From Gary... The Composite Bible

Today, with so many translations available to the English reader, you really have to ask yourself: 

" What Bible translation should I use"

My answer to this question is to find a literal translation and then progressively compare it to more literal translations.  This forces you to think of not only the general meaning of the text, but the differences between the words as well.  Listed below is the book of 3rd John; as you read, I think you will see the benefit of what I am saying.

Note: The completed work can be found on compositebible.com.  There are a variety of PDF Bible combinations to choose from or you can read online if you prefer or download one or more of the four Microsoft Access Database programs (a free runtime edition of MS Access is available).

Enjoy your study!!!

The Composite Bible

The World English Bible

Darby's Translation

Young's Literal Translation

3 John

3 John 1 1

The elder to Gaius the beloved, whom I love in truth.

The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.

The Elder to Gaius the beloved, whom I love in truth!

3 John 1 2

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers.

Beloved, I desire that in all things thou shouldest prosper and be in health, even as thy

soul prospers.

beloved, concerning all things I desire thee to prosper, and to be in health, even

as thy soul doth prosper,

3 John 1 3

For I rejoiced greatly, when brothers came and testified about your truth, even as you walk in

truth.

For I rejoiced exceedingly when [the] brethren came and bore testimony to thy [holding

fast the] truth, even as *thou* walkest in truth.

for I rejoiced exceedingly, brethren coming and testifying of the truth in thee,

even as thou in truth dost walk;

3 John 1 4

I have no greater joy than this, to hear about my children walking in truth.

I have no greater joy than these things that I hear of my children walking in the truth.

greater than these things I have no joy, that I may hear of my children in truth

walking.

3 John 1 5

Beloved, you do a faithful work in whatever you accomplish for those who are brothers and

strangers.

Beloved, thou doest faithfully [in] whatever thou mayest have wrought towards the

brethren and that strangers,

Beloved, faithfully dost thou do whatever thou mayest work to the brethren and to

the strangers,

3 John 1 6

They have testified about your love before the assembly. You will do well to send them forward

on their journey in a manner worthy of God,

(who have witnessed of thy love before [the] assembly,) in setting forward whom on their

journey worthily of God, thou wilt do well;

who did testify of thy love before an assembly, whom thou wilt do well, having

sent forward worthily of God,

3 John 1 7

because for the sake of the Name they went out, taking nothing from the Gentiles.

for for the name have they gone forth, taking nothing of those of the nations.

because for [His] name they went forth, nothing receiving from the nations;

3 John 1 8

We therefore ought to receive such, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

*We* therefore ought to receive such, that we may be fellow-workers with the truth.

we, then, ought to receive such, that fellow-workers we may become to the truth.

3 John 1 9

I wrote to the assembly, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, doesn`t accept what

we say.

I wrote something to the assembly; but Diotrephes, who loves to have the first place

among them, receives us not.

I did write to the assembly, but he who is loving the first place among them --

Diotrephes -- doth not receive us;

3 John 1 10

Therefore, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with

wicked words. Not content with this, neither does he himself receive the brothers, and those

who would, he forbids and throws out of the assembly.

For this reason, if I come, I will bring to remembrance his works which he does, babbling

against us with wicked words; and not content with these, neither does he himself

receive the brethren; and those who would he prevents, and casts [them] out of the

because of this, if I may come, I will cause him to remember his works that he

doth, with evil words prating against us; and not content with these, neither doth

he himself receive the brethren, and those intending he doth forbid, and out of

the assembly he doth cast.

3 John 1 11

Beloved, don`t imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He

who does evil hasn`t seen God.

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He that does good is of God. He that

does evil has not seen God.

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

Demetrius has the testimony of all, and of the truth itself; yes, we also testify, and you know that

our testimony is true.

Demetrius has witness borne to him by all, and by the truth itself; and *we* also bear

witness, and thou knowest that our witness is true.

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

I had many things to write to you, but I am unwilling to write to you with ink and pen;

I had many things to write to thee, but I will not with ink and pen write to thee;

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

3 John 1 14

but I hope to see you soon, and we will speak face to face. Peace be to you. The friends greet you.

Greet the friends by name.

but I hope soon to see thee, and we will speak mouth to mouth. Peace [be] to thee. The

friends greet thee. Greet the friends by name.

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.

Failure or success?

Interesting list of "failures".  However, for a brief period of time, some people actually thought these now famous people were of no consequence.  When others find fault with you and criticize you and put you down, they hurt you.  We all have moments like this in our lives, but its what we do with the disappointment, the hurt and that gnawing feeling of "being lost" that is important.  I look at this picture and wonder what those who hurt them are thinking now?  Which, in turn, makes me wonder what the Jews who contested with the apostle Paul must have felt like- say after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.?  Here is how Paul thought about his "Past".  See if you can relate?

