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Text and Translation
Greek Text
Ὁ πρεσβύτερος Γαΐῳ τῷ ἀγαπητῷ, ὃν ἐγὼ ἀγαπῶ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ.
English Translation
The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.
Graphical Grammar1
I firmly believe that grammatical diagramming is the most powerful way to tease out syntactical components of a Greek sentence. (I spent my childhood at the chalkboard diagraming English sentences, so maybe it’s just too ingrained.). This small fragment of a sentence was actually quite tricky for me to diagram. So instead of showing you the final product, here is the evolution.
Original diagram, riddled with errors
This is my original diagram. There are at least four reasons it’s wrong. Can you spot them?
Improved diagram, with one error still remaining
This revision (below) fixed three things. First, I originally treated Ὁ πρεσβύτερος as if it were an interjection or vocative, which it is not. It’s the subject of the sentence fragment. I supplied the (X) indicating an implied verb. Second, the diagram fixed the appositive relationship between Γαΐῳ and τῷ ἀγαπητῷ. The original diagram treated τῷ ἀγαπητῷ as, perhaps, an adjectival modifier. Third, in the original diagram, I treated the relative pronoun (ὃν) as if it were a conjunction. That is fixed here, but there remains yet one more error in the relative clause. Can you see it?
Final diagram!
The final diagram has it right. The subject/implied verb is correct, the appositive relationship is correct, and the relative clause is finally correct. In the prior diagram I had ἐν ἀληθείᾳ diagramed as an object of ὃν ἐγὼ ἀγαπῶ. But it isn’t an object. Έν ἀληθείᾳ is an adverbial prepositional phrase explaining how the Elder loves Gaius.
Weighty Words
There are a number of key words in the Gospel and epistles of John, but two stand above them all. John brings out those two key words right in the first line of the book.
- ἀγαπάω: [Stay tuned for forthcoming article].
- ἀλήθεια: [Stay tuned for forthcoming article].
Syntax Sense
While most of the syntax issues are covered by examining my diagrammatic evolution, there are two additional things worth discussion. I love how terse Greek is. The Greeks could say so much just by how the words are inflected. Here John can address something “to Gaius” using just one word, Gaius’s name! While it does not come out in this particular Greek sentence fragment, the precision and expressiveness of the Greek language is remarkable to me. English is also a very precise and expressive language; so, I think the two languages work well together.
Second, and more consequential is this: ἀγαπῶ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ. Does John love Gaius “in truth,” as I have translated it or “in the truth”? Is there even a difference between those to formulations? Some grammarians argue that we should include the article in English because truth is an abstract noun, that is, a noun that represents an idea, quality, feeling, state, or concept that cannot be perceived by the senses. In English, an abstract noun takes the definite article when it is qualified or made specific to a particular person, situation, or context, rather than referring to the concept in general. “Truth is stranger than fiction” needs no article, but “We need to find the truth about the incident,” does. These grammarians believe that the addition of the article is just a function of our language.
The grammarians are correct if truth here is specific rather than general. Truth here is specific to the manner in which John loves Gaius. But it strikes me that truth is being talked about in an unqualified way here. There is no specific “true” person, situation, or context here. Is there a difference between the two?
I see at least a subtle difference. The book of III John talks about the concept of truth a lot. He’s talking about the entirety of God’s truth. That seems not qualified, but general to me. Thus, I omitted the article here.
Demystifying the Discourse
We are only ten words into this epistle and John has already teased us (and Gaius!) with two important concepts that he’s going to spend the rest of the book expounding on. He does so through a careful “compare and contrast” among Gaius, Diotrephes, and Demetrius stacking them up against these measuring rods of truth and love.
Your turn!
Welcome to Translate the Bible with Me, where you get to practice what you just studied. You are welcome to try them all or pick and choose. If you want, you can post your responses in the comments.
- What does ἐν ἀληθείᾳ seem to mean here, before importing later Johannine uses?
- Should the English article be used to translate ἀληθείᾳ: the truth vs. truth? Support your answer by considering either — or both — the Greek syntax and English grammar and idiom.
- How would you diagram this verse?
Comment below to join the discussion.
Next passage: III John 2-4
Return to TBWM – III John
See complete translation of III John here.