III John: 2

"Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.”

The word prosper is only used once in the New Testament, whereas it is used 48 times in the Old Testament with four different Hebrew words revealing different aspects of its meaning – speaking of God’s provision, protection, and direction. The Greek word for prosper used in third John, euodoo, adds another meaning which is consistent with what God is speaking in the entirety of His word.

Euodoo comes from two root words – eu, meaning “well done” and hodos, meaning “road” or “journey”. In Matthew 7:13-14, hodos is the Greek word used for “way”. “Enter you in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leads to life, and few there be that find it.” There are two ways or journeys – one leads to destruction and the other to life. In Matthew 25, Jesus speaks of the kingdom of God in two parables – each speaking of the end result of these journeys. The first parable is of the ten virgins. The second one, beginning in verse 14, is about a man (the Lord) who calls His servants (us) and entrusts them with His goods. The Lord goes away … and upon His return He demands an account of what was done with the goods entrusted to each of His servants. The ones that invested and properly used that which they were given to produce more … (John 15 – the vine and the branches: the branches are to produce fruit) were rewarded with the words “Well done you good and faithful servant”. The same Greek word – eu – is used here in connection with their reward. The end of the journey of these good and faithful servants was reward or eternal life. The end of the journey for the wicked and slothful servant was destruction.

From the combination of eu and hodos we get a clearer understanding of euodoo as used in III John:2 which means: to help on the road … to succeed in reaching (potential / goal)… to succeed in business affairs (see the parallel in Matthew 25)… to have a prosperous journey. I would define the word prosper, as used in this scripture as: achieving victory over all obstacles and attaining the provision, protection, and direction of the Lord as we walk as His disciples; by denying self, taking up our cross daily, and following our Lord, who will lead us to life and that more abundant if we faint not along the path of life. True prosperity comes from learning to led of the Spirit.

The Greek word used for health, hugiaino, means: sound health, well in body… be safe and sound, whole… be uncorrupt ( true in doctrine ). In Luke 5:31-32 Jesus says “They that are whole (hugiaino) need not a physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”. The righteous are spiritually whole … sinners are spiritually sick. The righteous and the sinner are both in the church or the body of Christ. The bible is not speaking to the world; the world is not heeding the word of God. The righteous are made spiritually whole as they overcome sin. The righteous overcome sin by repentance – turning away from sin and not continuing in it. You become able to truly repent as “you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to the world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1-2). Your mind will be progressively renewed as you seek after the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of Truth. He will lead and guide you into all the truth as you continue to follow Him. Jesus said in John 8:31-32 “If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”. I would define the word health, as used in this scripture as: being made whole or complete, as we allow ourselves to be living sacrifices and to be transformed by the renewing of our minds through the Holy Spirit, who will lead and guide us into all the truth that we may be free from sin.

All scriptures in the New Testament use the same Greek word for soul – psuche – which refers to the heart, life, mind, or soul. Psuche comes from three other Greek words: psucho – which refers to breathing voluntarily but gently or a reduction in temperature by evaporation… pneuma – which refers to a more forceful current of air – a blast or breeze, which references the spirit or the mind… and zoe – which is life – the kind of life that the Lord gives – godly, eternal. When Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, He breathed on them and said “Receive you the Holy Ghost” (John 20:22). When the Holy Ghost came to earth in Acts 2:2 “there came a sound from heaven as of a mighty rushing wind”. “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). This pattern of God breathing life or bringing judgment (“by the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils they are consumed” Job 4:9) is consistent throughout the word of God. With this understanding it is easier to see the connection of the spirit of man to the breath of God.

