3 John 1:12 (ASV)

Passage

Demetrius hath the witness of all [men], and of the truth itself: yea, we also bear witness: and thou knowest that our witness is true.

Nearby Context

3 John 1:10 Therefore, if I come, I will bring to remembrance his works which he doeth, prating against us with wicked words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and them that would he forbiddeth and casteth [them] out of the church.

3 John 1:11 Beloved, imitate not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

3 John 1:12 Demetrius hath the witness of all [men], and of the truth itself: yea, we also bear witness: and thou knowest that our witness is true.

3 John 1:13 I had many things to write unto thee, but I am unwilling to write [them] to thee with ink and pen:

3 John 1:14 but I hope shortly to see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace [be] unto thee. The friends salute thee. Salute the friends by name.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "demetrius", "hath", "witness", "truth", "bear", "thou", and "knowest". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "demetrius" and "hath", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "Beloved imitate not that which is evil..." into verse 13's "I had many things to write unto...", so "demetrius" and "hath" belong inside that flow. In 3 John context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "demetrius" and "hath" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.