Most scholars believe the three Johannine epistles have the same author, but there is no consensus if this was also the author of the Gospel of John. The letter was probably written about the same time as 1 and 2 John (a.d. 85–95). All books of the New Testament refer to events that happened in the first century, such as the life of Jesus, the spread of the gospel, and issues that arose in the infant churches. Order the DVD, watch the videos on Vimeo or Amazon Prime Video, or stream the lectures on MasterLectures right now with a 14-day FREE trial. Third John gives us an intimate glimpse into the life of the early church. They denied that God could be packaged in flesh. II. Discover more resources related to Third John. Purpose of Writing: John’s purpose in writing this third epistle is threefold. Our Lord was surrounded by people who took care of Him. Innovation in Christian belief and practice had to be bounded by apostolic orthodoxy. In the letter John begs for Gaius’ help in tackling Diotrephes who was refusing to acknowledge John’s authority. 3 John 1:14 "But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Date of Writing: The Book of 1 John was likely written between A.D. 85-95. 3 John is thought by many Bible teachers to have been written in John's old age, about 90 AD. What this letter says is similar to the Second Epistle of John.The traditional view is that all the letters are by the hand of John the Apostle, and the language and words used and arguments made all seem to support this idea.. These letters insist that this apostolic testimony trumps any reinterpretation of Jesus by those who were not commissioned by him and who were far removed from personal knowledge of him. The earliest ascription of authorship to John comes from Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna (d. AD 156), and from Papias, a contemporary of Polycarp, whose writings survive only as quotations in the later writings of Irenaeus and Eusebius. It forces us to rely on a common bond in Jesus Christ, rather than a particular blood relationship or shared experience. 3.1.2). Charlie Garrett 3 John, 3 John (written), Daily Writing, Epistles, Epistles (written), Writings Thursday, July 16th, 2020 4 Comments. Date. Church tradition from the earliest days of Christianity has ascribed these letters to John, commonly believed to be the apostle John—one of Jesus’ chosen twelve, the son of Zebedee, and “the disciple whom Jesus loved” of John’s gospel. All Rights Reserved. Though the question of authorship has been much discussed, the language and contents of the three letters suggest a common source. When were 1, 2, and 3 John written? The gospel of John, like all the gospels, is anonymous. The epistle called 3 John concerns three individuals, and in this letter the apostle John sends an essential message to each of them: Gaius. At one point, the church had seen something of a leadership quality in him and had placed him in charge, but now in the top spot, the power had gone to his head. [I am writing to Gaius, my dear friend, whom I love in the truth. We would tentatively say that 3 John, if written at the same time as 2 John, was written c. 66-67 CE. Composition. Ver. Demetrius. 3 John: Written after 2 John and before 4 John, You're not cool enough to know about 4 John, Pronounced 3rd John but written 3 John, Because fuck you, that's why, Rumor has it this book was written by the 3rd guy to ever be named John in the history of humanity., This is not a rumor. The New Testament books were themselves written in the second half of that century. In the letter, John begs for Gaius’ help in tackling Diotrephes, who was refusing to acknowledge John’s authority. While 1 John appear to be a general letter addressed to congregations scattered throughout Asia Minor, and 2 John was sent to a lady and her family (2 John 1), in 3 John, the apostle clearly names the sole recipient as … If the elder was John son of Zebedee, he was likely elderly and the last living apostle. 1. An Update on MasterLectures: New Videos, a Podcast, and Free Previews. Second John and Third John are the two shortest books in the Bible. 2 Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit. The content, style, and vocabulary seem to warrant the conclusion that these three epistles were addressed to the same readers as the Gospel of John. Author: 1, 2, and 3 John have from earliest times been attributed to the apostle John, who also wrote the Gospel of John. What is written. This epistle was probably written in … This is relevant in every generation of the church until the Lord returns. Jesus’ lifetime, during which no New Testament books were written; a period of great expansion of the gospel throughout the Roman empire (AD 33 – 60); and. 3 John is written to pave the way for a Christian missionary to minister in a region dominated by an insecure and unrighteous pastor. All books of the New Testament refer to events that happened in the first century, such as the life of Jesus, the spread of the gospel, and issues that arose in the infant churches. 3 Some of the traveling teachers [] recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth. Consequently, they allow us to distinguish three periods of the first century and place the events and the origin of the books within each period: The gospel and letters of John were written within this last period, when the church at large faced huge issues, such as organized persecution of Christians by the Roman government, heresy infiltrating the church (especially from the various Greek philosophies), and a crisis of church leadership, especially as the apostles died and the Lord had not returned. 