3-JOHN (Hospitality to Evangelists and Missionaries)
Date: Probably between AD 85 and 95 (same period of 1 and 2-John) before the exile to Patmos. This is the last letter of John before writing the book of Revelation.
Author: Apostle John.
Theme: Hospitality.
Location: Ephesus.
Key People: Apostle John, Gaius, Diotrephes, Demetrius.
Purpose: To encourage believers to show hospitality to travelling Missionaries and Evangelists.
Uniqueness: The smallest letter in the entire Bible to a man. There is no doctrine laid out in this letter because the letter is strictly personal, focussing on the importance of hospitality for the true preachers and Missionaries.
Background:
The letter 3-John was addressed to Gaius one of the leaders of the assembly. But John also discussed two other men in these verses—Diotrephes and Demetrius. The 2-John emphasizes the need to refuse hospitality to false teachers, but 3-John urges continued hospitality to those who teach the truth. Hospitality is an important service in the ministry. John advises every church, assembly and believers to make it a habit to develop this service.
A brief Time-line of John the Apostle
| SN | John the disciple’s time-line | Year (AD) (Approx) |
| 1 | John becomes disciple | 28-30 |
| 2 | Jesus’ death and resurrection | 33 |
| 3 | Emperor Nero’s reign (Nero commits suicide in AD 68) | 54-68 |
| 4 | Destruction of Jerusalem | 70 |
| 5 | Domitian’s reign. (Domitian was assassinated on 18th Sep. 96 AD) | 85-96 |
| 6 | John was sent to Patmos | 95 |
| 6 | Wrote Gospel according to John | 85-95 |
| 7 | John writes 1st, 2nd and 3rd letter | 85-95 |
| 8 | John writes Revelation while in exile in Patmos | 95-96 |
| 9 | Emperor Nerva’s reign | 96-98 |
| 10 | John was released from exile from Patmos by Nerva | 96 |
| 11 | The death of John in Ephesus. | 100 |
Summary:
This letter is very personal in character and once again speaks about Truth. Walking in truth is all important, whenever truth and love come into conflict, truth must survive. In other words, we must not love the false teachers.
The third letter differs from the second letter because Apostle focusses more on truthful persons, their true service to God. Some one has put it like this: My life in God is through Salvation, my life with God is through communion and fellowship and finally my life for God is through my ministry and service to God. This epistle specially deals with our lives for God and it involves walking and working with God in truth. “Love can be very sloppy, it can be misdirected and certainly be misunderstood, if it is not expressed within the boundary of truth” (McGee, J. Vernon).