Philippians, Chapter 3

 1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe. 2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision.  3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;  4 though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more:  5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;  6 concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless. 

  7  However, what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ.  8 Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ  9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;  10 that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death;  11 if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.  12 Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, if it is so that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 

  13  Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,  14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you.  16 Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us be of the same mind. 17 Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example.  18 For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ,  19 whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things.  20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;  21 who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself. 

Everyone wants to be a success in life.  This is subtly (and sometimes no-so-subtly) ingrained in us from childhood.  What if we fail to live up to the expectations of others??? What then???  The elite of the pharisees who knew Paul before he knew Jesus, must have looked at him in disappointment and dismay as he preached the risen Christ.  After all, to them, Paul was a somebody, and now - a failure.  But what others think of you is no so important as what you think of yourself - and, WHAT GOD THINKS OF YOU!!!!  Even if you have failed in this world, if you are a faithful Christian, you will succeed beyond your wildest dreams.  And, I might add- you will succeed FOREVER.  And FOREVER is a very, very, very LONG TIME!!!!!

From G.V.W. ... WILL OF MAN versus WILL OF GOD

WILL OF MAN versus WILL OF GOD

WILL - (Webster) "The act or process of volition; specifically, a) wish; desire; longing. b) inclination, disposition; pleasure. c) appetite, lust." Also, "Strong purpose, intention, or determination." Also, "The power of conscious and deliberate action or choice.

That which has to do with the will involves the issue of choice. The will is that which is exercised in the making of choices.

Joshua called upon the Israelites to make a choice - to follow the religious traditions of their idolatrous ancestors, or to follow the God of heaven.

Josh. 24:14-17 Their choice was a matter of an 

                         expression of their will.

Direction in life is not initially a matter of our will - due to the fact that we inherently lack

the knowledge necessary to point us in the right direction. Therefore, that direction must come from a source outside of ourselves.

Jer. 10:23 "O Lord, I know the way of man is not in  

                  himself; It is not in man who walks to 

                  direct his own steps."

The reason we are not capable of directing ourselves in the right direction is because God's ways are beyond our ability to know within ourselves.

Isa. 55:8-9 "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, 

                   nor are your ways My ways,' says the 

                   Lord. (9) For as the heavens are higher 

                   than the earth, So are My ways higher 

                   than your ways, and My thoughts than 

                   your thoughts."

Because we must rely on a source outside of ourselves, it becomes critical that we carefully consider what we hear and how we choose. Satan uses deception

to misdirect our way.

Prov. 14:12 "There is a way that seems right to a 

                     man, but its end is the way of death."

Mt. 7:13-20 There are two directions in life for us 

                   to choose from. The choice is a 

                   matter of our will verses God's will.

Mt. 7:21-29 The outcome of our choice has 

                   eternal consequences.

Notice - In doing the will of the Father, we act upon His authority - and this is the condition of entrance into His kingdom.

Mt. 21:23-31 Jesus' authority being questioned 

                    prompted this parable which 

                    teaches us of the conflict that goes 

                    on between our will and God's will.

That which is according to God's will is the authority upon which we must act."

Jas. 4:13-17 In daily activities we are to submit 

                    our will - otherwise we will become

                    indifferent, arrogant, & disobedient 

                    which is sin.

"The greatest thing we will do in life is surrender our will to God's will." Because our choices have eternal consequences, it is imperative that we give thought to the choices that we make. There is grave danger in acting impulsively

- where we react rather than choose.

Eccl. 5:2 "Do not be rash with your mouth, and let 

                not your heart utter anything hastily 

                before God. For God is in heaven, and 

                you on earth; Therefore let your words be 

                few."

How do we bring such impulsiveness under control?

Gal. 5:16-25 By being led by the Spirit through 

                    His word, we can avoid fulfilling the 

                    will of the flesh. NOTICE - in vs. 20 

                    "outbursts of wrath" which refers to 

                    a rash, impulsive reaction.

WRATH - [thumos] as used in Gal. 5:20 - "To be distinguished from orge. (See Jas. 1:19-20 where orge is used rather than thumos) Thumos ..."is a more agitated condition of the feelings, an outburst of wrath from inward indignation."

Jas. 1:19-20 "So then, my beloved brethren, let 

                    every man be swift to hear, slow to 

                    speak, slow to wrath; (20) for the wrath 

                    of man does not produce the 

                    righteousness of God."

WRATH - [orge] "Originally any natural impulse, or desire, or disposition, came to signify anger, as the strongest of all passions...frequently with a view to taking revenge."

