FOLLOW NOT... BUT...

 FOLLOW NOT... BUT... 

"Dearly beloved, follow not that which is evil: but that which is good. He that doth good is of God: he that doth evil hath not seen God" [3 Jh. : 11]

~Do not imitate the evil: do not imitate the proud, impious, and inhospitable Diotrephes [v9] , even though he does occupy the chief place in the Church, but rather imitate the humble, pious, and hospitable Demetrius, of whom in ver. 12.

~He who does good is of God, &c. This is especially applicable to the good of kindness and beneficence. ...to benefit, or do a kindness to any one. For S. John is here treating of kindness and hospitality. For this he praises Caius, whilst he condemns the unkindness of Diotrephes. He is alluding to what he says in his first Epist. iii. 6. The meaning is, He who does to them that need—as, for instance, by receiving guests and pilgrims, as thou doest, O Caius—is of God. He knows, loves, and worships Him. But he who does ill to his neighbour, as Diotrephes does, is not of God: he neither sees, nor hath seen Him: that is, practically, he does not know God, because he does not love, imitate, or worship Him. Although indeed every virtue is of God, the words especially apply to charity and beneficence. For it is an attribute of God that He communicates Himself and His good things, and doeth good.

The reason is, because it is a property of God so to abound in all good that He overflows, and pours out his goodness by bestowing it upon others. He therefore that shows kindness is a child and an imitator of the good and kind God.

~He that doeth evil hath nor seen God. The direct antithesis would have been, is not of God, but S. John amplifies, saying, so much is he not of God, that he does not see, i.e. practically know God. He who is unkind, and does evil to his neighbour, does not truly see, i.e. know God practically, because he does not acknowledge God’s infinite and unceasing kindnesses to himself, so as to show himself grateful for them by showing kindness to others for God’s sake. [C. a Lapide]