9. False teachers had infiltrated the church denying the divinity of Jesus Christ. See Introduction to 2 John: Occasion and Purpose. The apostle had received a report of some difficulties caused by a This troubling situation prompted John to write to Gaius, commending the believers for holding fast to the truth and doing so with a loving attitude. The main messages of the books. While James was the first of the twelve disciples to die for his faith, John outlived all the others. John wrote his letter to Gaius, a leader of one or more churches in Asia Minor. a period of doctrinal and ecclesial unification (c. AD 60 – 100). Peace … Provide counter numbers for the beginnings and ends of the solos by McCoy Tyner and John The authors of the letters are addressing real questions, issues, and circumstances that are pressing at that moment of time. 1 This letter is from John, the elder. This book is believed to a letter from John to his friend Gaius. See Introduction to 1 John: Date. C. Destination. It forces us out of our comfort zones and into a territory where we must place our trust in God. Diotrephes. For example, in the New International Version 2 John is the shortest book with only 302 words but in the King James Version (Authorized Version) 3 John is the shortest with only 295 words. Written by John the Elder to house church believers, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John echo the gospel of John. Even if these two letters were not written on the same occasion, there is nothing in 3 John to require a great time interval between it and 2 John. Third John teaches us that we should do the same for those who carry on the teaching of Jesus in our own day. Thus, it is appropriate to consider what was happening in the churches that were the original recipients of John’s gospel, most likely the last gospel to be written. Copyright © 2020 HarperCollins Publishers. (I John 4:1-3) b. But John was a common name at the time, and early in Christian history some came to doubt if “the elder” was the same man as the author of 1 John and John’s gospel. With so much going on, it’s easy to lose track of what’s been happening. While we cannot pinpoint the date with certainty due to the lack of specific information in the letter, 3 John was probably written around AD 90 from the island of Patmos, where John was exiled at the time. Irenaeus says that John, the disciple of the Lord who was with Jesus in the upper room, wrote the gospel of John while living in Ephesus (Haer. But ever since the fourth century when Eusebius wrote, there has been debate in the church about the authorship of the three letters attributed in the New Testament to John. As we have argued at some length in our discussion of the Gospel and first epistle, these documents were written in the 60s. Background – Setting: 3 John is perhaps the most personal of John’s 3 epistles. Books and articles that equip you for deeply biblical thinking and ministry. For Instructors and School Administrators. 3 John 1:5 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family. Please contact us or click here to learn more about how to enable JavaScript on your browser. To whom it is written. a. John’s letters reflect the second and third issues: heresy and a crisis of leadership. Outline of the Book of 3 John The Godliness and Generosity of Gaius - 1:1-8 Both 2 John and 3 John appear to have the same author and are believed to have been written in the first quarter of the second century CE. The apostle John identified himself in 3 John only as “the elder” (3 John 1:1), the same as he did in 2 John. livelihood and their father Zebedee to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:21–22). Irenaeus (AD 175–195), bishop of Lyon, was born in Asia Minor and as a child personally knew Polycarp, who is said to have been appointed bishop of Smyrna by eyewitnesses of the Lord Jesus. (II John 1:5, 13) 3. man named Diotrephes, and John wrote to reinforce for Gaius the proper way to deal with the troubles. The main message, of I John is that Jesus was God come in the flesh to save humanity. The relationship between the three letters and between them and the gospel indicates that the same author likely wrote all three letters, and he was also either the author of the gospel or a close associate. It is a delightful accompaniment to the second letter, which was written to a Christian lady about how to handle the false teachers who were abroad in that day. Get updates from Zondervan Academic directly in your inbox. The witness of Papias is more complicated and has been the subject of more debate, for his writings are preserved only in those of Eusebius, whose interpretation of Papias’s words raised the possibility of two men named John, one authoring the gospel and another, the elder John, the letters and the book of Revelation. Enhance your school’s traditional and online education programs by easily integrating online courses developed from the scholars and textbooks you trust. View Chuck Swindoll's chart of Third John, which divides the book into major sections and highlights themes and key verses. He was a leader in the early church, and he probably wrote his documents after most of the other New Testament books were already written. Your form could not be submitted. In addition to this one, John wrote two other New Testament letters, a Gospel, and possibly the prophetic book of Revelation.. It’s been a busy few months at MasterLectures. Peace [be] to thee. There he presumably lived for the rest of his long life, on into the reign of Trajan, the Roman emperor who ruled the empire from AD 98 to 117. