Shepherd the Flock

5 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a ^(A)witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the ^(B)glory that will be revealed:

^3 (A)For you died, ^(B)and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ^4 (C)When Christ who is ^(D)our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in ^(E)glory.

¹⁷ and if children, then ^(A)heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, ^(B)if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

From Suffering to Glory

¹⁸ For I consider that ^(C)the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

⁴⁸ And ^(A)you are witnesses of these things.

Vision of the Son of Man

⁹ I, John, ^[a]both your brother and ^(A)companion in the tribulation and ^(B)kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Greeting the Elect Lady

¹ The Elder,

To the ^[a]elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known ^(A)the truth, ² because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:

^3 (B)Grace, mercy, and peace will be with ^[b]you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

Walk in Christ’s Commandments

⁴ I ^(C)rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. ⁵ And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: ^(D)that we love one another. ^6 (E)This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that ^(F)as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.

Beware of Antichrist Deceivers

⁷ For ^(G)many deceivers have gone out into the world ^(H)who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. ^(I)This is a deceiver and an antichrist. ^8 (J)Look to yourselves, ^(K)that ^[c]we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.

^9 (L)Whoever ^[d]transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and ^(M)does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; ¹¹ for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.

John’s Farewell Greeting

^12 (N)Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, ^(O)that our joy may be full.

^13 (P)The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.

Greeting to Gaius

¹ The Elder,

To the beloved Gaius, ^(Q)whom I love in truth:

² Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. ³ For I ^(R)rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. ⁴ I have no greater ^(S)joy than to hear that ^(T)my children walk in ^[e]truth.

Gaius Commended for Generosity

⁵ Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren ^[f]and for strangers, ⁶ who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, ⁷ because they went forth for His name’s sake, ^(U)taking nothing from the Gentiles. ⁸ We therefore ought to ^(V)receive^[g] such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.

Diotrephes and Demetrius

⁹ I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. ¹⁰ Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, ^(W)prating^[h] against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.

¹¹ Beloved, ^(X)do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. ^(Y)He who does good is of God, ^[i]but he who does evil has not seen ^(Z)God.

¹² Demetrius ^(AA)has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also ^[j]bear witness, ^(AB)and you know that our testimony is true.

Farewell Greeting

^13 (AC)I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink; ¹⁴ but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face.

Peace to you. Our friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.

⁴ and when ^(A)the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive ^(B)the crown of glory that does not fade away.

² Beloved, ^(A)now we are children of God; and ^(B)it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, ^(C)we shall be like Him, for ^(D)we shall see Him as He is.