3 John

 

3. John

An even shorter letter about Christian fellowship.

3 John is a single-chapter letter written by the Apostle John to Gaius, urging him to continue supporting traveling missionaries, praising his hospitality (vv. 1–8), condemning the self-serving actions of a local leader named Diotrephes (vv. 9-11), and commending Demetrius, likely the letter's bearer (v. 12), while reinforcing the need for walking in truth.

Key Sections of 3 John:

Praise for Gaius (vv. 1–8): John expresses joy that Gaius is walking in truth and commends his hospitality toward traveling workers of the gospel, calling them "fellow workers for the truth".

The Problem of Diotrephes (vv. 9-11): John condemns Diotrephes, who loves to lead, refuses to accept John's authority, and intimidates members who show hospitality to missionaries

Recommendation of Demetrius (v. 12): John highlights the good reputation of Demetrius as a model to follow.

Final Greetings (vv. 13-15): John mentions his plan to visit soon to speak face-to-face rather than writing more. [1]

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[1] Chapter summaries:

Bible in One Year, Chad Bird © 2006 1517.org
The Lutheran Study Bible © 2009 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
Enduring Word Commentary by David Guzik © 1996-present -enduringword.com
Note: Some of this overview was generated with the help of AI. It’s supported by information from across the web and Google’s Knowledge Graph, a collection of information about people, places, and things.
Google. (2026). Gemini [Large language model]. https://gemini.google.com/