3 John 1:2
Bible verses · Also called: 3 John 2, Prosper and be in health, Even as thy soul prospereth, Threefold blessing, Triple blessing
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Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
The text is the New Korean Revised Version (1998), shown under a licence from the Korean Bible Society. Wording may differ slightly from the Korean Revised Version and the Revised New Korean Standard Version. Read in the Korean Revised Version
"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth" is an epistolary greeting. The verse is widely known as the basis for the "threefold blessing" taught in the Korean Pentecostal movement, and debate continues over whether it can serve as a foundation for prosperity theology.
Context
3 John is a brief personal letter from an author who identifies himself as "the elder" to a believer named Gaius. The author commends Gaius for showing hospitality to itinerant evangelists (vv. 5–8) and rebukes Diotrephes for refusing to receive them (vv. 9–10). Verse 2 is the greeting at the opening of the letter, and the author goes on immediately to say that he rejoices at the report that Gaius walks in the truth (vv. 3–4). In ancient letters, a greeting wishing the recipient health and well-being was a common convention.
Interpretation
- As an epistolary greeting: Many commentators regard the verse as a religious expression of the customary well-wishing found in letters of the period and consider it difficult to read as a doctrinal declaration promising material prosperity and health to all believers. The word rendered "prosper" (Greek euodoō) originally meant "to have a smooth journey," that is, for one's way to go well.
- As a basis for holistic salvation: The Pentecostal tradition holds that salvation extends not only to the soul but also to one's life and body, and it cites this verse as biblical grounds for the belief that God cares for the believer's soul, daily life, and health alike.
- With the prosperity of the soul as the standard: Some interpreters, noting that the verse's standard is "even as thy soul prospereth," hold that prosperity and health follow from spiritual maturity rather than being goals in themselves.
Controversies and Issues
Pastor David Yonggi Cho drew from this verse a "threefold blessing"—the prosperity of the soul, prosperity in all things, and good health—and made it the central message of Full Gospel faith. Supporters maintain that this teaching gave hope to people living in poverty and sickness after the Korean War and recovered a holistic understanding of salvation that encompasses body and life. Critics contend that it expands an epistolary greeting into a universal promise and risks drifting into prosperity theology, which links faith with material success.
Related Passages
- 3 John 1:3–4
- Matthew 6:33
- Deuteronomy 28:1–6
- Philippians 4:11–12
See also 6
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