Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Which have borne witness of thy charity - Of thy love and benevolence. Before the Church - The believers at Ephesus; for to this Church the apostle seems to refer. Whom if thou bring forward - If thou continue to assist such, as thou hast done, thou shalt do well. The brethren of whom St. John speaks might have been apostles; the strangers, assistants to these apostles, as John Mark was to Barnabas. Both were itinerant evangelists. After a godly sort - Αξιως του Θεου· Worthy of God; and in such a way as he can approve. Let all Churches, all congregations of Christians, from whom their ministers and preachers can claim nothing by law, and for whom the state makes no provision, lay this to heart; let them ask themselves, Do we deal with these in a manner worthy of God, and worthy of the profession we make? Do we suffer them to lack the bread that perisheth, while they minister to us with no sparing hand the bread of life? Let a certain class of religious people, who will find themselves out when they read this note, consider whether, when their preachers have ministered to them their certain or stated time, and are called to go and serve other Churches, they send them forth in a manner worthy of God, making a reasonable provision for the journey which they are obliged to take. In the itinerant ministry of the apostles it appears that each Church bore the expenses of the apostle to the next Church or district to which he was going to preach the word of life. So it should be still in the mission and itinerant ministry.