Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true.
Ver. 12. Of all men] Of all good men; for God reckons of men according to their goodness. As a good name only is a name, Ecclesiastes 7:1, and a good wife only a wife,Proverbs 8:22 .
And of the truth itself] That is enough. Doth the truth report well of a man? then he needs not care what the world can say.
And ye know that our record is true] This is one of John the Evangelist's praises, John 21:24, and may confirm that he was the author of this and the two former Epistles. For this truth, we may better say of him than Sophronius doth of John Chrysostom, Nunquam eum mentitum fuisse, that he never told lie; and that he was eximium orbis terrarum luminare, as Theodoret styles him.
Yea, and we also] Which we do not use to do without special caution. It is a fault to be too forward to testify of any.