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Third Letter of John
- A glimpse of the problems of missionary activity and local autonomy in the early church. Authority appears
to be flexible and based more on personal relationships. Whereas 2 Jn is addressed to a church ("chosen
lady"), 3 Jn is addressed to an individual, Gaius, because the author's letter(s) to Gaius' church were not
answered - it appears to have been taken over by one Diotrephes, who is preaching against the Presbyter's
teachings and refusing entry to the Presbyter's messengers and expelling any sympathetic to the Presbyter. A
concrete example of what he was warning about in 2 Jn.
- 1 Very brief opening usual in secular letters at this time, and naming the recipient. As in 2 Jn, the author is
called the "Presbyter". Nothing known about Gaius, but later tradition has him as bishop of Pergamum.
- 2 Repeats "beloved" - clearly a strong fatherly relationship - perhaps Gaius was received into the church by
the Presbyter?
- 3 Some church members (mine or yours?) told me how well you 'walk in the truth' - a typical Johannine
phrase.
- 4 Hearing that church members are walking in the truth gives the greatest joy.
- 5 What you do is consistent with the faith, especially helping strangers in this way. Gives a picture of the
early Church, with the Gospel being spread by travellers, who depend totally on the hospitality of the
communities they visit.
- 6 The travellers have reported your love to the church. Please help them in a worthy way to continue on their
journey - by furnishing them with the means (expense) and 'sending them on'.
- 7 Appears the travellers are missionaries, refusing to accept aid from pagans, lest be seen as beggars, but
expecting aid from fellow Christians (Cf 1 Cor 9:3-12).
- 8 It is good to support such workers for the faith, making us co-workers with them.
- 9 Diotrephes refuses to accept my authority, even though I wrote to his church. (The only occurrence of
‘church’ in John). The writer appears not to have authority to deal effectively with Diotrephes.
- 10 Apparently not heresy, but ‘evil nonsense’ and rejection of the Presbyter's authority - refusing to receive
the missionaries and expelling those who do from the church. Power to do this implies some authority - a
bishop? The Presbyter would therefore not appear to be someone in hierarchical authority, but a widely
respected elder.
- 11 The test to be applied is ‘by their fruits shall you know them’ (as in 1 Jn, eg 3:23): whoever does what is
good is from God, who does what is evil is not. But the problem may have been disciplinary or about church
structure - for all we know history may have supported Diotrephes, who appears comfortable in ignoring the
Presbyter’s requests, and may have been a cautious orthodox official, wary of the Presbyter’s missionaries, or
perhaps wanting to keep the divisive debates in the Johannine community out of his own church, until
apostolic authority became more widespread (Cf Jn 21, written later). How little we know about the early
church! Gaius is not being asked to take action - rather Diotrephes is cited of an example of one who by his
conduct shows himself not to be "one who has seen God".
- 12 Demetrius comes out well from the same test, and receives the Presbyter’s true testimony ("You know our
testimony is true" - similar phrase to Jn 21:24 - hence suggestion that Johannine epistles written by redactor,
whose hand seen most clearly in Chap 21). In his case the truth itself (his Christian way of life?)
recommends him. Demetrius may be one of the missionaries, perhaps carrying this letter, and so
recommended by this letter to Gaius. By later tradition he was bishop of Philadelphia.
- 13-14. Similar ending and same length as 2 Jn - suggests same author. Apologies for brevity.
- 15 Peace - the church members greet the members there by name, as beloved friends (hoi philoi). The letter
is written to keep these friends united and their church intact.