3 John 1:4 - I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

3 John 1:11 - 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.

3 John in The New Testament - A Brief Overview

The New Testament - A Brief Overview

Painting of St. John the Evangelist by Reni - 1620

Introduction to The Book of 3 John

Brief Summary. The epistle of 3 John is a letter where John commends a Christian man named Gaius who showed warm hearted hospitality to certain missionary helpers of John's. These same missionaries had been treated badly by an officer of the local church named Diotrephes. Not only does John commend Gaius for his hospitality but he calls him beloved four times. John writes this letter to inform Gaius as to how to deal with this situation and to tell him of his plan to visit him and the church as soon as possible.

Author. The three epistles of John are surely the work of one man and most scholars conclude that it is John the apostle. 2 John and 3 John are almost exactly the same length, and the phraseology is extremely similar.

Audience. The epistle of 3 John is addressed to Gaius, and there are three men named Gaius in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 1:14; Acts 19:29; Acts 20 :4), and it is impossible to know which, if any of these is the Gaius referred to in 3 John. Gaius was a very common name in the Greek and Roman world, and this Gaius was evidently a prominent member of one of the churches that the apostle John was familiar with. Gaius was known for his hospitality.

Date. 3 John is thought by many Bible teachers to have been written in John's old age, about 90 AD. There is no clear evidence when the book was written or where it was written from.

Outline of the Book of 3 John

The Godliness and Generosity of Gaius - 1:1-8
The Selfishness of Diotrephes - 1:9-11
The Good Example of Demetrius - 1:12

The Name Jesus In Ancient Hebrew Text
"Yeshua" in First Century Hebrew Text. This is how the name "Jesus" would have been written in ancient Hebrew documents. The four letters or consonants from right to left are Yod, Shin, Vav, Ayin (Y, SH, OO, A). Jesus is the Greek name for the Hebrew name Joshua or Y'shua which means "The LORD or Yahweh is Salvation".

2 John Maps and Resources

Map of the Roman Empire (14 A.D.) - This map reveals the Roman Empire during the time shortly after the birth of Jesus, in 14 AD at the time of the death of Augustus. The order which prevailed in this extensive empire, the good military roads, and the use of Koine Greek as the general language of culture throughout the area were among the factors which multiplied the rapid spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Color Map)

Map of Paul's First Missionary Journey (48 A.D.) - This map reveals the areas in Asia Minor where Paul visited in his first missionary journey. Around 48 AD, in the springtime, Paul and his companions Barnabas and Mark were sent on a mission from the church in Antioch. This would be the first of Paul's Missionary Journey's. (Color Map)

Map of Paul's Second Missionary Journey (51 A.D.) - This map reveals the areas in Asia and Greece where Paul visited in his second missionary journey. Paul re-visits a couple cities in Asia, one of which was Lystra where he was stoned and left for dead a few years earlier. He later has a vision that leads him over to Greece and Paul and his companions travel and minister in various cities in Greece (Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens and Corinth. Later Paul returns to Ephesus and finally to Caesarea and Antioch. (Color Map)

Map of Paul's Third Missionary Journey (54 A.D.) - This map reveals the areas in Asia and Greece where Paul visited in his third missionary journey. On Paul's third missionary journey he returned to the cities he had first visited on his first missionary journey. During this time he decided to remain in Ephesus for about 3 years, and this city was the main focus of his activities and an important Christian community (Acts 19). (Color Map)

Map of the New Testament World - This map reveals the "Nations" within the ancient world during the first century A.D., the time of the New Testament. The map includes the areas of Israel, Asia, Greece, and Italy. (Color Map)

Map of New Testament Greece This map reveals the cities within Greece in the ancient world during the first century A.D.,The map includes the principal cities of Greece like: Athens, Corinth, and Thessalonica, and provinces like Macedonia and Achaia. (Color Map)

Map of New Testament Asia - This map shows the cities within Asia Minor during the first century A.D., the time of the New Testament. The map includes the principal cities of Asia including Tarsus, Ephesus, and Colossae, and provinces like Galatia and Pamphilia. (Color Map)