Word of Faith teachers often appeal to John’s wish to Gaius “that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” (3 Jn. 2 KJV). They believe this text should be taken to mean that true spiritual well being in this world consists of mental, bodily and financial prosperity.[1] Some of these teachers have even suggested that Christians, who are not prosperous, are condemned as living in some persistent sin or lacking in proper faith.[2] In this article, I will examine the meaning of 3 John 2 to see whether the Word-Faith doctrine of financial prosperity is being taught here.
Initial observations of 3 John
Most scholars agree that 3 John bears the form of a first-century letter.[3] While there are some who reject Johannine authorship for the epistle, it is, nevertheless, quite likely that its author is the apostle John.[4] The epistle is probably written after the Fourth Gospel, and thus should be dated to the last decade of the first century.[5] In addition, there is external evidence indicating that John wrote the epistle in Ephesus.[6]
The epistle is highly personal. It is addressed to an individual named Gaius (v. 1),[7] and it refers to two other individuals, Diotrephes (v. 9) and Demetrius (v. 12). Here John is writing in anticipation of his upcoming visit. It is indicated in the epistle that John had once written to the church before, possibly requesting the church to extend hospitality to traveling missionaries. But for some reason, Diotrephes, who had seemingly assumed leadership in the church, was opposing John’s authority (vv. 9-10). John writes that not only was Diotrephes thwarting John’s authority by publicly repudiating him and defaming his character, but Diotrephes had also threatened to expel anyone who is offering hospitality to the missionaries. But in spite of this, there are still faithful Christians like Gaius who choose to stand against Diotrephes. Thus, John is writing the epistle to commend Gaius for his hospitality and encourages him to continue (vv. 5-8).
Greek text and translation of 3 John 2
ἀγαπητέ, περὶ πάντων εὔχομαί σε εὐοδοῦσθαι καὶ ὑγιαίνειν, καθὼς εὐοδοῦταί σου ἡ ψυχή.
Beloved, concerning all things I am wishing you (singular) to prosper and be in good health, just as your soul (singular) is being prospered.
Word analysis of εὐοδόω
In 3 John 2, John uses the verbs εὐοδοῦσθαι (“to prosper”) and εὐοδοῦταί (“it is being prospered”), which are both derived from the same lexical word εὐοδόω. And while the passive form of the word literally means, “be led along a good road,” it metaphorically have the sense of having things turn out well, prosper, or succeed.[8]
In the Septuagint (LXX), εὐοδόω has the connotation of success in a personal endeavor. Almost without exception, such success is achieved because of God’s hand or when individuals obey God’s commandments.[9] Although this word occurs many times in the LXX, it is almost never used to speak about financial success or prosperity.[10] For example, in Genesis 24, Abraham’s servant prayed to God for success in finding a wife for Isaac (v. 12).[11] And in Genesis 39, Joseph had success in Potiphar’s household because God was with him (Gen. 39:2, 3, 23). In 2 Chronicles 18:11, the prophets of Israel predicted success in a battle campaign to recover the city of Ramoth Gilead.
In the NT, εὐοδόω is only used in three verses (Rom. 1:10; 1 Cor. 16:2; 3 Jn. 2). In Romans 1:10, Paul indicates that he is praying for success in coming to the church in Rome.[12] In 1 Corinthians 16:2, the word is used in the context of financial gains that are to be set aside for offerings every Sunday.[13] In 3 John 2, the word is twice used by John to pray or to wish that Gaius would do well in all things, which include both physically and spiritually. In light of its earlier usage in the LXX and the rest of the NT, it is, therefore, quite probable that εὐοδόω in 3 John 2 do not have financial success in view. The word would be likely to have, instead, the connotation of success in personal endeavors because of God’s hand or when God’s Word is obeyed.
Literary context of 3 John 2
Verse 2 begins after John’s greeting in v. 1 where he introduces himself as “the elder” and addresses Gaius as “beloved.” Here in verse 2, John expresses a prayer or a wish for Gaius’ good health, a common feature of a first century letter.[14]
Next in vv. 3-4, John specifies that he is delighted to hear that Gaius is walking faithfully in the truth. John continues his praise of Gaius in vv. 5-8 by highlighting his hospitality to the missionaries. However, in vv. 9-10, the epistle takes an unexpected turn when John condemns Diotrephes for refusing hospitality to the missionaries and coercing others to do the same. For this reason, John exhorts Gaius not to “imitate what is evil, but what is good” (v. 11). In v. 12, John provides the example of Demetrius to illustrate that sort of good behavior. And finally in vv. 13-15, John concludes the epistle by expressing his wish to see Gaius soon and sends greetings to the friends.
Conclusion
An examination of the various occurrences of εὐοδόω in the LXX and NT indicates that financial prosperity is not in view when the word is used in 3 John 2. It should be noted that throughout 3 John, there is not a slightest hint that personal success or prosperity is ever the subject of John’s focus. 3 John 2 is merely a first century letter-writing convention used by John to convey a prayer or a blessing to Gaius alone. There is nothing in that verse that shows John’s prayer is to be intended for every individual in the church. After this verse, the word εὐοδόω does not occur again in the epistle. Instead, John’s attention is trained on the problem of conflict that has arisen in the church. Hence, it may be concluded that the Word-Faith doctrine of financial prosperity cannot be sustained in 3 John 2.
