3 John 1:4 (GNV)

Passage

I haue no greater ioy then these, that is, to heare that my sonnes walke in veritie.

Nearby Context

3 John 1:2 Beloued, I wish chiefly that thou prosperedst and faredst well as thy soule prospereth.

3 John 1:3 For I reioyced greatly when the brethren came, and testified of the trueth that is in thee, how thou walkest in the trueth.

3 John 1:4 I haue no greater ioy then these, that is, to heare that my sonnes walke in veritie.

3 John 1:5 Beloued, thou doest faithfully, whatsoeuer thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers,

3 John 1:6 Which bare witnesse of thy loue before the Churches. Whom if thou bringest on their iourney as it beseemeth according to God, thou shalt doe well,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "haue", "greater", "heare", "sonnes", "walke", and "veritie". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "haue" and "greater", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "For I reioyced greatly when the brethren..." into verse 5's "Beloued thou doest faithfully whatsoeuer thou doest...", so "haue" and "greater" 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 "haue" and "greater" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.