3 John 1:4

3 John 1:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
• New International Version (NIV)I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Context of 3 John 1:4

2Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper and be in good health [physically], just as [I know] your soul prospers [spiritually]. 3For I was greatly pleased when [some of the] brothers came [from time to time] and testified to your [faithfulness to the] truth [of the gospel message], that is, how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my [spiritual] children are living [their lives] in the truth. 5Beloved, you are acting faithfully in what you are providing for the brothers, and especially when they are strangers; 6and they have testified before the church of your love and friendship. You will do well to [assist them and] send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.

3 John 1:4 word by word

μειζοτέραν τούτων οὐκ ἔχω χαρὰν ἵνα ἀκούω τὰ ἐμὰ τέκνα ἐν ἀληθείᾳ περιπατοῦντα.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• ·οὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• I haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• noοὐou · noG3756
• greaterμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• joyχαράchara · joyG5479
• thanἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• to hearἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• myἐμόςemos · mineG1699
• childrenτέκνονteknon · childG5043
• walkπεριπατέωperipateō · to walkG4043
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• truthἀλήθειαalētheia · truthG225

Cross-references for 3 John 1:4

• Proverbs 23:24The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who sires a wise child will have joy in him.
• Isaiah 8:18Listen carefully, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are for signs and wonders [that will occur] in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.
• 1 Corinthians 4:15For even if you were to have ten thousand teachers [to guide you] in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers [who led you to Christ and assumed responsibility for you], for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the good news [of salvation].
• Galatians 4:19My little children, for whom I am again in [the pains of] labor until Christ is [completely and permanently] formed within you—
• Philemon 1:10I appeal to you for my [own spiritual] child Onesimus, whom I have fathered [in the faith] while a captive in these chains.
• 1 Kings 2:4so that the Lord may fulfill His promise concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons are careful regarding their way [of life], to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and mind and with all their soul, you shall not fail to have a man (descendant) on the throne of Israel.’
• 1 Kings 3:6Then Solomon said, “You have shown Your servant David my father great lovingkindness, because he walked before You in faithfulness and righteousness and with uprightness of heart toward You; and You have kept for him this great lovingkindness, in that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today.
• 2 Kings 20:3“Please, O Lord, remember now [with compassion] how I have walked before You in faithfulness and truth and with a whole heart [entirely devoted to You], and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
• Psalms 26:1Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity; I have [relied on and] trusted [confidently] in the Lord without wavering and I shall not slip.
• Isaiah 38:3and said, “Please, O Lord, just remember how I have walked before You in faithfulness and truth, and with a whole heart [absolutely devoted to You], and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept greatly.
• John 12:35So Jesus said to them, “The Light is among you [only] a little while longer. Walk while you have the Light [keep on living by it], so that darkness will not overtake you. He who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going [he is drifting aimlessly].
• Galatians 2:14But when I saw that they were not being straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas (Peter) in front of everyone, “If you, being a Jew, live [as you have been living] like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how is it that you are [now virtually] forcing the Gentiles to live like Jews [if they want to eat with you]?”

Commentaries on 3 John 1:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4To hear that my children - From this it has been inferred that Caius was one of St. John's converts, and consequently not the Corinthian Caius, who was converted, most probably, by St. Paul. But the apostle might use the term children here as implying those who were immediately under his pastoral care, and, being an old man, he had a right to use such terms in addressing his juniors both in age and grace; and there is much both of propriety and dignity in…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth - That they adhere steadfastly to the truth, and that they live in accordance with it. This is such language as would be used by an aged apostle when speaking of those who had been converted by his instrumentality, and who looked up to him as a father; and we may, therefore, infer that Gaius had been converted under the ministry of John, and that he was probably a much younger man than he…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Like in 2 John (see 2 John 1:1–4), John emphasizes the importance of knowing and following the truth. This stands in contrast to Diotrephes and those who follow him (3 John 1:9).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. my children--members of the Church: confirming the view that the "elect lady" is a Church.Read the comment

Topics related to 3 John 1:4

• Minister, Christian
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• John, the Second and Third Epistles of
• joy, joyful, rejoice, glad

Commentaries on 3 John 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings