3rd John Chapter 1 verse 12 Holy Bible
Demetrius hath the witness of all `men', and of the truth itself: yea, we also bear witness: and thou knowest that our witness is true.
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Demetrius has the approval of all men and of what is true: and we give the same witness, and you are certain that our witness is true.
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Demetrius has witness borne to him by all, and by the truth itself; and *we* also bear witness, and thou knowest that our witness is true.
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Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true.
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Demetrius has the testimony of all, and of the truth itself; yes, we also testify, and you know that our testimony is true.
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to Demetrius testimony hath been given by all, and by the truth itself, and we also -- we do testify, and ye have known that our testimony is true.
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Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVer. 12. - Respecting Demetrius we know no more than is told us here. All that we can safely infer from what is stated is that he is a person of whom Gaius has not hitherto known much; otherwise this elaborate commendation would scarcely be necessary. Conjectures about him are (1) that he was the bearer of this Epistle to Gaius, - which is not improbable; (2) that he was a member of the same Church as Diotrephes, and had done good service in opposing him, - which is possible; (3) that he is the silversmith of Artemis (Acts 19:24), now "preaching the faith of which he once made havoc," - which is not probable. The name was a common one. It is not easy to determine the meaning of the statement that Demetrius hath the witness of all men, and of the truth itself. Perhaps it means that those who bore testimony to Demetrius were something more than a large body of unanimous human witnesses, strong as such testimony would be; in giving their witness they were guided by "the Spirit of truth." Or it may mean that the facts speak of themselves: as soon as Gaius knows Demetrius he will see that the universal commendation of him is amply justified. The true reading in what follows is, "and thou knowest that our witness is true" (comp. John 19:35; John 21:24). The calm confidence with which the writer asserts his authority, both over Diotrephes and also as a witness, confirms us in the belief that "the elder" is no less than the apostle.
