3 John 1:13 (ASV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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 "things", "write", "thee", and "unwilling". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "things" and "write", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "Demetrius hath the witness of all men..." into verse 14's "but I hope shortly to see thee...", so "things" and "write" 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 "things" and "write" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.