Act 15:3, 3Jo 6 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 3. And being brought on their way by the church . Being attended and conducted by the Christian brethren. . It was customary for the Christians to attend the apostles in their travels. Comp. . Through Phenice . . And Samaria . These places were directly on their route to Jerusalem. Declaring the conversion , etc. Of the Gentiles in Antioch, and in the regions in Asia Minor, through which they had travelled. These remarkable events they would naturally communicate with joy to the Christians with whom they would have intercourse in their journey. Caused great joy . At the news of the extensive spread of the gospel. It was an indication of their deep feeling in the interest of religion, that they thus rejoiced. Where Christians are themselves awake, and engaged in the service of Christ, they rejoice at the news of the conversion of sinners. Where they are cold, they hear such news with indifference, or with the utmost unconcern. One way of testing our feelings on the subject of religion is by the emotions which we have when we hear of extensive and glorious revivals of religion. Comp. . (a) "brought on their way" (b) "declaring the conversion" (c) "great joy"

Acts 15:3

Verse 3. And being brought on their way by the church. Being attended and conducted by the Christian brethren. Rom 15:24. It was customary for the Christians to attend the apostles in their travels. Comp. 1Cor 16:6,11, 3Jn 1:6.

Through Phenice. Acts 11:19.

And Samaria. These places were directly on their route to Jerusalem.

Declaring the conversion, etc. Of the Gentiles in Antioch, and in the regions in Asia Minor, through which they had travelled. These remarkable events they would naturally communicate with joy to the Christians with whom they would have intercourse in their journey.

Caused great joy. At the news of the extensive spread of the gospel. It was an indication of their deep feeling in the interest of religion, that they thus rejoiced. Where Christians are themselves awake, and engaged in the service of Christ, they rejoice at the news of the conversion of sinners. Where they are cold, they hear such news with indifference, or with the utmost unconcern. One way of testing our feelings on the subject of religion is by the emotions which we have when we hear of extensive and glorious revivals of religion. Comp. Acts 8:8.

(a) "brought on their way" Rom 15:24, 1Cor 16:6,11, 3Jn 1:6 (b) "declaring the conversion" Acts 14:27 (c) "great joy" Lk 15:7,10

3 John 6

Verse 6. Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church. It would seem that they had returned to John, and borne honourab1e testimony to the love manifested to them by Gaius. Before what church they had borne this testimony is unknown. Perhaps it was the church in Ephesus.

Whom if thou bring forward on their journey, ουςπροπεμψας. "Whom bringing forward, or having brought forward." The word refers to aid rendered them in their journey, in facilitating their travels, either by personally accompanying them, by furnishing them the means of prosecuting their journey, or by hospitably entertaining them. Probably Gains aided them in every way in which it was practicable. It has been made a question whether this refers to the fact that he had thus aided them in some visit which they had made to the church where Gaius was, or to a visit which they purposed to make. The Greek would seem to favour the latter construction, and yet it would appear from the epistle, that the "brethren and strangers" actually had been with him; that they had been rejected by the church through the influence of Diotrephes, and had been thrown upon the hospitality of Gaius, and that they had returned, and had borne honourable testimony to his hospitality. These views can be reconciled by supposing, as Loicke does, that having been once on their travels, and having shared the hospitality of Gaius, they were purposing to visit that region again, and that John, praising him for his former hospitality, commends them again to him, stating the reason (3Jn 1:9,10) why he did not, in accordance with the usual custom, recommend them to the care of the church. They had now gone out (3Jn 1:7) on the same errand on which they had formerly gone, and they had now equal claims to the hospitality of the friends of religion.

After a godly sort. Margin, as in Greek, worthy of God. The meaning is, As becomes those who serve God; or as becomes those who are professors of his religion.

Thou shalt do well. You will do that which religion requires in these circumstances.

(d) "forward on their journey" Acts 15:3 (3) "after a godly sort" "worthy of God"