3 John 12-John's Commendation of Demetrius (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)
Doctrinal Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday May 7, 2023
Third John: Third John 12-John’s Commendation of Demetrius
Lesson # 8
3 John 12 Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true. (NIV84)
3 John 12 Demetrius is endorsed by everyone, in fact, by the truth itself so that we at this particular time give our endorsement as well. Indeed, you know for certain that our testimony is true. (Pastor’s translation)
“Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone” speaks of recognition by the Christian community that Demetrius possessed an exemplary godly character.
It refers to the fact that the Christian community spoke well of Demetrius based upon their personal experience with him through the years and that he is a person who performs divine good for the benefit of others.
“And even by the truth itself” is composed of the following: conjunction kai (καί), “and even” (6) preposition hupo (ὑπό), “by” (7) genitive third person feminine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos (αὐτός), “itself” (8) articular genitive feminine singular form of the noun alētheia (ἀλήθεια), “the truth.”
This phrase is difficult to interpret.
The truth here could be a reference to the Trinity since the Spirit is identified as “the Spirit of truth” in John 15:26 and 16:13 and the Father is called “the God of truth” (Isaiah 65:16) and in addition the Lord Jesus Christ is the truth of God since He is the Word of God incarnate (John 1:14; 14:6).
However, interpreting truth as a reference to the Son or the Spirit is abrupt and out of place.
If the truth were either the Son or the Spirit or both or the Trinity, out of respect because of their authority, we would expect the testimony of the godhead to come before the testimony of human beings and the Christian community in Ephesus as well as the apostle John and not between the two.
But this being the case, the conjunction kai preceding this prepositional phrase could be interpreted as being emphatic rather than merely adjunctive or copulative.
If it is emphatic, this would mean that kai is introducing this prepositional phrase which advances upon and intensifies the previous statement that the Christian community in Ephesus testified to Demetrius’ godly character.
This would indicate that John is telling Gaius that Demetrius was endorsed by everyone, “indeed” or “in fact” by the Truth itself, i.e., the Trinity who are truth.
Therefore, the emphasis would be upon the testimony of the Trinity or the Spirit by Himself or the Son.
It also could be interpreted that the Spirit of truth bore witness to Demetrius’ godly character by means of the gospel or the apostolic teaching.
Furthermore, it could be interpreted that the Spirit of truth alone testified to Demetrius’ godly character through the testimony of the Christian community in Ephesus or in other words, the Spirit through the Christian community in Ephesus endorsed Demetrius by testifying of his godly character.
Therefore, this would mean that John is telling Gaius that Demetrius’ is endorsed by everyone, “indeed” or “in fact” by the truth, Himself, i.e. the Holy Spirit.
Through the Christian community who were familiar with Demetrius, the Spirit testified to Demetrius’ godly character in the sense that through the Christian community’s understanding of and obedience to the apostles’ teaching, they could discern from Demetrius’ words and actions that he possessed godly or Christ-like character.
The Spirit and not the Father or the Son would be the truth here since He is the member of the Trinity who testifies to Christ and illuminates His teaching and also forms Christ-like character in the believer who is obedient to His teaching in the Word of God.
By testifying to Christ and forming Christ-like character in the obedient believer the Spirit would be glorifying the Son and the Father.
Therefore, this interpretation of kai as emphatic solves the problem of the truth testifying to Demetrius’ godly character between two human witnesses, namely the Christian community, which was familiar with Demetrius and John himself and also connects the testimony of the church to the Spirit which indwells this community.
This is extremely important since the Christian community could not testify to Demetrius’ godly character without the Spirit giving them discernment and their testimony without the Spirit would be meaningless.
John follows this up by telling Gaius that he testified to Demetrius’ godly character and that he knew without a doubt that John’s testimony was true about Demetrius because the Spirit communicated the gospel to the Ephesian Christian community through him.
He also testified to this man’s godly character since he too is indwelt by the Spirit and can discern through the Spirit this man’s godly character.
Gaius would know without a doubt John’s endorsement of Demetrius’ godly character was true since the Holy Spirit is the one endorsing this man’s character through John and the Ephesian Christian community, which was familiar with him and speaking to Gaius through John’s letter to him.
Gaius knew that the apostle’s endorsement was true since the Holy Spirit who indwelt him as a believer would confirm John’s testimony.
The Law required two or more witnesses to confirm a matter (Deuteronomy 19:15) and here we have the Ephesian Christian community, the apostle John and the Holy Spirit as witnesses to Demetrius’ godly character and sound doctrinal teaching.
Now, if Demetrius was one of the itinerant communicators of the gospel, then John and the Christian community in Ephesus, which was familiar with Demetrius would not only be testifying to this man’s godly character but also that his teaching was in conformity to John’s apostolic teaching.
Consequently, if Demetrius’ teaching met John’s approval, then the apostle is telling Gaius that he can extend hospitality to Demetrius as well by supporting him financially and materially.
“We also speak well of him” presents the result of the previous statements.
“We” is the personal pronoun egō (ἐγώ), which is referring to the apostle John and the first person plural form of this word is an “editorial” plural meaning John is referring to himself alone.
“And you know that our testimony is true” advances upon the previous statement that in addition to the Spirit’s endorsement of Demetrius through the Christian community in Ephesus familiar with this man, John also endorsed him.
It is referring to Gaius’ confidence that John’s endorsement of Demetrius is true or according to truth.
Gaius could have complete confidence that John’s testimony of Demetrius’ character was true since the Holy Spirit endorsed Demetrius through John and was speaking to Gaius through John’s letter to him.
This statement is describing John’s endorsement of Demetrius’ character as being in accordance with fact or reality since it is inspired by the Holy Spirit.
John introduces Gaius to a man named Demetrius and presents a three-fold witness to his godly character.
The church testified to his godly character and so the truth itself, which is a reference to the Holy Spirit.
John also adds his testimony of Demetrius’ godly character by informing Gaius that Demetrius was endorsed by everyone meaning that the Christian community in Ephesus which was familiar with this man recognized his exemplary godly character.
It refers to the fact that the Christian community spoke well of Demetrius based upon their personal experience with him through the years and that he is a person who performs divine good for the benefit of others.
This testimony is hyperbole expressing the fact that within the Christian community the consensus was that Demetrius possessed an exemplary godly character.