This kind of anger is one that is slower to boil over - giving rise to a calculated response that is often expressed in a vengeful act. However, to choose this kind of response is to take upon ourselves that which belongs to God.

Rom. 12:17-ff Instead of vengeance - overcome 

                      evil with good.

Mt. 5:38-42 Love your enemies and do good to 

                   them.

"The greatest thing we will do in life is surrender our will to God's will."

From Jim McGuiggan... Is it a lovely world without God?

Is it a lovely world without God?

I have some grasp of the truth that God is "other" than we though I know I’m a long way behind others in understanding it. I know we’re not to waste our time pitying God—he doesn’t need our pity. I know we can grieve him (for the Bible says so) but I’m unsure how far I’m to take that and I know he rejoices over us. I’m not sure how "human" God is but I do remember Jesus paralleling his Father’s response to a loving human father and I remember (in the Old Testament) that God likens himself to a mother, a father and a husband. Somewhere in all this I think we’re supposed to acknowledge that God and we are alike (there’s room in here for discussion on "the image of God," isn’t there?).

I recall the protest of John Stuart Mill against religious double-talk that included saying God was "good" but then insisting that "good" doesn’t mean relative to God what it means when we use it of people. Granted that we need to be careful and that the word "good" might be used of some things that a closer examination shows aren’t good. Granted that, Mill was certainly right to say that he would not call God "good" if it didn’t mean what it normally meant when it was used of a good woman or man. For why would we praise God for being "good" if good has no real meaning? Mill (perhaps a bit pompously) went on to say that if he is sent to hell for that, "then to hell I will go."

With all of that and my uncertainty as background, I can’t help thinking God must be the greatest sufferer in the universe.

Two people spoke to each other in whispers, pouring out their hearts to each other, in all sincerity, telling one another that the day began with thoughts of each other and ended the same way. They committed themselves to one another for all their lives, wrapped their souls around each other so that it became hard to tell where one began and the other ended. Their first thought when they opened theirs eyes in the morning was that he or she was in the world so whatever happened, at least they’d experience it together. When something funny happened she couldn’t wait to tell him and hear him laugh, as she knew he would. And no pleasure was fully a pleasure to him until she had the chance to share in it because, as the poet said, "everything is nuthin’ if you’ve got no one."

Then he (or she) began to change, slowly at first, but with increasing speed, until to his horror she had become a perfect stranger! And in all the agony of the agony what especially grieves the one still in love is this: the other thinks this is a lovely world without him/her. How can it be? How can it be that now he might as well not exist? How can she smile, rejoice, sing, eat with pleasure, spend time with others in familiar places without a thought of him? How can it be that any thought of him causes not even an emotional ripple in her and that the sight of him prompts only a casual nod (and it’s the more agonizing precisely because it is casual)?

What a grievous wrong it is to speak and behave and promise and smile in such ways that we become entangled in the heartstrings of another only to tear ourselves away. How callous it is to make the sun shine for a person and then to blot it out just so we can make it shine for someone else while the one we’re now done with sobs his or her heart out in a sunless world.

Will he or she get over it? Should they get over it? Those questions are not my concern at this moment. I just want to know if her pain is deep? Has the soul been shredded? Has the heart been broken? And, my real and ultimate question is: Does God, whose love is infinitely purer and deeper than ours, experience anything like that in his life with his treacherous children? We know God is infinitely pure, holy and powerful. Is he also gallant beyond imagining as he carries his heartache? Is the Holy Father the ultimate sufferer when he knows that we think this is a lovely world without him? Is this part of what Christ is telling us when he sits on a hill overlooking Jerusalem, weeping and saying, "How often I would have gathered your children like a hen gathers her chickens under her wings and you wouldn’t"? Clearly he grieves over their present and coming loss but why does he grieve? Why doesn’t he shrug and say, "Well, I warned you. You asked for it and you’re going to get it"? Why doesn’t he say something like that and stroll of with a glance (so the speak) at his watch to catch a bus to an early evening supper he agreed to? Can God just wad up a nation like a crumpled page and drop it in the wastebasket the way we seem to be able to do with individuals? Or is Christ alone on a hill, chest heaving, eyes streaming and heart breaking the image of God?

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... A Teacher With Authority

                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                   A Teacher With Authority (1:21-28)

INTRODUCTION

1. Up to this point in Mark's gospel, everything has been preliminary...
   a. The ministry of John the Baptist, sent to prepare the way of the
      Lord
   b. The baptism of Jesus, introducing Jesus to Israel as the Lamb of
      God
   c. The temptation of Jesus, preparing Him to face the difficult tasks
      ahead
   d. The theme of His preaching, concerning the coming kingdom of God
   e. The calling of His disciples, who would eventually carry on His
      work

2. But now we begin to read of Jesus' actual ministry...
   a. Things He did
   b. Things He taught

[When people saw and heard Jesus, they immediately noticed something
different.  Especially in regards to His teaching, for He was "A Teacher
With Authority."  In the text (Mk 1:21-28), note first His...]

