In this final episode on John’s letters, we explore a theme that seems to unite all three letters: truth. John has insisted that some things about Jesus are true, and to deny these truths is to deny the gospel. More than this, however, he has insisted on the importance of “walking in the truth,” living in a way that befits that gospel. Can we do that, when we live in a world where “truth” so often seems relative?

Third John, as we’ve seen, is the shortest book in the Bible, and there is only so much that can be said in so few words. As he did at the end of 2 John, the apostle says that he hopes to have a face-to-face conversation to finish talking things out. He also gives final greetings, in a way that may remind us of the letters of Paul. But as we’ll see, John’s wording is a little different, suggesting yet another way that he wants to encourage Gaius.

Third John was written to encourage Gaius to keep giving hospitable support to the work of the gospel. It also serves as a letter of reference for Demetrius, the man whom John is sending to Gaius for hospitality. But who was Demetrius? In this episode, we’ll look at one interesting possibility, and explore the triple testimony John gives to his character.

As we’ve seen throughout John’s letters, the apostle often has some very direct and harsh things to say. If we’ve been taught to only say nice things, his words may make us uncomfortable; is the “apostle of love” supposed to say stuff like that? It’s good and right for us to be careful and kind with our words. But as we’ll explore in this episode, we also need to remember that love is not the same as niceness, and that sometimes the truth isn’t nice.

In 3 John 11, the apostle urges Gaius to “imitate” what is good, not what is evil—which may be his way of saying, “Don’t act like Diotrephes.” In this episode, we explore how important it is for leaders of all kinds—including parents!—to be good models to others.

Good leaders inspire the respect and loyalty of others; bad leaders inspire fear instead. Though we know very little about Diotrephes, the way John describes him suggests that he was a poor leader who ruled through intimidation. We can give him the benefit of the doubt by allowing that he may simply not have known better—but he still makes a good case study in how not to use power as a Christian leader.

Like myself, many people seem to enjoy a good superhero movie. Indeed, we may resonate with any kind of heroic story in which the protagonist finds the strength to overcome his or her challenges. But we should be wary of reading biblical stories in heroic terms, because we’re not meant to engage in ministry or mission alone—we need the faithful support of people like Gaius.

We may be used to treating personal names like labels, but they’re much more than that. God revealed his name to Moses at the burning bush, and over time, that name was taken as too holy to say aloud. As Christians, we’ve been taught to pray in the name of Jesus, as Jesus himself taught his disciples to do. But do we have a sense of what we’re doing when we say “in Jesus’ name”? That’s important to what John wants Gaius to understand about the significance of hospitality.

These days, hospitality is a profit-making industry, in which we pay good money for the right hotel or dining “experience.” But in John’s day, hospitality was a much needed virtue in the fledgling church. Traveling missionaries depended on other believers for their food and lodging. Gaius was known for his hospitality, and John was sending a man named Demetrius to him. How would Gaius respond, and why?

Third John follows the ancient customs of letter writing more closely than 2 John, and much more closely than 1 John. Such customs included not only naming the recipient of your letter but wishing them well. John’s well-wishes in verse 2, however, have been famously taken out of context and made to say something they weren’t meant to say—to support what’s known as the prosperity gospel.