3 John 1:3 (ASV)

Passage

For I rejoiced greatly, when brethren came and bare witness unto thy truth, even as thou walkest in truth.

Nearby Context

3 John 1:1 The elder unto Gaius the beloved, whom I love in truth.

3 John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that in all things thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

3 John 1:3 For I rejoiced greatly, when brethren came and bare witness unto thy truth, even as thou walkest in truth.

3 John 1:4 Greater joy have I none than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.

3 John 1:5 Beloved, thou doest a faithful work in whatsoever thou doest toward them that are brethren and strangers withal;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "rejoiced", "greatly", "brethren", "came", "bare", "witness", "truth", and "even". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "rejoiced" and "greatly", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "Beloved I pray that in all things..." into verse 4's "Greater joy have I none than this...", so "rejoiced" and "greatly" 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 "rejoiced" and "greatly" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.