I. TEACHING AS ONE HAVING AUTHORITY

   A. THE SETTING OF HIS TEACHING...
      1. Capernaum - on the NW shore of Galilee where Jesus lived - 

                     Mk 1:21; Mt 4:12-13

      2. On the Sabbath, teaching in the synagogue - Mk 1:21
         a. The Law of Moses was still in effect, so as an observant Jew
            Jesus kept the Sabbath
         b. The synagogue on the Sabbath provided a ready audience
      3. Luke gave a detailed description of what it was like when Jesus
         spoke in the synagogue at Nazareth - cf. Lk 4:16-22
      -- Teaching in synagogues became a feature of His itinerant
         ministry - cf. Mk 1:38-39

   B. THE MANNER OF HIS TEACHING...
      1. Astonished the people - Mk 1:22; cf. Mt 7:28-29
      2. Note this later reaction:  "No man ever spoke like this Man!"
         - Jn 7:46
      3. Because He taught as one having authority, not like the scribes
         - Mk 1:22
         a. Scribes would quote well-known rabbis as their authority for
            what they taught
         b. But Jesus would say things like "But I say to you..." - cf.
            Mt 5:27-28,31-32; 19:8-9
      -- Jesus spoke that way because He had authority (even to forgive
         sins)! - cf. Mk 2:10

[But it wasn't just the manner of His teaching.  Jesus complemented His
teaching with miraculous signs, thus...]

II. TEACHING AS ONE SHOWING AUTHORITY

   A. THE POWER OF HIS AUTHORITY...
      1. Demonstrated by casting out an unclean spirit - Mk 1:23-26
         a. In a man who was in the synagogue
         b. That knew Jesus' true identity as the Holy One of God!
         c. Whom Jesus rebuked, then cast out
      2. What were unclean spirits (demons)?
         a. Their origin not clearly stated in Scripture, but their
            reality acknowledged
         b. Some believe they were spirits of wicked men (Josephus,
            Alexander Campbell)
         c. Others view them as fallen angels (though bound to Tartarus)
            - 2Pe 2:4; Jude 1:6
      3. Demonic activity in the Bible appears in waves
         a. There is more recorded demonic activity during Jesus' life
            than any other time in biblical history - Baker's
            Evangelical Dictionary
         b. If fallen angels, perhaps temporarily released during such
            times so God's true servants could be identified by their
            authority to cast them out of those who were possessed
      4. Jesus later explained His casting out of demons was evidence of
         the coming rule or reign of God - cf. Mt 12:28
      -- Jesus proved He had authority by casting out the unclean spirit

   B. THE REACTION TO HIS AUTHORITY...
      1. The people in the synagogue are amazed - Mk 1:27
         a. They wonder what new doctrine is being revealed
         b. Which was the purpose of such signs, to reveal and confirm
            the doctrine was from God - cf. Mk 16:17-20; He 2:3-4
         c. They understood that He not only spoke with authority, He
            acted with authority!
      2. His fame spread throughout all Galilee - Mk 1:28
         a. A natural reaction to such an amazing event
         b. One that would later make it difficult for Jesus - cf. Mk 1:33,45
      -- The people were amazed, but they understood the significance of
         the miracle:  this Man must be bringing a new revelation
         (doctrine)!

CONCLUSION

1. Thus Jesus was "A Teacher With Authority"...
   a. He taught as one having authority (Grk., exousia:  power, right)
   b. He did signs (miracles) that proved His authority

2. It is tempting to be distracted by the miracles themselves...
   a. But as the people deduced on this occasion, there was new doctrine
   b. So we should focus our attention on what Jesus taught, not on what
      He did

3. Later, Jesus would claim to have "all authority...in heaven and on
   earth"... - Mt 28:18
   a. Then command His apostles to make disciples of all the nations,
      baptizing them - Mt 28:19
   b. And that such disciples should observe all things He has commanded
      - Mt 28:20

4. Later, the apostles would preach Jesus as "Lord"...
   a. Commanding repentance and baptism in His name (by His authority)
      - Ac 2:36-38
   b. That He has the authority to one day judge the world - Ac 10:42;
      17:30-31; 2Co 5:10

Those who gladly accept the authority of Jesus as Lord are baptized (Ac
2:41) and continue steadfastly in His apostles' doctrine (Ac 2:42).

Are we willing to accept Jesus as our Teacher today by submitting to His
authority in the same way...?

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011