3 John 1:11–12, King James Version
Italic words were supplied in the English translation for clarity.
3 John 1:11–12
Imitate Good and Heed Demetrius's Testimony
Imitate good, and let Demetrius's witnesses stay checkable
Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God; he that doeth evil hath not seen God. The command looks back at Diotrephes and turns Gaius toward a different pattern. It is a choice of conduct, not a personality war, and not a rule that one good deed earns belonging to God or that one failure proves a person has never known him.
Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself; yea, and the Elder bears record, and Gaius knows that record is true. The commendation is strong and threefold. It still does not name Demetrius's office, hometown, destination, or whether he carries the letter. Imitation here is moral, not tribal. You do not become faithful by collecting enemies, and you do not become discerning by treating every rival as Diotrephes.
How this should shape us
Pick your models by what they do when they have a little power: whether they tell the truth, keep their word, and make room for good work that is not their own. When you commend someone, keep it checkable. Vague loyalty is how a church ends up copying the loudest person in the room.
Teach it back
Explain 3 John 1:11–12 in your own words. Show its movement, its place in the letter, and one conclusion the context rules out.
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The explanation above is meant to stand on its own. Open these notes only if you want language, history, disagreements, or source locations.
Where careful interpreters disagreeThe strongest options and their difficulties
Where do careful interpreters disagree?
Best judgment: Demetrius is often identified as the letter bearer, leader of the traveling workers, or a replacement for Diotrephes, but none of those roles is stated. The KJV's 'ye know' reflects a different number from the singular 'you know' in the critical Greek text; either way, the sentence appeals to the recipient's knowledge of the Elder's truthful witness without changing Demetrius's threefold commendation.
How certain? probableResearch trail and exact locationsThe source record behind this section
Supports: The exact displayed English Scripture text and the complete verse assignment for this thought unit.
Pinned KJV source-data record for 3 John 1:11–12, derived from the repository's checksum-locked 1769 KJV corpus.
Supports: The Greek wording, grammar, discourse connections, and original-language terms checked for this thought unit.
SBLGNT data/sblgnt/text/3John.txt, 1:11–12 (critical-edition numbering uses 1:15 for the final peace and greetings).
Supports: Material translation, syntax, lexical, and verse-numbering questions in this thought unit.
NET Bible, 3 John 1, translation and translators' notes on 1:11–12.
Supports: The unit's literary movement, older-language clarification, principal interpretations, and explicit limits on reconstruction.
Stott, The Letters of John, 3 John commentary pp. 262–264.
Supports: Verse-level Greek, literary flow, translation choices, and major exegetical alternatives for this unit.
Harris, Exegetical Commentary on 3 John 1–15, “The Body of the Letter (vv. 3-14),” verse 11-12 Summary/Exegetical Details.
Supports: A modern critical check on audience, authorship, named participants, implied events, and the limits of reconstructing a wider Johannine community.
Lieu, The Audience of the Johannine Epistles, Communities in Dispute, pp. 135–137 on Demetrius and the uncertain roles and location of the named figures.
Sources for This Section
These records identify the source, the claim it supports, and the exact location used. A source remains evidence to evaluate; it does not replace the biblical text.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: The exact displayed English Scripture text and the complete verse assignment for this thought unit.
Exact location: Pinned KJV source-data record for 3 John 1:11–12, derived from the repository's checksum-locked 1769 KJV corpus.
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: The Greek wording, grammar, discourse connections, and original-language terms checked for this thought unit.
Exact location: SBLGNT data/sblgnt/text/3John.txt, 1:11–12 (critical-edition numbering uses 1:15 for the final peace and greetings).
Open the 3 John Greek text file ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — 3 John with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Material translation, syntax, lexical, and verse-numbering questions in this thought unit.
Exact location: NET Bible, 3 John 1, translation and translators' notes on 1:11–12.
Open source ↗modern commentary
The Letters of John: An Introduction and Commentary
John R. W. Stott
InterVarsity Press, 1988
Supports: The unit's literary movement, older-language clarification, principal interpretations, and explicit limits on reconstruction.
Exact location: Stott, The Letters of John, 3 John commentary pp. 262–264.
Open source ↗open exegetical commentary
Exegetical Commentary on 3 John 1–15
W. Hall Harris III
Bible.org, 2004
Supports: Verse-level Greek, literary flow, translation choices, and major exegetical alternatives for this unit.
Exact location: Harris, Exegetical Commentary on 3 John 1–15, “The Body of the Letter (vv. 3-14),” verse 11-12 Summary/Exegetical Details.
Open source ↗scholarly essay
The Audience of the Johannine Epistles
Judith M. Lieu
Society of Biblical Literature Press, 2014
Supports: A modern critical check on audience, authorship, named participants, implied events, and the limits of reconstructing a wider Johannine community.
Exact location: Lieu, The Audience of the Johannine Epistles, Communities in Dispute, pp. 135–137 on Demetrius and the uncertain roles and location of the named figures.
Open source ↗