[1] The Evangelical Alliance (UK) Commission on Unity and Truth among Evangelicals, Faith, Health and Prosperity, ed. Andrew Perriman (Carlisle: Paternoster, 2003), 51.
[2] The Evangelical Alliance (UK) Commission, 51, observes that Word-Faith teachers teach that “[p]overty is not a mark of spirituality or holiness but a symptom of the failure to attain the prosperity which God wishes to give us.” Prominent Word-Faith teacher, Kenneth Hagin, The Believer’s Authority (Tulsa: Faith Library, 1985), 22, have this to say about Christians in poverty: “You know friends, most of us are not so poor because we have honored God–but because we have dishonored Him. You might as well say Amen because it’s so. I’ve given you scriptures to prove it.”
[3] D. A. Carson and Douglas Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), 670, notes that 2 and 3 John “bear the form of letters.” Regarding the epistolary features of 3 John, Gary M. Burge, The Letters of John, NIV Application Commentary, ed. Terry C. Muck (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), Electronic ed., Pradis, points out that the author and recipient are identified at the beginning (v. 1), a blessing or prayer follows (v. 2), and there is a concluding greeting (v. 14). In addition, Burge notes 3 John contains “personal references and allusions,” which suggests it is “intended for a specific, personal situation.”
[4] For a detailed discussion of the authorship of 3 John, see Carson and Moo, 670-675.
[5] Although a majority of scholars date the Gospel of John to the last decade of the first century (Carson and Moo, 676), the Gospel is increasingly given an earlier time frame, closer to 70-80 A.D. (Burges). If we allow for some time to elapsed between the publication of the Fourth Gospel and the Johannine epistles, then 3 John is probably written in the 90s (see Carson and Moo, 676, and Burges).
[6] Carson and Moo, 675, notes the evidence that the apostle John moved to Ephesus largely depends on “the witness of Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus, writing to Victor, bishop of Rome,” and “the witness of Irenaeus.” Stephen S. Smalley, 1, 2, 3 John, Word Biblical Commentary vol. 51, ed. Bruce M. Metzger, David A. Hubbard and Glenn W. Barker (Dallas: Word Books, 2002), Electronic ed., Libronix, also argues for Ephesus being the location, the reason being the environment in Asia Minor “could have produced easily the controversy with Judaism and Hellenism which is to be detected in the Gospel and letters of John; and the religious syncretism of a Phrygian setting would readily have nurtured the heretical tendencies which evidently came to the surface in the Johannine letters.”
[7] The name “Gaius” is a common name in the Roman Empire (Carson and Moo, 677). While there are three other individuals by that name in the NT, i.e., Gaius of Corinth (Rom. 16:23; 1 Cor. 1:14), Gaius of Macedonia (Acts 19:29), and Gaius of Derbe (Acts 20:4), it is improbable that Gaius of 3 John is associated with them (Daniel L. Akin, 1, 2, 3 John, The New American Commentary vol. 38, ed. E. Ray Clendenen (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2001), Electronic ed., Libronix).
[8] “εὐοδόω” in BDAG Lexicon, Bibleworks 7.
[9] David M. Howard, Jr., Joshua, The New American Commentary vol. 5, ed. E. Ray Clendenen (Nashville: Broadman, 2001), Electronic ed., Libronix, notes that the two equivalent Hebrew words for εὐοδόω are צָלַח and שָׂכַל (e.g., see Jos. 1:8). Whenever the word צָלַח occurs, it “almost always because of God’s gracious and ever-present hand.” And as for שָׂכַל, it is “specifically equated with obeying God’s law or the covenant.”
[10] Howard points out that these words are “almost never used in the Old Testament to speak of financial success,” but rather, “they speak of succeeding in life’s proper endeavors.” Howard rightly notes that in the context of Joshua 1:8, “[n]othing at all is said here about financial success.”
[11] In Gen. 24:12, Abraham’s servant uses the phrase εὐόδωσον ἐναντίον ἐμοῦ σήμερον, which may be translated: “Grant success before me today.”
[12] It should be noted that in the KJV translation of Rom. 1:10, the phrase εὐοδωθήσομαι ἐν τῷ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς is rendered: I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. The word “journey,” however, is not found in the Greek text. The phrase should be literally translated: I will have success, by the will of God, to come to you. Translations such as the ESV, NASB, and the NIV, bring across the meaning of the phrase much better.
[13] It should be noted that although εὐοδόω occurs in the context of financial gains, it is, however, quite different from financial success. Take for instance, if I hypothetically make a profit of one single cent, that profit would be counted as financial gain. But it would hardly be counted as financial success. Also, while the NASB translates the phrase θησαυρίζων ὅ τι ἐὰν εὐοδῶται as, “save, as he may prosper,” it is perhaps best to translate it, as the BDAG does, as, “save as much as he gains.”
[14] Smalley points out that John “follows convention by sending his good wishes to Gaius.” Also, Akin notes that “to pray or wish for someone ‘good health’ was a common feature of the letters of this day.”
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment