Chronological

¹ I, the elder, am writing this letter.

I am sending it to the lady chosen by God and to her children. I love all of you because of the truth. I’m not the only one who loves you. So does everyone who knows the truth. ² I love you because of the truth that is alive in us. This truth will be with us forever.

³ God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son will give you grace, mercy and peace. These blessings will be with us because we love the truth.

⁴ It has given me great joy to find some of your children living by the truth. That’s just what the Father commanded us to do. ⁵ Dear lady, I’m not writing you a new command. I’m writing a command we’ve had from the beginning. I’m asking that we love one another. ⁶ The way we show our love is to obey God’s commands. He commands you to lead a life of love. That’s what you have heard from the beginning.

⁷ I say this because many people have tried to fool others. These people have gone out into the world. They don’t agree that Jesus Christ came in a human body. People like this try to trick others. These people are like the great enemy of Christ. ⁸ Watch out that you don’t lose what we have worked for. Make sure that you get your full reward. ⁹ Suppose someone thinks they know more than we do. So they don’t follow Christ’s teaching. Then that person doesn’t belong to God. But whoever follows Christ’s teaching belongs to the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ Suppose someone comes to you and doesn’t teach these truths. Then don’t take them into your house or welcome them. ¹¹ Anyone who welcomes them shares in their evil work.

¹² I have a lot to write to you. But I don’t want to use paper and ink. I hope I can visit you instead. Then I can talk with you face to face. That will make our joy complete.

¹³ The children of your sister, who is chosen by God, send their greetings.

¹ I, the elder, am writing this letter.

I am sending it to you, my dear friend Gaius. I love you because of the truth.

² Dear friend, I know that your spiritual life is going well. I pray that you also may enjoy good health. And I pray that everything else may go well with you. ³ Some believers came to me and told me that you are faithful to the truth. They told me that you continue to live by it. This news gave me great joy. ⁴ I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are living by the truth.

⁵ Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters. You are faithful even though they are strangers to you. ⁶ They have told the church about your love. Please help them by sending them on their way in a manner that honors God. ⁷ They started on their journey to serve Jesus Christ. They didn’t receive any help from those who aren’t believers. ⁸ So we should welcome people like them. We should work together with them for the truth.

⁹ I wrote to the church. But Diotrephes will not welcome us. He loves to be the first in everything. ¹⁰ So when I come, I will point out what he is doing. He is saying evil things that aren’t true about us. Even this doesn’t satisfy him. So he refuses to welcome other believers. He also keeps others from welcoming them. In fact, he throws them out of the church.

¹¹ Dear friend, don’t be like those who do evil. Be like those who do good. Anyone who does what is good belongs to God. Anyone who does what is evil hasn’t really seen or known God. ¹² Everyone says good things about Demetrius. He lives in keeping with the truth. We also say good things about him. And you know that what we say is true.

¹³ I have a lot to write to you. But I don’t want to write with pen and ink. ¹⁴ I hope I can see you soon. Then we can talk face to face.

¹⁵ May you have peace.

The friends here send their greetings. Greet each one of the friends there.