“Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.” This exhortation from verse 11 is the central hinge of the whole Book of 3 John. In only 15 verses, old John gives servants in every age a striking “lesson in leadership character” through the sharp contrast of three specific people.
Although 3 John is very short, it very concretely reveals the relationship between truth, love, hospitality, co-workers, and spiritual authority. This guide to 3 John will help you understand the book’s background, structure, major themes, and spiritual significance before you begin reading. It will also help you reflect more deeply afterward on truth, hospitality, faithfulness, good and evil, church life, and relationships among co-workers, as well as how God uses a person who truly walks in the truth to become a supporter and fellow traveler in the work of the gospel.
When reading 3 John, three very different faces will appear clearly in your mind. They represent three different conditions of spiritual life.
Gaius is the direct recipient of John’s letter. John loves him deeply and praises him for “walking in truth,” especially because he earnestly receives missionary brothers whom he does not personally know and sends them forward in a manner worthy of God.
John leaves him this famous blessing:
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” (v. 2)
Diotrephes is a negative example of arrogance within the church.
His characteristics are clear: he loves to have the preeminence, likes to be the boss and have the final say, speaks malicious words against the apostle John, refuses to receive missionary brothers, and even casts out of the church those who are willing to receive the brothers.
Demetrius was very likely the person who delivered John’s letter, and he was also likely a traveling missionary.
His characteristics are also clear: his life and conduct are witnessed to by the truth. Everyone speaks well of him, and even the apostle John personally endorses him.
3 John tells us that those who truly walk in the truth do not only confess the truth with their mouths, but also live out love and faithfulness in church life, gladly receiving and supporting those who go out for the name of the Lord. But those who love to be first and hinder good works reveal that they are not truly living in God.
As in 2 John, the nearly one-hundred-year-old John still calls himself “the elder” at the beginning of the letter.
3 John was likely written around AD 85–95.
At that time, many traveling missionaries sent out by the apostles preached from place to place. They did not accept support from Gentiles, that is, unbelievers. Their food, lodging, and travel expenses depended entirely on the loving hospitality of local house churches.
This kind of “hospitality” was, at that time, one of the most direct ways to participate in missions.
This extremely short letter of only 15 verses is structured like a concise and powerful character sketch.
John expresses his deep affection for Gaius in the truth.
He wishes that Gaius would prosper in all things and be in health.
He also expresses the greatest joy of a spiritual father:
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”
John praises Gaius for receiving traveling missionary brothers.
He calls the church to receive such people, so that “we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.”
John openly names and criticizes Diotrephes for loving to have the preeminence, refusing to receive the apostles, speaking malicious words, and domineeringly casting zealous brothers out of the church.
John says that if he comes, he will bring up what Diotrephes has done.
John exhorts Gaius not to imitate evil, namely Diotrephes, but to imitate good.
He then strongly recommends Demetrius, whose life is open, upright, and witnessed to by the truth.
Similar to 2 John, John does not want to write much with ink and pen. He hopes to speak face to face soon.
He sends greetings to the friends.
In verse 2, John anchors the blessings of “prospering in all things,” such as work and life, and “being in health” to one key point: the prosperity of the soul.
This overturns the world’s view of success. If a person is outwardly thriving and physically strong, but inwardly dry, selfish, and full of Diotrephes-like desire for control, then in God’s eyes that is certainly not true prosperity.
Diotrephes’s failure was not that he held a leadership position, but that he “loved to have the preeminence.” He desperately desired power, respect, and control over everything.
This is completely contrary to the Lord Jesus’ teaching that whoever desires to be first must become the servant of all.
True spiritual leaders always win respect through service and love, not by bullying and exclusion in order to secure their position.
This book continually reminds us that truth is not only in the mouth, nor merely written on paper. It is a road that is walked and a life that is lived.
In this book, this is not a minor matter of politeness. It is an important expression of whether a person truly stands on the side of truth.
Gaius and Demetrius show us lives centered on truth and love. Diotrephes shows us how a person who loves to have first place can damage the church. This issue remains very real today.
Do not assume someone is right simply because he has position or a strong voice. John reminds us to look at the fruit, look at the witness, and see whether that person is truly walking in the truth.
When you finish reading 3 John, you will clearly feel that this is a very concrete and realistic book. It will not let you remain in big abstract statements like “I love the Lord” or “I love the truth.” Instead, it asks you: how do you treat the brothers? How do you treat the Lord’s workers? How do you treat God’s work? Are you supporting the truth, or hindering the truth?
You will also understand more deeply that the God of 3 John does not only look at how correctly people speak. He also looks at how they walk. A person may say many things and may even have influence in the church, but if he loves to have first place, rejects the brothers, and hinders good works, he reveals that he is not truly living in God. By contrast, a person who quietly and faithfully receives, supports, and helps others may actually be a fellow worker with the truth.
