Chronological

¹ From: John, the old Elder of the church.

To: That dear woman Cyria, one of God’s very own, and to her children whom I love so much, as does everyone else in the church. ² Since the Truth is in our hearts forever, ³ God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son will bless us with great mercy and much peace, and with truth and love.

⁴ How happy I am to find some of your children here and to see that they are living as they should, following the Truth, obeying God’s command.

⁵ And now I want to urgently remind you, dear friends, of the old rule God gave us right from the beginning, that Christians should love one another. ⁶ If we love God, we will do whatever he tells us to. And he has told us from the very first to love each other.

⁷ Watch out for the false leaders—and there are many of them around—who don’t believe that Jesus Christ came to earth as a human being with a body like ours. Such people are against the truth and against Christ. ⁸ Beware of being like them and losing the prize that you and I have been working so hard to get. See to it that you win your full reward from the Lord. ⁹ For if you wander beyond the teaching of Christ, you will leave God behind; while if you are loyal to Christ’s teachings, you will have God too. Then you will have both the Father and the Son.

¹⁰ If anyone comes to teach you, and he doesn’t believe what Christ taught, don’t even invite him into your home. Don’t encourage him in any way. ¹¹ If you do, you will be a partner with him in his wickedness.

¹² Well, I would like to say much more, but I don’t want to say it in this letter, for I hope to come to see you soon, and then we can talk over these things together and have a joyous time.

¹³ Greetings from the children of your sister—another choice child of God.

Sincerely, John

¹ From: John, the Elder.

To: Dear Gaius, whom I truly love.

² Dear friend, I am praying that all is well with you and that your body is as healthy as I know your soul is. ³ Some of the brothers traveling by have made me very happy by telling me that your life stays clean and true and that you are living by the standards of the Gospel. ⁴ I could have no greater joy than to hear such things about my children.

⁵ Dear friend, you are doing a good work for God in taking care of the traveling teachers and missionaries who are passing through. ⁶ They have told the church here of your friendship and your loving deeds. I am glad when you send them on their way with a generous gift. ⁷ For they are traveling for the Lord and take neither food, clothing, shelter, nor money from those who are not Christians, even though they have preached to them. ⁸ So we ourselves should take care of them in order that we may become partners with them in the Lord’s work.

⁹ I sent a brief letter to the church about this, but proud Diotrephes, who loves to push himself forward as the leader of the Christians there, does not admit my authority over him and refuses to listen to me. ¹⁰ When I come I will tell you some of the things he is doing and what wicked things he is saying about me and what insulting language he is using. He not only refuses to welcome the missionary travelers himself but tells others not to, and when they do he tries to put them out of the church.

¹¹ Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do what is right prove that they are God’s children; and those who continue in evil prove that they are far from God. ¹² But everyone, including Truth itself, speaks highly of Demetrius. I myself can say the same for him, and you know I speak the truth.

¹³ I have much to say, but I don’t want to write it, ¹⁴ for I hope to see you soon and then we will have much to talk about together. ¹⁵ So good-bye for now. Friends here send their love, and please give each of the folks there a special greeting from me.

Sincerely, John