodness of others. And as it is a joy to good parents, it will be a joy to good ministers, to see their people adorn their profession. Gaius overlooked petty differences among serious Christians, and freely helped all who bore the image, and did the work of Christ. He was upright in what he did, as a faithful servant. Faithful souls can hear their own praises without being puffed up; the commendation of what is good in them, lays them at the foot of the cross of Christ.

3 John 1:7 . Τοῦ ὀνόματος , the name ) Understand, of God: Leviticus 24:11 . Comp. Jam 2:7 .—[ ἐξῆλθον , they went forth ) either as exiles, or as preachers of the Gospel.—V. g.]— μηδὲν , nothing ) They waived that to which they were justly entitled; and either received no reward for their labour, or submitted to the spoiling of their goods.— ἀπὸ , from ) Construct this with they went forth .

3 John 1:7 . τοῦ Ὀνόματος , sc. of Jesus ( cf. Acts 5:40-41 ). There is perhaps a reference to this verse in Ignat. ad Eph. 7:1: εἰώθασι γάρ τινες δόλῳ πονηρῷ τὸ ὄνομα περιφέρειν , ἄλλα τινὰ πράσσοντες ἀνάξια Θεοῦ . 3:1: δέδεμαι ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι . ἐξῆλθαν , sc. from Ephesus, the seat of the Apostle and therefore the headquarters of the Church in Asia Minor. Cf. Introd. p. 155. μηδέν , see note on 1 John 2:4 . Winer (Moulton’s Winer, p. 463, note 1) draws a distinction, perhaps too fine, between λαμβάνειν παρά τινος and λαμβάνειν ἇπό τινος , The former would have been used here had the Gentiles “ proferred an acknowledgment; the latter implies exaction . The missionaries might have accepted maintenance ( Matthew 10:10 ), but like St. Paul they waived their right, “that they might cause no hindrance to the Gospel of Christ” (1 Corinthians 9).

7. his name's sake—Christ's. went forth—as missionaries. taking nothing—refusing to receive aught by way of pay, or maintenance, though justly entitled to it, as Paul at Corinth and at Thessalonica. Gentiles—the Christians just gathered out by their labors from among the heathen. As Gaius himself was a Gentile convert, "the Gentiles" here must mean the converts just made from the heathen, the Gentiles to whom they had gone forth. It would have been inexpedient to have taken aught (the Greek "meden" implies, not that they got nothing, though they had desired it, but that it was of their own choice they took nothing) from the infant churches among the heathen: the case was different in receiving hospitality from Gaius.

Ver. 7. - For the sake of THE NAME. Such is the exact rendering of the true text; the insertion of "his" before "Name" weakens the effect. There was no need to say more. Just as to a Jew "the Name" must mean "Jehovah," so to a Christian "the Name" must mean "Jesus Christ" (comp. Acts 5:41 ; James 2:7 ). St. Ignatius writes to the Ephesians, "I am in bonds for the Name's sake" (3); and "Some are wont of malicious guile to hawk about the Name" (7); and again to the Philadelphians, "It is becoming for you, as a Church of God, to appoint a deacon to go thither as God's ambassador, that he may congratulate them when they are assembled together, and may glorify the Name" (10.). Taking nothing of the Gentiles, lest the heathen should suspect their motives, and think, "Like all the quack priests and philosophers, you make a mere trade of your doctrine, and preach to fill your bellies." Nothing wins men over so much as clear proofs of disinterestedness. The missionary who is suspected of self-seeking will preach in vain. That οἱ ἐθνικοί here must mean "heathen" seems clear from Matthew 5:47 ; Matthew 6:7 ; Matthew 18:17 , the only other places in the New Testament where the word is found; moreover, the context requires it.

There is no need to ask whether the word may not mean "Gentile Christians." The missionary brethren would, therefore, have been in great straits but for the courage and generosity of Gains; Diotrephes turned them out of doors and forbade others to succour them; and they themselves made it a rule not to ask for help from Gentiles. 3 John 1:7

For His Name's sake (ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος) His is supplied by the A.V. It is not in the text. Rev., correctly, for the sake of the Name. The Name (Jesus Christ) is used thus absolutely in Acts 5:41; compare James 2:7. For a similar absolute use of the way, see on Acts 4:2. See on 1 John 1:7. Taking nothing of (μηδὲν λαμβάνοντες ἀπὸ) For the phrase taking of, or from, see on 1 John 1:5. The Gentiles (ἐθνικῶν) This word occurs elsewhere only in the Gospel of Matthew. The more common word is ἔθνη, which is the reading of the Tex. Rec. here: ἐθνῶν. See on Luke 2:32.

7 . Because that for his Name’s sake ] Much more forcibly the true text ( א ABCKL), For for the sake of the Name : the ‘His’ is a weak amplification in several versions. A similar weakening is found in Acts 5:41 , which should run, ‘Rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the Name.’ ‘The Name’ of course means the Name of Jesus Christ: comp. James 2:7 . This use of ‘the Name’ is common in the Apostolic Fathers; Ignatius, Eph. iii., vii.; Philad. x.; Clem. Rom. ii., xiii.; Hermas, Sim. viii. 10, ix. 13, 28. they went forth ] Comp. Acts 15:40 . taking nothing of the Gentiles ] Hence the necessity for men like Gaius to help. These missionaries declined to ‘spoil the Egyptians’ by taking from the heathen, and therefore would be in great difficulties if Christians did not come forward with assistance. We are not to understand that the Gentiles offered help which these brethren refused, but that the brethren never asked them for help. ‘The Gentiles’ ( οἱ ἐθνικοί ) cannot well mean Gentile converts . What possible objection could there be to receiving help from them? Comp. Matthew 5:47 ; Matthew 6:7 ; Matthew 18:17 , the only other places where the word occurs. There was reason in not accepting money or hospitality at all, but working for their own living, as S. Paul loved to do. And there was reason in not accepting help from heathen. But there would be no reason in accepting from Jewish converts, but not from Gentile ones.

Some expositors render this very differently. ‘For for the Name’s sake they went forth from the Gentiles, taking nothing;’ i.e. they were driven out by the heathen, penniless. But ‘went forth’ is too gentle a word to mean this; and the negative ( μηδέν not οὐδέν ) seems to imply that it was their determination not to accept anything, not merely that as a matter of fact they received nothing. For ‘receive from’ in a similar sense comp. Matthew 17:25 .