Revised by Elisabeth Johnson, 12/23
SUMMARY
John the Elder writes one of the two personal letters (along with Philemon) in the New Testament. He writes to his friend and fellow Christian, Gaius, for help with disciplining Diotrephes, who is resisting John’s leadership. The letter probably originally accompanied a letter to a larger house churchIn the early days of Christianity, the social and political climate was not always favorable to followers of Jesus and they could not meet publicly. Rather some would gather in homes of fellow Christians to break bread, give thanks to God, and sing psalms and…, perhaps either 1 or 2 John.
SO WHAT?
This short letter gives us a window into issues of leadership, authority, and hospitality in early Christianity.
WHERE DO I FIND IT?
The Third Letter of John is the 25th book in the New Testament. It is the last of the three “Johannine Letters,” a collection of writings that share much in common with each other and with the Gospel of John.
WHO WROTE IT?
Similarities among this book, 1 John, and 2 John indicate that the same author (identified as an “elder” in 2 and 3 John) is responsible for all three. The elder and his colleagues may have been the authors or editors of the Gospel of John. Though the Gospel of John and the three Johannine epistles have traditionally been attributed to John the Apostle, son of ZebedeeOne of the first disciples of Jesus and brother of James., many scholars question this attribution. In any case, the epistles likely originated in a community influenced and shaped by John’s Gospel. One theory is that the author is “John the Elder,” a figure named by the early church historian Eusebius as a discipleA disciple is a person who accepts and follows the pronouncements of a teacher. Jesus chose twelve disciples (also called “apostles” in some of the Gospels) to follow him and bear witness to his message Anyone who (like them) follows Jesus is engaged in Christian… of the ApostleDerived from a Greek word meaning “one who is sent,” an apostle is a person who embraces and advocates another person’s idea or beliefs. At the beginning of his ministry Jesus called twelve apostles to follow and serve him. Paul became an apostle of Jesus… John.
WHEN WAS IT WRITTEN?
The Third Letter of John comes from around 90 C.E. It was probably written before 1 John, but after the Gospel of John.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
John the Elder writes to his friend and coworker Gaius, asking for help with the discipline of Diotrephes, another leader in a local house church.
HOW DO I READ IT?
Read this letter in its social and historical context, written from John the Elder to his friend and fellow leader in a local church, Gaius. Notice the theme of hospitality and the need to apply discipline to other leaders in the church.
