III JOHN CHAPTER 1

3 JOHN 1

1 The elder, to beloved Gaius,
Whom I love in truth without fuss:
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper
In all things prettier and wasper,
Flourish in health bodily as
Your soul also mightily has.

Body and soul prosper as one, it seems,
In truth alone, and so I leave my dreams
And seek reality to choke to veil
That clogs the letters I find in the mail.
Let me also love not only the truth
But the face that’s beloved beyond the couth.
I pray too for the bright prosperity
Of bodies and souls caught among the spree.
May all things prosper here within Your will
And I shall keep my clamour and be still.
Who seek health seek a sooner day’s salvation,
And Christian and New Ager find their station.
I leave their dreams as well as mine to wager
On You, Beloved, instead of an engager.

3 For I rejoiced greatly when brothers
Came and witnessed of one another’s
Bearing the truth that is in you,
Just as you walk in truth, so do.
4 I have no greater joy than hearing
That my children walk nothing fearing
In truth. 5 Beloved, you do right well
And faithfully to deal and tell
To the brothers and strangers too,
6 Who have borne witness of your love
Before the group of called out ones.
If you send them forward as sons
On their journey done worthy of
God, you will do both well and true,
7 Because they went forth for His name,
Taking nothing from Gentiles’ frame.
8 We therefore ought to receive such,
That we may be fellows as much
Workers for the truth to our gain.

I whirl in truth and recite all Your names
Except the one name You kept out of games,
And so I welcome all workers for weal
And stamp them with approval and with peel
Of oranges sealed sweet till judgement day.
Kiss me if You meet me upon the way.
I whirl in truth and as I whirl recite
Your names as lovely things under the night,
And rejoice that my feet echo not bare
Alone upon the dergah for my share,
But join the feet of countless ones not seen
Because the darkness covers opaline.
Beloved, I whirl in truth and as I turn
I say Your names before my whirlings burn.

9 I wrote the group of called out ones,
But Diotrephes, who loves buns,
To have pre-eminence among
Them, does not receive us in tongue.
10 Therefore, if I come, I will call
To mind the deeds making him fall,
Prating against us with such words
Maliciously spoken like turds.
And not content with that, he does
Not receive the brothers as was
Our wont, and forbids those who wish
To accept them, but puts their dish
Outside the door of the group of
Called out ones. 11 Now you whom I love,
Don’t imitate evil action,
But what is good and to be done.
He who does good is of God, but
He who does evil has been shut
From seeing God and knowing what.

The words of every prophet say that You
Cannot be seen by men whate’er they do.
The word of every preacher says we must
Love neighbour like the self, unless the dust
Of power clothe him from president’s seat,
And then we must honour, obey and treat
The man like God Himself or better such.
But You, Beloved, proclaim discrimination
To judge the other by good is the ration
By which it’s possible to see Your face,
Perhaps not in nature, by special grace.
I do good then, follow ten words of law
Expecting to sit back and see in awe
The divine body and soul in this place.

12 Demetrius has good witness
From all, and from the truth to bless.
And we also bear witness, and
You know our true here and at hand.
13 I had many things I would write,
But do not wish with pen and ink
To write but rather in our sight
14 To see each other in a wink,
And shortly comment face to face.
Peace to you. Our friends greet with grace.
Greet the friends by name in that place.

The pen and ink of Scripture is a veil
That separates the vulgar from the mail.
Yet pen and ink flow down from point to be
The penetrating sword of names for Thee.
Beloved, I lay the veil of ink aside
And set the reed pen off, and turn to hide
The pipes that cantillate with breath Your name,
And in empty silence I make no claim.
Yet in a wink We see each other there
And rise to embrace above the cold air
That touches heart and lip with peace again
And then turn and once more, as men to men,
Greet and appear and disappear to be
A whirling spark through Your eternity.

AUTHOR: THOMAS G. MCELWAIN

Copyright © 2007 Adams & McElwain Publishers and Thomas McElwain First Published in two volumes, The Beloved and I 2005, and Led of the Beloved, 2006. Second Edition, 2010 Third and revised edition, 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this verse commentary on the sacred Scriptures may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from publisher.

To purchase the books, please go to:

http://www.lulu.com/shop/thomas-mcelwain/the-beloved-and-i-genesis-to-maccabees/paperback/product-20136835.html

http://www.lulu.com/shop/thomas-mcelwain/the-beloved-and-i-job-to-revelation/paperback/product-20050862.html