📖WEB · 3 John 1:6
What does 3 John 1:6 mean?
"They have testified about your love before the assembly. You will do well to send them forward on their journey in a way worthy of God,"
— 3 John 1:6 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
For I rejoiced greatly, when brothers came and testified about your truth, even as you walk in truth.
I have no greater joy than this, to hear about my children walking in truth.
Beloved, you do a faithful work in whatever you accomplish for those who are brothers and strangers.
They have testified about your love before the assembly. You will do well to send them forward on their journey in a way worthy of God,
because for the sake of the Name they went out, taking nothing from the Gentiles.
We therefore ought to receive such, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
I wrote to the assembly, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, doesn’t accept what we say.
Explanation
3 John is a short personal letter from "the elder" (traditionally understood to be the apostle John) to a beloved fellow believer named Gaius. The letter deals with the practical issue of hospitality toward traveling Christian workers—missionaries and teachers who journeyed from place to place spreading the gospel and depended on local believers for lodging, food, and support along the way. In verse 6, John is referring to a group of these traveling brothers who had apparently stayed with Gaius at some point, experienced his generosity firsthand, and then reported back to the wider church ("the assembly") about the love Gaius had shown them.
In plain language, the verse says this: these visiting believers publicly testified to the congregation about Gaius's love and kindness toward them. John then encourages Gaius to continue this pattern by helping them on their way for their next journey, and to do so "in a way worthy of God"—meaning with a quality of generosity and care that reflects God's own character, not merely human politeness or minimal obligation.
Theologically, this verse highlights several important truths. First, love in the New Testament is not merely a private feeling but a visible, testified-to reality—something others can observe and speak about because it is expressed in concrete action (hospitality, provision, care). Second, the phrase "worthy of God" ties ordinary acts of kindness to the very nature and honor of God himself. When believers support gospel workers, they are not just doing a nice deed; they are participating in God's mission and reflecting his generosity to the world. Third, this passage affirms the value of practical partnership in
Compare translations
Go deeper with ScriptureCompanion AI
Ask questions about any verse, follow reading plans, write personal prayers, and track your daily habit — all grounded in verified scripture text.