² so that you may welcome her in the Lord, as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well.

²⁹ Welcome him, then, in the Lord with all joy, and honor such people,^(A)

²⁷ Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel

Rewards

⁴⁰ “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.^{(A) 41} Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous, ⁴² and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”^(B)

⁵ Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you;^{(A) 6} they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on in a manner worthy of God,^{(B) 7} for they began their journey for the sake of Christ,^[a] accepting no support from nonbelievers.^{[b](C) 8} Therefore we ought to support such people, so that we may become coworkers with the truth.

Diotrephes and Demetrius

⁹ I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not welcome us. ¹⁰ So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing in spreading false charges against us. And not content with those charges, he refuses to welcome the brothers and sisters and even prevents those who want to do so and expels them from the church.^(D)

¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive and welcome this person into your house,^(A)

¹⁷ So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.^(A)

¹² I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you.^[a]

³ Likewise, tell the older women to be reverent in behavior, not to be slanderers or enslaved to much wine; they are to teach what is good,^(A)

¹⁸ —may the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! And you know very well how much service he rendered in Ephesus.^(A)