Abstract:

Prayer passages in the Johannine literature have been examined in detail, especially those located in the Fourth Gospel and 1 John. But what about the utilisation of εὔχομαί in 3 John 2? Some scholars see this term as a reference to the Elder’s wish for Gaius’s well-being. Others insist that the term refers to his prayer to God on Gaius’s behalf. While εὔχομαί can mean either “wish” or “pray” (in 3 John 2), this article argues that this term likely involves both the Elder’s desire for Gaius’s overall well-being and his prayer to God for this desire to come to pass as Gaius supports the mission of God. This reading accords with the Elder’s commendable tone and with the overall context of 3 John. Therefore, this study examines prayer in 3 John on its own terms, but it also seeks to discover how the Elder’s prayer-wish synthesises with and compares to prayer in John’s Farewell Discourse. In particular, attention is given to discerning the relationship between prayer, the fruitfulness of believers, and the mission of God in 3 John and the Farewell Discourse.

摘要：

详细研究了约翰尼文学中的经文，特别是第四福音书和约翰一书中的经文。但是约翰三书2中对εὔχομαί的利用又如何呢？一些学者认为这个名词是对长老对盖乌斯幸福的渴望的参考。其他人坚持认为该词是指他代表盖乌斯向上帝祈祷。虽然εὔχομαί可能意味的“愿望”或“祈祷”（3约翰福音2），这篇文章认为，这个词可能涉及双方长辈对犹渴望的整体福祉和他向上帝祈祷，希望在盖乌斯支持上帝的使命时实现这一愿望。这与长老值得称赞的口吻以及约翰三书的整体情境相吻合。因此，本研究以其自己的术语考察了约翰三书中的祈祷，但它也试图发现长者的祈祷愿望如何与约翰的《永别话语》中的祈祷进行比较和比较。尤其要注意辨别祷告，信徒的成才与上帝在《约翰三书》中的使命和告别话语之间的关系。