3 John 1:11 (GNV)

Passage

Beloued, follow not that which is euill, but that which is good: he that doeth well, is of God: but he that doeth euill, hath not seene God.

Nearby Context

3 John 1:9 I wrote vnto the Church: but Diotrephes which loueth to haue the preeminence among them, receiueth vs not.

3 John 1:10 Wherefore if I come, I will call to your remembrance his deedes which he doeth, pratling against vs with malicious wordes, and not therewith content, neither he himselfe receiueth the brethren, but forbiddeth them that woulde, and thrusteth them out of the Church.

3 John 1:11 Beloued, follow not that which is euill, but that which is good: he that doeth well, is of God: but he that doeth euill, hath not seene God.

3 John 1:12 Demetrius hath good report of al men, and of the trueth it selfe: yea, and wee our selues beare recorde, and ye know that our record is true.

3 John 1:13 I haue many things to write: but I will not with yncke and pen write vnto thee:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "beloued", "follow", "euill", "good", "doeth", and "well". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "beloued" and "follow", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "Wherefore if I come I will call..." into verse 12's "Demetrius hath good report of al men...", so "beloued" and "follow" 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 "beloued" and "follow" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.