The third letter of John, just as short as the second letter, is written to a particular individual, Gaius.
III John 1-2, Dear Gaius
The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth. Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
John, like any friend, wishes good physical health to Gaius, and also spiritual health.
III John 3-8, Your faithfulness and hospitality
It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.
Gaius shows hospitality to strangers and is commended for this. Some of the visitors are travelers working for the gospel.
III John 9-10, Dioetrephes
I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.
Diotrephes is a false teacher. He has the desire -- so human! -- to be first, to be at the front. In this case he attempts to control the local church by gossip and bullying.
III John 11-12, Doing good
Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone--and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.
In opposition to Diotrephes is a good man, Demetrius. (Lloyd C. Douglas chose the character Demetrius to be the slave of the Roman centurion in his Christian novel, "The Robe".)
III John 13-14, I hope to see you
I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace to you.
The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.
John intends to visit soon, putting aside the need to write.
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