A Letter of Recommendation? 213 nothing” instead of “accepting nothing” (41) for a couple of reasons. The verb lambavnw is often used in its active form as a periphrasis for the passive, especially in the context of hospitality (cf. 2 John 10; John 19,27), or when it refers to the act of “receiving something from someone” (42). Moreover, the Johannine corpus uses the same verb to refer to those who are sent by Christ and need to be received as Christ himself (John 13,20) (43). It is therefore clear that the Elder’s intention is to underscore the fact that the pagans are not supporting the Christian itinerants, which is somehow expected. What is not expected is that fellow Christians would also let them down. The expression ajpo; tw'n ejqnikw'n does not bear an ethnic meaning, but contrasts the (Christian) “we” of v. 8, which immediately follows: the word ejqnikov" here might therefore mean hostile in a religious sense (44). Since the Elder does not assume himself and Gaius to be like those pagans who refused to honor the name by supporting the Christian itinerants, he continues by saying that “we have to receive them” (hJmei'" ou\n ojfeivlomen uJpolambavnein tou;" toiouvtou", v. 8a): it is important at this point for the Elder to draw a connection between himself and Gaius, as two honorable people standing on the same side and sharing the same good ethos (45). It has already been noted that the expression ojfeivlomen uJpolambavnein is in fact a diplomatic obligation, since the Johannine literature often uses the verb ojfeivlw in the context of a required attitude (cf. John 13,14; 1 John 3,16.4,11) (46). To this we add that ojfeivlw literally means “to owe”. Followed by an infinitive (as in 3 John 8), it indicates a (41) The very act of refusing help to Christian itinerants is often connected to their willingness to differentiate themselves from the Cynics, also known as “begging philosophers” (POLHILL, “The setting of 2 John and 3 John”, 35-36; LIEU, Epistles of John, 108). However, the current study shows that the aim of Third John is not to draw a contrast between Christian and pagan itinerants, but between the need of supporting such as opposed to a “pagan” indifference. (42) In this latter use, the verb is in its active form followed by the particle ajpov (as in 3 John 7): Epictetus, Diatr. 4,11,3 (ajpo; qeovn); Apoc. Pet. Rainer ln. 19 (ajpo; tino"); Apoc. Mos. 19 (ajpΔ ejmou'); Justin, Dial. 78.10 (ajpo; tou' qeou'); 1 John 2,27 v (ajpΔ aujtou'): M.M. MITCHELL, “‘Diotrephes Does Not Receive Us’: The Lexicographal and Social Context of 3 John 9-10”, JBL 117/2 (1998) 318. (43) The emphasis is therefore on the need of accepting them, not on their reluctance in accepting help from strangers. Cf. MITCHELL, “Social Context”, 318, who also cites Philo, Legat. 369. (44) So also KRUSE, John, 224. (45) Cf. Cicero, Part. or. 9,31-32 and Quintilian, Inst. 4,2.125-127, quoted by WATSON, “Rhetorical Analysis”, 492. (46) BROWN, John, 741.