Bible Verses

3 John · Chapter 1

3 John 1:11 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context

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Read in chapter context · 3 John 1

Both translations, side by side

WEB · World English Bible

"Beloved, don’t imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn’t seen God."

KJV · King James Version

"Beloved27, follow3401 not3361 that which is evil2556, but235 that which is good18. He that doeth good15 is2076 of1537 God2316: but1161 he that doeth evil2554 hath3708 not3756 seen3708 God2316."

How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses follow, not, doeth, hath, while the WEB renders these as don, imitate, who, does. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.

In context

3 John 1:11 in 3 John 1

A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is 3 John 1:11 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of 3 John 1. Read the full chapter →

  1. v.9 I wrote to the assembly, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, doesn’t accept what we say.
  2. v.10 Therefore if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words. Not content with this, neither does he himself receive the brothers, and those who would, he forbids and throws out of the assembly.
  3. v.11 Beloved, don’t imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn’t seen God.
  4. v.12 Demetrius has the testimony of all, and of the truth itself; yes, we also testify, and you know that our testimony is true.
  5. v.13 I had many things to write to you, but I am unwilling to write to you with ink and pen;

Book background

About the Book of 3 John

Testament
New Testament
Genre
General epistle
Author
John the apostle
Date written
c. 85–95 AD
Audience
Gaius, a faithful church member
Chapters
1

3 John commends Gaius for supporting itinerant gospel workers and rebukes a domineering church leader named Diotrephes who "loves to be first" (v. 9). It is the New Testament's clearest portrait of healthy gospel partnership versus toxic Christian leadership.

Setting: A 14-verse personal letter, the shortest NT book by word count.

Key themes: hospitality · truth · leadership · gospel partnership · integrity

Read 3 John from the beginning →

Memorisation aid

How to memorise 3 John 1:11

3 John 1:11 contains 26 words in 5 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.

  1. 1

    Beloved

    B

  2. 2

    don’t imitate that which is evil

    DITWIE

  3. 3

    but that which is good

    BTWIG

  4. 4

    He who does good is of God

    HWDGIO

  5. 5

    He who does evil hasn’t seen God.

    HWDEHS

Frequently asked

FAQ about 3 John 1:11

What does 3 John 1:11 say?

3 John 1:11 reads: "Beloved, don’t imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn’t seen God." — from the New Testament, 3 John (General epistle). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.

What book of the Bible is 3 John 1:11 in?

3 John 1:11 is in the book of 3 John, traditionally attributed to John the apostle and written around c. 85–95 AD. 3 John is general epistle in the New Testament, originally addressed to Gaius, a faithful church member. Best known for gospel hospitality and the rebuke of Diotrephes.

What is the difference between 3 John 1:11 in WEB and KJV?

3 John 1:11 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "Beloved, don’t imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn’t seen God.". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "Beloved27, follow3401 not3361 that which is evil2556, but235 that which is good18. He that doeth good15 is2076 of1537 God2316: but1161 he that doeth evil2554 hath3708 not3756 seen3708 God2316.". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.

How long is 3 John 1:11?

3 John 1:11 is 26 words in the WEB translation (128 characters), broken into 5 clauses. It is a longer verse, often broken into smaller phrases for memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 8 seconds.

How can I memorise 3 John 1:11?

To memorise 3 John 1:11, split it into its 5 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.

Why does 3 John 1:11 matter in 3 John?

3 John commends Gaius for supporting itinerant gospel workers and rebukes a domineering church leader named Diotrephes who "loves to be first" (v. 9). It is the New Testament's clearest portrait of healthy gospel partnership versus toxic Christian leadership. 3 John 1:11 sits within this larger story — 3 John as a whole emphasises hospitality, truth, leadership.

How can I apply 3 John 1:11 today?

Many readers use 3 John 1:11 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download 3 John 1:11 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.