206 Luca Marulli commending, accompanied by a request to receive or welcome (cf. Phlm 12,17; Rom 16,1-2; Phil 2,25.29). This feature is absent in Third John with regards to Demetrius. 2. Demetrius, bearer of the letter? The more general epistolary conventions of the Graeco-Roman world (especially between 200 BCE and 200 CE) show (12) that the letter carrier, when expressly named, played a more significant role than simply physically delivering the letter: he was entrusted to supply information (e.g., P. Oxy 292 [c. 25 CE]), deliver goods (e.g., P. Oxy II,113; P. Oxy II,3313; P. Oxy 300 [late I CE]; P. Oxy 529 [II CE]), and in some cases act as the representative of the sender (e.g., P. Oxy 743 [2 BCE]; P. Oxy 293 [27 CE]; P. Coll. III,6). But in all these scenarios, the letter carrier is named in the letter and the recipient is carefully instructed regarding the role of the letter bearer. In contrast, as Lieu has already noted (13), 3 John 12 introduces Demetrius with the passive voice of marturevw (perfect passive: memartuvrhtai uJpo; pavntwn, “[he] has received a good testimony from everyone”). The passive voice of marturevw is used in the New Testament to introduce an example worthy of honor and imitation, and not a letter bearer or an envoy in need of hospitality: Acts 6,3 (the “seven”, marturoumevnou"); 10,22 (Cornelius, marturouvmenov"); 22,12 (Ananias, marturouvmeno"); 1 Tim 5,10 (the “good widow”, marturoumevnh) (14). In Third John, Demetrius is explicitly named, praised by “everyone”, “the truth itself”, and the Elder and his entourage (“we”), and yet not explicitly mentioned as being sent by the Elder. Demetrius is not portrayed as needing hospitality, carrying out a specific function, or acting as a representative of the Elder. In light of these considerations, we suggest that he could very well have been a person known by Gaius for being a noble and exemplary Christian, and not necessarily the bearer of the letter. Moreover, the following section shows that if we seriously consider Demetrius’ role in the rhetorical (12) P.M. HEAD, “Letter Carriers in Personal Letters among the Papyri and Pauline Epistolary Communication Strategy” (Paper presented at the annual meeting of the British New Testament Society, Social World Seminar 1-3 Sept. 2005) 1-13. Available online in PDF format at www.gmir.ru/old/ecclesia/pdf/ june/Head.pdf (13) J. LIEU, The Second and Third Epistles of John. History and Background (Studies of the New Testament and Its World; Edinburgh 1986) 118. (14) Cf. also Heb 11,2; 1 Clem 18,1.44,3.