And when you read John’s praise of Gaius and his testimony concerning Demetrius, you will discover one of the most precious parts of 3 John: it shows that real faithfulness in church life will be seen, real good works will bear fruit, and those who truly walk in the truth will bring joy and comfort to others.
3 John most wants you to see not merely that “we should receive the brothers,” but how a person truly walking in the truth lives.
If the truth is real, it will not only make you better at speaking. It will make you more faithful, more generous, and more willing to give yourself for the work of God.
At the same time, 3 John wants you to see that one of the greatest dangers in the church is not necessarily open denial of the truth, but someone making himself too large. Diotrephes’s problem, on the surface, was poor treatment of people. But at the root, he loved to have first place. This is a very deep issue, because once the “self” sits at the center, truth, brothers, and the work of God can all be sacrificed.
Finally, 3 John tells you that people who truly belong to God not only avoid evil, but also actively imitate good. It is not enough to see clearly who is wrong. We must also learn to become like Gaius and Demetrius, supporting the truth, building others up, and bringing witness in the church.
When I hear John’s blessing to Gaius — “that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” — I need to reflect on my own life.
How much time and energy do I spend each day pursuing “career or academic prosperity” and “physical health,” such as fitness, wellness, and beauty?
And how much time do I spend practicing Bible reading, prayer, loving others, and pursuing “the prosperity of the soul”?
When I read about Diotrephes, who loved to be first, loved control, could not tolerate criticism, and excluded those who did not obey him, I should reflect on my own family, workplace, group chats, or church service.
When others do not listen to my opinions, or when someone else receives more attention than I do, does a sour jealousy rise up inside me? Do I feel an urge to use my influence to exclude or suppress others?
How can I, by the Lord’s help, nail that selfish desire to be first to the cross?
John says that when we receive and support those who go out to preach for the name of the Lord, we become “fellowhelpers to the truth” (v. 8).
As I reflect on my giving and my life, do I think missions and church expansion are only the work of pastors and missionaries, unrelated to me?
Am I willing, through money, prayer, or practical help within my ability, to support co-workers fighting on the front line and become their true partner?
Demetrius not only had the apostle’s recommendation, but also had the testimony of “all men” and even “the truth itself.”
As I reflect on my reputation in society, in the eyes of unbelieving co-workers, neighbors, or family members who know the real me best, am I a reliable Christian whose conduct bears the mark of truth and stands the test of time?
When reading 3 John, I strongly recommend that you pay attention to old John’s extremely down-to-earth pastoral wisdom.
He does not say in a falsely spiritual way, “Let us just leave everything to God and pray for Diotrephes.” Instead, he is firm and responsible. In verse 10, he clearly says:
“If I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth.”
Pay attention to this true spiritual authority in old John: he is full of fatherly love, but on matters of righteousness, he absolutely does not blur the lines.
3 John is important because it shows very concretely how truth enters real church life. Many people easily leave truth at the level of concepts, but this book asks: has truth made you someone who helps God’s work move forward more easily?
This book is also especially important because it very realistically exposes a persistent problem in the church: some people may not openly oppose the truth, yet because they love to be first, they end up hindering the truth and the brothers. 3 John helps people see more clearly that spiritual problems are not always doctrinal errors; sometimes the problem is that the center of a person’s heart is wrong.
If you are about to begin reading 3 John, do not treat it merely as a very short letter dealing with a few interpersonal issues and recommending one brother.
It is teaching you something profoundly important:
If the truth is truly in you, it will not only make you better at speaking. It will also make you faithful, reliable, and willing to support God’s work in the church.
And a person who refuses to let Christ have first place, but only wants himself to have first place, will become a loss to the church no matter what position he holds.
As you read 3 John, may you not only see several names and events, but also come to know more deeply how truth enters concrete life.
May you not only discern who is wrong, but also become more willing to learn from Gaius and Demetrius, becoming someone who brings joy to others because of the truth.
And may this book remind you again that a person who truly walks in the truth does not only believe in the heart, but also truly becomes a fellow worker for the truth in church life.
In 3 John, through a brief private letter, we see the wise tension of the early church in truth and interpersonal relationships. At this point, we have finished all three letters of the apostle John. Among the New Testament “General Epistles,” only one very short book remains.
That book is Jude, written by another physical brother of Jesus. It has only one chapter and 25 verses. Though extremely short, its writing burns like fire. It strongly echoes 2 Peter and, with breathtaking Old Testament scenes of judgment, sounds a battle trumpet calling us in the last days to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”
Would you like to look at Jude, known as one of the New Testament’s shortest battle manifestos, which also contains a beautiful doxology?
👉 3 John Chapter 1
