3 John
New Testament · translated from the Greek
A personal letter to Gaius: the elder praises him for receiving the brothers who went out for the sake of the Name, and warns about Diotrephes, who loves to be first.
How it is laid out
Key verses
- 3 John 1:4 — I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth
- 3 John 1:2 — I pray that in all things you may prosper and be in good health
Who wrote it
"The elder" (1:1). Christian tradition attributes it to the apostle John. Eusebius reports that in his day it was disputed whether it was by the evangelist or by another John (Church History 3.25.3).
When it was written
Probably AD 85–100; the date is debated.
For whom, and in what situation
Gaius (1:1), who received brothers who were strangers and had gone out for the sake of the Name (1:5-7), in an assembly where Diotrephes refused them and put out those who wanted to receive them (1:9-10).
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