3 John 1:13–14, King James Version
Italic words were supplied in the English translation for clarity.
3 John 1:13–14
Face-to-Face Hope, Peace, and Personal Greetings
Some things should be said mouth to mouth
The Elder has many things to write, but he will not with ink and pen write them all. He trusts he shall shortly see Gaius, and they shall speak face to face. The hoped-for visit is a hope, not a reported event, and the preference for presence does not make this written letter unspiritual or unnecessary. Peace be to thee. The friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.
The KJV places the peace and greetings in verse 14; many modern editions number those last sentences as verse 15. No closing words are missing. The gospel's public truth still lands in particular rooms, with particular people who have names. Face-to-face speech, named greetings, and a blessing of peace are how this elder refuses both cold distance and public theater after a live conflict.
How this should shape us
If a hard thing belongs in a living room, do not hide it in a group thread. Write clearly when writing is needed, then move sensitive conflict toward safe, accountable conversation. Send peace, use names, and show up.
Teach it back
Explain 3 John 1:13–14 in your own words. Show its movement, its place in the letter, and one conclusion the context rules out.
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Go deeper
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: The main issue is numbering rather than a missing conclusion: the KJV combines material that critical Greek and many modern editions label verses 14 and 15. The identity of the friends, the letter carrier, and the outcome of the intended visit remain unknown.
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 1:13–14, 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, 1:13–14 (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 1:13–14.
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. 265–266.
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 13 and verse 14 Summary/Exegetical Details, and 'The Concluding Formula (v. 15).'
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 1:13–14, 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, 1:13–14 (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 1:13–14.
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. 265–266.
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 13 and verse 14 Summary/Exegetical Details, and 'The Concluding Formula (v. 15).'
Open source ↗