²³ Paul and Barnabas appointed elders^[a](A) for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting,^(B) committed them to the Lord,^(C) in whom they had put their trust.

Appointing Elders Who Love What Is Good^(A)

⁵ The reason I left you in Crete^(B) was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint^[a] elders^(C) in every town, as I directed you.

³⁰ This they did, sending their gift to the elders^(A) by Barnabas^(B) and Saul.^(C)

¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders^(A) of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil^(B) in the name of the Lord.

² And the things you have heard me say^(A) in the presence of many witnesses^(B) entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

³² “Now I commit you to God^(A) and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance^(B) among all those who are sanctified.^(C)

²² Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands,^(A) and do not share in the sins of others.^(B) Keep yourself pure.^(C)

¹⁷ From Miletus,^(A) Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders^(B) of the church.

¹ The elder,^(A)

To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

² Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. ³ It gave me great joy when some believers^(B) came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.^{(C) 4} I have no greater joy than to hear that my children^(D) are walking in the truth.^(E)

⁵ Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters,^[a](F) even though they are strangers to you.^{(G) 6} They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way^(H) in a manner that honors^(I) God. ⁷ It was for the sake of the Name^(J) that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans.^{(K) 8} We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.

⁹ I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. ¹⁰ So when I come,^(L) I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers.^(M) He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.^(N)

¹¹ Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.^(O) Anyone who does what is good is from God.^(P) Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.^{(Q) 12} Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone^(R)—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.^(S)

¹³ I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. ¹⁴ I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.^(T)

¹⁵ Peace to you.^(U) The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.^(V)