3 John 1:10

For βουλομένους ([983][984][985] and most Versions) [986] and Thebaic have ἐπιδεχομένους.

[983] 4th century. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the monastery of S. Catherine on Mount Sinai, and now at Petersburg. All three Epistles.
[984] 5th century. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, from Alexandria, and afterwards presented by him to Charles I. in 1628. In the British Museum. All three Epistles.
[985] 4th century. Brought to Rome about 1460. It is entered in the earliest catalogue of the Vatican Library, 1475. All three Epistles.
[986] 5th century. A palimpsest: the original writing has been partially rubbed out and the works of Ephraem the Syrian have been written over it. In the National Library at Paris. Part of the First and Third Epistles; 1 John 1:1 to 1 John 4:2; 3 John 1:3-14. Of the whole N.T. the only Books entirely missing are 2 John and 2 Thessalonians.

10. διὰ τοῦτο. For this cause. See on 1 John 3:1.

ὑπομνήσω. ‘I will direct public attention to the matter’; equivalent to ‘bear witness of it before the Church’ (3 John 1:6). For the construction comp. ὑπομνήσει ὑμᾶς πάντα (John 14:26). I will call to remembrance his works (see on 2 John 1:11).

λόγοις πονηροῖς. With evil words: the connexion with ‘the evil one’ must not be missed either here or in 2 John 1:11.

φλυαρῶν ἡμᾶς. The verb occurs nowhere else in N.T., and the construction with an accusative is quite exceptional. It is frequent in Aristophanes and Demosthenes, and means literally ‘to talk nonsense.’ Therefore ‘prates against us,’ garriens in nos, cannot well be improved: it conveys the idea that the words were not only wicked, but senseless. Comp. ‘And not only idle, but tattlers (φλύαροι) also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not’ (1 Timothy 5:13). Other renderings are ‘garringe, or chidinge, in to us’ (Wiclif), ‘chiding against us’ (Purvey), ‘jesting on us’ (Tyndale and Cranmer), ‘pratteling against us’ (Genevan), ‘chatting against us’ (Rhemish), plaudert wider uns (Luther). ‘Prating about us’ may be right: comp. ἀλλάλαις λαλέοντι τεὸν γάμον αἱ κυπάρισσοι (Theocr. XXVII. 58).

The description of the ψευδοπροφήτης in the Shepherd of Hermas (Mand. xi. 12) illustrates this account of Diotrephes: “He exalts himself and wishes to have the chief seat (πρωτοκαθεδρίαν), and forthwith is hasty, and shameless, and talkative.” Comp. 1 Peter 5:3.

ἀρκούμενος ἐπὶ τ. The ἐπί is unusual. Both in N.T. and in classical Greek ἀρκεῖσθαι usually has the dative without a preposition: Luke 3:14; 1 Timothy 6:8; Hebrews 13:5.

οὔτε … καὶ … The combination οὔτε … τε … is not uncommon in classical Greek, but οὔτε … καὶ … is late. It seems to occur, however, in Eur. I. T. 591 εἶ γὰρ, ὡς ἔοικας, οὔτε δυσγενὴς καὶ τὰς Μυκήνας οἶσθα. Comp. οὔτε ἄντλημα ἔχεις καὶ τὸ φρέαρ ἐστὶν βαθύ (John 4:11). Winer, 619.

ἐπιδέχεται. The word occurs nowhere in N.T. but here and 3 John 1:9, though common enough elsewhere. In 3 John 1:9 the meaning seems to be ‘admits not our authority,’ or ‘ignores our letter.’ Here of course it is ‘refuses hospitality to.’ But perhaps ‘closes his doors against’ may be the meaning in both places; ‘us’ being S. John’s friends. By saying ‘us’ rather than ‘me,’ the Apostle avoids the appearance of a personal quarrel.

ἐκ τῆς ἐκκλ. ἐκβάλλει. He excommunicates those who are willing to receive the missionary brethren. The exact meaning of this is uncertain, as we have not sufficient knowledge of the circumstances. The natural meaning is that Diotrephes had sufficient authority or influence in some Christian congregation to exclude from it those who received brethren of whom he did not approve. For the expression comp. John 9:34-35.