3 John 1:2-4

Beloved, I wish Or, I pray, as ευχομαι is translated by Beza, Estius, Erasmus, Schmidius, Doddridge, and others. Above all things Or, with respect to all things, as περι παντων rather signifies; that thou mayest prosper and be in health Namely, of body; even as, I doubt not, thy soul prospereth In faith, love, and every virtue. For I rejoiced greatly when the brethren Who went to the church, of which thou art a member; came back and testified of the truth that is in thee Thy faith, love, and other Christian graces; even as thou walkest in the truth Adornest the gospel by an exemplary conduct, and all good works. The apostle emphatically terms Gaius's joining works of charity with faith in the doctrines of the gospel, the truth that was in him. For there is no true faith without good works: it always produces good works: neither are any works good but such as proceed from faith. These two joined constitute the truth of religion. For I have, &c. That is, nothing gives me greater joy, than to hear that my children walk in the truth Such is the spirit of every true Christian pastor. It seems probable by this, as has been intimated above, that Gaius was converted by St. John. Hence, in speaking to him, he uses the tender style of paternal love, and his calling him one of his children, when writing under the character of the elder, has peculiar beauty and propriety.