3 John

About 3 John

Third John is the shortest book in the Bible, a personal note to a believer named Gaius. The elder thanks Gaius for welcoming traveling Christian workers, warns about Diotrephes, a church boss who refused them and pushed others around, and commends a faithful man named Demetrius. It gives a rare, honest snapshot of everyday church life, with its generosity and its power struggles.

Written by

Like 2 John, this letter comes from 'the elder'; tradition names the apostle John, while some scholars suggest another early leader called John the Elder.

When

It is usually dated around AD 85-95, in the same period as the other letters of John.

Themes

• Hospitality to God's workers
• Walking in the truth
• Humble leadership
• Imitating what is good

Key verses

• 3 John 1:4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
• 3 John 1:11Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.