Background of 3 John

This letter takes its place among the three Letters of John. The letter presupposes a situation in which a number of house churches in different locations relate to one another through mutual hospitality and support. The ninth verse indicates that 3 John may have accompanied or been included with either 1 or 2 John, which deal with false teachings. Yet, in 3 John, Diotrephes is the main concern, and he is not a false teacher but a leader in a local house church who is not submitting to John’s authority. In contrast, the elder recommends Demetrius, who may have carried the letter to Gaius.