3 John 1

1 ¹ The elder, to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.

² Beloved, I pray that everything goes well for you and that you enjoy good health, just as your soul is doing well. ³ For I rejoiced greatly when brothers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth — for you truly are walking in it. ⁴ I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

⁵ Beloved, you show real faithfulness in everything you do for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. ⁶ They have testified to your love before the church. Please send them on their way in a way that honors our Father. ⁷ For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. ^a a v7 "The Name" refers to Jesus — these missionaries went out representing him and accepted no financial support from unbelievers. ⁸ Therefore we ought to support such people, so that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

⁹ I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, refuses to acknowledge us. ¹⁰ So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing — spreading malicious nonsense about us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and he even stops those who want to and throws them out of the church.

¹¹ Beloved, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Whoever does good is from our Father; whoever does evil has not seen our Father. ¹² Everyone speaks well of Demetrius, and so does the truth itself. We also testify to this, and you know that our testimony is true.

¹³ I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. ¹⁴ I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. ¹⁵ Peace to you. The friends send their greetings. Greet each of the friends by name.