Catena in epistulam Joannis iii (catena Andreae) (e cod. Oxon. coll. nov. 58)

The Third Epistle of John. Argument. The epistle is concerning hospitality. And first, it commends Gaius, who is testified to by all for his hospitality, and urges him to persist in the same purpose and to send forward and welcome the brethren. Again, it approves his speech, but accuses Diotrephes, as neither providing for the poor himself, but also hindering others, and talking much nonsense, and says that such persons are alien to the truth and do not know God. It commends Demetrius, bearing witness to him of the best things.

Chapter 1

A prayer for completion and thanksgiving upon the confession of hospitality of the brethren through Christ. The elder to Gaius the beloved, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that you fare well in all things and are healthy, just as your soul fares well. And he writes this Epistle, commending certain brethren; he writes to Gaius; and he bears witness to his great hospitality, which he deems worthy of great praise. For he says that the one who does good is from God; and he further rouses him, also by the manner in which he slanders Diotrephes, who does not know to do this. And he praises Demetrius as well, who does the same, and provides trustworthy testimony of his virtue. And this Epistle is brief for the reason previously stated in the Second Epistle.

I rejoiced greatly when brothers came and bore witness to your truth, as you walk in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in truth. Beloved, you do a faithful thing in whatever you do for the brothers and for the strangers who testified to your love before the Church. You will do well to send them on their way worthily of God. For they went out for the sake of the name, taking nothing from the nations; therefore we ought to receive such persons, so that we may become fellow workers with the truth. Teaching us not to wait for those in need to come to us, but to run after them and pursue them; thus Lot, thus Abraham did. He remains in the evangelical teaching who thinks and acts according to it, but he separates himself from it who works and thinks contrary to it. Then, since through the practical and the contemplative life God, the creator of all, becomes someone’s God, as with Abraham, saying to him, “I am your God.” He who is outside the right faith and the observance of Christ’s commandments is godless, having cut himself off from having God. And since he who has separated himself from divine instruction in the said manner is godless, he who remains in it has both Father and Son.

For in the one who keeps his word, the Son said, he will be with the Father, to remain with him, having become a holy temple, built from the observance of the divine commandments. For having God is twofold: one is common to all creatures, signifying the same as having a creator; the other belongs only to those who serve him through goodness, according to which meaning it is said, “God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob,” and generally of the Hebrews. Pay attention also to what will be said thus: “He who has the Son,” it says, “also has the Father.” And conversely, as one may be persuaded from this of the consubstantiality of the divinity; for since the Father is in the Son, he who has the Son also has the Father. But again it also reverses: he who has the Father also has the Son, who is in the Father. If someone, wishing to object, should say: and he who has the disciples has the Son, and he who

the Son the Father, according to the saying, “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.” Not that he is objecting in the proper manner; for these things are said concerning teaching, since the one who received the Apostles, by assent to their teaching, received him, and through them the Son and Father who teach. And otherwise. Since also the one who abides in the teaching has the Father and the Son, and the Apostles abode in the teaching, as also to proclaim it, the one who received them, being a temple of God, by the very act of receiving them, has the Son and Father in them. * Concerning the baseness and misanthropy of Diotrephes. I would have written to the church, but their lover of preeminence Diotrephes does not admit us. For this reason, if I come, I will remind him of the works he does, slandering us with evil words; and not content with these, he neither himself admits the brethren, and hinders those who wish, and casts them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate evil, but good; the one who does good is from God; the one who does evil has not seen God. There being no communion of light with darkness, nor harmony of Christ with Beliar, the one who does good practically, having God Christ as true light, is far from darkness and Beliar. But also since doing good is opposite to doing evil, the evildoer, by the very fact of acting thus, being from Beliar and darkness, has not seen God, nor has any knowledge of him.

For everyone who sins has not seen God, nor has he known him. Since seeing or not seeing a body is recognized by the use or non-use of sight when the disciple is visible. And to the evildoer, even if he has sight, he is not seen; while the one deprived of sight, even if he is a doer of good, is not seen. Contrarily, those who are shown together, if indeed to the doer of good, because he has a pure heart, he is seen, and he who is not seen by the evildoer lacks sight, even if he is very sharp-sighted, the opposites are present.

And for this reason, doing evil and doing good are incompatible; and “Turn away from evil and do good,” and similarly written.

Chapter 2

Concerning Demetrius, to whom the finest testimony is borne. Demetrius has been testified to by all, and by truth itself; and we also testify, and you know that our testimony is true. This man, I think, is the one who makes the silver temples of Artemis, who once stirred up a riot against Paul the Apostle.

Chapter 3.

