The Apostolic Fathers · AD 70–130
Demetrius the Commended
fl. c. 90 (death unrecorded) · Bearer of 3 John · Asia
The Apostolic Fathers
Who Demetrius the Commended was
“Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record.” A triple testimonial — the community’s, the truth’s, the Elder’s — of the form used to introduce a letter’s carrier; he is almost certainly 3 John’s postman, sent into a district where Diotrephes was turning such men away. Later lists make him bishop of Philadelphia; the letter makes him something rarer: a man vouched for by “the truth itself.”
Common questions
When was Demetrius active?
Demetrius the Commended is dated fl. c. 90 (death unrecorded) in the archive, which places Demetrius in the Apostolic Fathers (AD 70–130). The dating is traditional and approximate; the archive marks it as uncertain rather than fixing a year the sources do not give.
Which early sources mention Demetrius?
Demetrius the Commended is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from The Elder (John) and The Constitutions' compiler. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Demetrius from?
The archive associates Demetrius the Commended with Asia.
Who were Demetrius’ contemporaries?
The archive links Demetrius the Commended to 3 other figures, including Gaius, Friend of the Elder, Diotrephes and John the Presbyter (“The Elder”). Each connection is drawn from a source that places them together, not from inference.
Scripture record
Primary-source mentions (2)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
3 John 1:12
c. AD 95Demetrius 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.The Elder (John) · read ↗
Apostolic Constitutions VII.46 (bishop of Philadelphia, by John — the traditional identification)
c. AD 380Of Philadelphia, Demetrius, by me.The Constitutions' compiler · Apostolic Constitutions VII.46 · source text
Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 30 · Crucifixion, Resurrection and Pentecost, AD 30–33
- AD 44 · Persecution under Herod Agrippa I, AD 44
- AD 49 · The Council of Jerusalem, AD 49
- AD 57 · Paul writes Romans, AD 57
- AD 62 · James the Just stoned, AD 62
- AD 64 · The Great Fire and Nero’s persecution, AD 64
- AD 70 · The fall of Jerusalem, AD 70
- AD 95 · Domitian’s reprisals, AD 95
- AD 96 · Rome writes to Corinth: 1 Clement, AD 96
Place
Places served
The one place the sources put Demetrius.
- 1Asiaprovince only