3 John 1

“The elder” writes to his “beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth,” praying “that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.” He rejoices greatly that brothers have come and testified to Gaius’s “truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth,” for “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” John commends Gaius’s faithful service to “the brothers, even though they are strangers,” who “have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.” “Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.” Then John turns to a problem: “I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.” When John comes, he will call attention to Diotrephes’s deeds — “talking wicked nonsense against us,” refusing to welcome the brothers himself, and even stopping and expelling from the church those who want to. “Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.” John then commends Demetrius, who “has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself.” He closes as in 2 John, saying he has much to write but would rather come and speak “face to face,” and sends peace and greetings: “The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name.”