3 John 1:13 (YLT)

Passage

Many things I had to write, but I do not wish through ink and pen to write to thee,

Nearby Context

3 John 1:11 Beloved, be not thou following that which is evil, but that which is good; he who is doing good, of God he is, and he who is doing evil hath not seen God;

3 John 1:12 to Demetrius testimony hath been given by all, and by the truth itself, and we also--we do testify, and ye have known that our testimony is true.

3 John 1:13 Many things I had to write, but I do not wish through ink and pen to write to thee,

3 John 1:14 and I hope straightway to see thee, and mouth to mouth we shall speak. Peace to thee! salute thee do the friends; be saluting the friends by name.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "things", "write", "wish", "through", and "thee". 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 "to Demetrius testimony hath been given by..." into verse 14's "and I hope straightway 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.