When Peter said “let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price” (I Peter 3:2), he was referring to the heart as a combination of our soul and our spirit. When we are born again, we are born again of the Spirit – the breath of God – that fills a void that previously had no connection to the spirit realm. We are now “in Christ”. “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things become new” (I Corinthians 5:17). When something is new, you have no knowledge of it or any understanding to operate in it. The spirit realm is totally foreign to us in the beginning. Our spirit now enjoys the presence of God and connectivity to the spirit realm – but our soul is largely unchanged; the only change being whatever influence the spirit may have on the soul. The soul is now in a tug-of-war battle between the spirit and the flesh. Flesh is flesh and can never be changed, but it can be subdued, overcome, and not allowed to exert any more influence on us if we will submit to God’s process. The soul will submit to whichever influence is stronger – spirit or flesh. We will continue to be soulish or carnal until our soul becomes completely submitted to the spirit. This requires the release of the spirit.

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit” (Hebrews 4:12). If our spirit remains connected with our soul, then the 'hidden man of the heart' or the 'incorruptible seed' (I Peter 1:23) cannot function without the influence of our carnal nature. “Know you not that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may be a new lump” (I Corinthians 5:6-7). The dividing of soul and spirit takes place through the process of God who speaks things into existence according to His will and His preparation. We cannot truly be free until our spirit is free to dominate our carnal mind through separation from our soul.

“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:3-6). We each are products of our decisions, our thinking – “as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). This is our part, our responsibility in our relationship with our Lord – we choose to obey or disobey, to submit or rebel, to agree with that which is truth or agree with that which is lie. There are no gray areas; it is one or the other. Life or death, blessing or cursing – it is ours to choose. Moses said “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live: that you may love the Lord your God, and that you may obey his voice, and that you may cleave unto him: for he is your life, and the length of your days: that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore unto your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).

If we consistently choose to obey the flesh or the carnal mind, then the psucho which is a gentle influence of the spirit will have less and less impact. To obey the flesh or walk after the flesh is to empower the flesh – giving it more and more control. The stronger the flesh, the weaker the spirit’s influence on our decisions. Psucho also has a meaning of ‘reduction in temperature by evaporation’ which suggests one begins to 'wax cold'. “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:12). This is illustrated in the parable of the sower. He that received seed into stony places did not have “root in himself, but endures for a while; for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, by and by he is offended”. He that received seed among the thorns allowed the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches to choke the word, and he became unfruitful. (Matthew 13:20-22) One that gives attention to the carnal mind will not only remain carnally minded, but will grow in carnality – walking the path of destruction – which ends in eternal separation; "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:23)

If we consistently choose to obey the Spirit and to be spiritually minded, then the pneuma which has a more forceful impact will be released to essentially begin to 'clean house'. The word of God has much to say about suffering, persecution, affliction, chastisement, and judgement; but if we come to know God as He really is, according to His goodness, then these terms take on a positive connotation rather than a negative one. These experiences that were once so undesirable because we didn’t understand why we had to endure such pain and discomfort, are now seen as tools in the hands of a loving Father who is diligently working to shape us into vessels of honor – fit for His use. The pneuma will continue to break us and humble us to the place where we can say, just as Paul did “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). This where zoe is released, because the spirit is released and has come into dominion and the vessel is now being led of the Spirit. Being led of the Spirit, the vessel is now a “son of God” – “for as many as are led of the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). And a son will say – just as the Son did when he was on earth “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do: for whatsoever things he does, these also do the son likewise” (John 5:19).

III John: 2 is saying that we can enjoy prosperity and health – in direct proportion to the degree that our soul has prospered, or in other words, to the degree that we allow Jesus to be Lord of our lives. The words prosperity and health when used in spiritual terms do not have the same meaning as they do in natural terms. This is where many are deceived. They assume that because they have gathered worldly goods and do not contend with any major physical problems that this is proof that they are blessed of God and are pleasing to Him. Remember, the Father “makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). Outward appearance is nothing; it is the condition of the heart that matters for we are known by our fruit. “According as his divine power has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (I Peter 1:3-4). “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). The ways in which God rewards those who diligently seek Him are beyond our ability to comprehend. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him” (I Corinthians 2:9).