Concerning his coming to them quickly for their benefit. I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with ink and reed; I hope, however, to see you immediately, and we will speak face to face. Peace to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name. Amen. End of the Third Catholic Epistle of John. The Third Epistle of John. Argument. The Epistle is concerning hospitality. And first he commends Gaius, who is testified to by all concerning hospitality, and urges him to persist in the same purpose and to send forward and welcome the brethren. Again, he commends his own expression; but he blames Diotrephes, as neither providing for the poor himself, but also hindering others, and talking much nonsense; and he says that such persons are alien to the truth and do not know God. He commends Demetrius, bearing witness to him of the best things. Chapter 1.

A prayer for perfection and thanksgiving for the hospitality of the brothers on account of Christ. The elder to Gaius the beloved, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that you fare well in all things and are healthy, just as your soul fares well. And he writes this letter, commending some brothers; he writes to Gaius; he bears witness to his great hospitality, which he deems worthy of great praise. For he says that the one who does good is from God; he further rouses him, and also by the fact that he denounces Diotrephes, who did not know to do this. He also praises Demetrius for doing the same, and provides him with a faithful testimony of his virtue. This letter is brief for the reason previously stated in the Second Epistle.

I rejoiced greatly when brothers came and testified to your truth, as you walk in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in truth. Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you work for the brothers and for the strangers who testified to your love before the Church. You will do well to send them on their way worthily of God. For they went out for the sake of the name, taking nothing from the nations; we therefore ought to receive such men, so that we may become fellow workers with the truth. Teaching us not to wait for those in need to come to us, but to run to them and pursue them; thus Lot, thus Abraham did. He who thinks and acts according to the evangelical teaching remains in it, but he who works and thinks contrary to it removes himself from it. Then, since through the practical and the contemplative life one becomes something of God, the creator of all, as with Abraham, saying to him, "I am your God." He who is outside right faith and the keeping of Christ's commandments is godless, having cut himself off from having God. And since he who has removed himself from divine instruction in the said manner is godless, he who remains in it has both Father and Son.

For the one who keeps his word, the Son said, he will come with the Father to remain with him, who has become a holy temple, built from the observance of the divine commandments. For having God is twofold: the one is common to all creatures, signifying the same as having a creator; the other belongs only to those who serve him through goodness, in which sense it is said, “God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob,” and generally of the Hebrews. Pay attention also to what will be said thus. “He who has the Son,” he says, “also has the Father.” And conversely, as one may be persuaded from this of the consubstantiality of the divinity; for since the Father is in the Son, he who has the Son also has the Father. But again it also reverses: he who has the Father also has the Son, who is in the Father. If someone, wishing to object, should say: and he who has the disciples has the Son, and he who

the Son the Father, according to the saying: “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.” He is not objecting in the proper manner; for these things are said concerning teaching, since the one who received the Apostles, by assent to their teaching, received him, and through them the Son and Father who teach. And otherwise: since the one who abides in the teaching has the Father and the Son, and the Apostles abode in the teaching, as also they proclaimed it, the one who received them, being a temple of God, by the very act of receiving them, has the Son and Father who are in them. *Concerning the baseness and misanthropy of Diotrephes. I would have written to the church, but their lover of preeminence, Diotrephes, does not admit us. For this reason, if I come, I will remind him of the works he does, slandering us with evil words; and not content with these, he neither himself receives the brethren, but hinders those who wish, and casts them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate evil, but good; the one who does good is from God; the one who does evil has not seen God. Since there is no communion of light with darkness, nor harmony of Christ with Beliar, the one who does good practically, having God Christ as true light, is far from darkness and Beliar. But also, since doing good is opposite to doing evil, the evildoer, by the very fact of acting thus, being from Beliar and darkness, has not seen God, nor does he have any knowledge of him.

For everyone who sins has not seen God, nor has he known him. Since seeing or not seeing a body is recognized by using or not using sight, with the disciple being visible. And to the evildoer, even if he has sight, he is not seen; but to the one deprived of sight, even if he is a doer of good, he is not seen; contrarily, those are shown together, if indeed to the doer of good, because he has a pure heart, he is seen, and sight is lacking to the one not seen by the evildoer, even if he is very sharp-sighted, the opposites are present.

And for this reason, doing evil and doing good are incompatible; and "Turn away from evil and do good," and similarly written. Chapter 2.

Concerning Demetrius, to whom the finest testimony is borne. Demetrius has been testified to by all, and by truth itself; and we also testify, and you know that our testimony is true. This man, I think, is the one who makes the silver temples of Artemis, who once stirred up a riot against Paul the Apostle. Chapter 3.

Concerning his arrival to them quickly for their benefit. I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with ink and pen; I hope, however, to see you soon, and we will speak mouth to mouth. Peace to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name. Amen. End of the third Catholic Epistle of John.