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from HarperCollins Christian Publishing (501 Nelson Place, Nashville, TN 37214 USA) providing information about products and services of HCCP and its affiliates. John used words such as love and truth to describe this kind of living, and he used the negative example of Diotrephes to illustrate the dangers of going down a different path. Although the issue of authorship will not likely ever be known with certainty, the author of these letters clearly claims to be a bearer of the apostolic teaching about Jesus that was based on eyewitness testimony about his public ministry, death, and resurrection. - I wrote somewhat to the Church (reading, with the best authorities, ἔγραψά τι probably means that St. John had written a letter, now lost, and perhaps destroyed by Diotrephes, to the Church to which Diotrephes belonged. Information on 3 John. John’s three epistles are largely concerned with the issue of fellowship—with God, with enemies of the gospel and, in the case of 3 John, with those who proclaim the truth. The New Testament as a whole is focused on one person who lived in the early third of the first century, Jesus of Nazareth, and the significance of his life, death, and resurrection. View Written Assignment #3_ John Coltrane.docx from MUS 116 at University of North Carolina, Wilmington. stream the lectures on MasterLectures right now with a 14-day FREE trial. Both Polycarp and Papias lived in the greater vicinity of Ephesus in western Asia Minor, the location to which the apostle John is said to have fled at about the time when the Romans destroyed the temple in Jerusalem (AD 70), taking Mary the mother of Jesus with him. Pursue a deeper knowledge of God through self-paced college- and seminary-level online courses in Old and New Testament studies, theology, biblical Greek, and more. As the church stood on the brink of an uncertain future in the midst of a transition to church leaders who were not apostles, there was no more critical issue than where the truth about Jesus Christ was to be found. C. It is not possible to determine whether 3 John preceded or followed 2 John in spite of 3 John 9 (which could or could not refer to 2 John) Sign up to receive e-mail from Insight for Living Ministries. I can confirm it's true., Written about how illegally pirating music is sin, You're going to hell The letter commends Gaius for keeping strong in his faith in Jesus. The Gospels telling that story were written some decades later and so are concerned, first, with the events of Jesus’ lifetime recorded but, second, with what was happening in the churches to which each gospel was addressed and which shaped their content. 1. These Christians strove to make the gospel a reality in their lives through the way they treated one another. The shortest book in the English language is different depending on which translation (version) you look at. And John, in response to this good report about the behavior of these “rank and file” Christians, He third epistle of John was written by the apostle Johnabout the year 90 Showing hospitality to others—particularly strangers—requires a level of trust and acceptance that is not necessarily required of us in our everyday lives. 3 John has the feel of a much more personal letter than 2 John. Please check errors and resubmit. This post has been adapted from Karen H. Jobes’ commentary on 1, 2, & 3 John in the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. [Our] friends salute thee. As in his first two epistles, John continues to stress the importance of “the truth” and how he was filled … The New Testament letters are different from these narrative accounts of the life of Jesus because each letter addressed pressing issues of the moment rather than recounting events from a previous time period. The letters and gospel are anonymous to us, but the Christians who originally received them undoubtedly knew the identity of the author, and it is likely on the ancient testimony of those believers that the letters have been ascribed to John. © 2021 Insight for Living Ministries. The letter is addressed to one Gaius. How do you show hospitality to other Christians, particularly those who serve you and others in your local church and at churches around the world? The key personalities in this book are the Apostle John, Gaius, Diotrephes, and Demetrius. refused to welcome those traveling ministers of the gospel to preach and take rest with his church. John referred to himself in his gospel as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 21:20), a title that highlights one of the great themes of all John’s biblical contributions, including 3 John—the love of God working itself out in the lives of human beings. See Introductions to 1 John and the Gospel of John: Author. Diotrephes had taken control of one of the churches there and used his power to ban certain travelling missionaries from coming to the church at all. False teachers had emerged from the elder’s own church(es), and their beliefs were challenging his apostolic leadership. Cross references 3 John 1:1 : S Ac 11:30; 2Jn 1 The study is available as a free e-mail Bible study, or as an e-book or paperback book at a modest cost. A. (3 John 1.11) 3 John 3 John has the feel of a much more personal letter than 2 John. You may unsubscribe from these email communications at any time. Modern scholarship has complicated the issue even further with most New Testament scholars rejecting the identity of the beloved disciple as the apostle John and conjecturing as many as five different author or redactors for the gospel and letters. The New Testament books were themselves written in the second half of … But the Fourth Gospel might provide us with clues conceal... Get expert commentary on biblical languages, fresh explorations in theology, hand-picked book excerpts, author videos, and info on limited-time sales. It is written by someone simply called 'the elder' (whom we assume to be John the Elder) to his friend Gaius. While Gaius was dealing with certain troubles in his area, John wanted to direct him, not only in how to respond to the trials but also how to relate to those who proclaim the truth. There is no clear evidence when the book was written or where it was written from. Greetings. Listen to Chuck Swindoll’s overview of Third John in his audio message from the Classic series God’s Masterwork. It is written by the Disciple/Apostle John around 85-95 A.D. Date of Writing: The Book of 3 John would most likely have been written at about the same time as John’s other letters, 1 and 2 John, between A.D. 85-95. encouraged them to continue to love and support those visiting believers who gave of themselves and ministered in the churches of Asia. But there’s a problem. While we cannot pinpoint the date with certainty due to the lack of specific information in the letter, 3 John was probably written The elder argues that Christian leadership is essentially conservative, preserving and passing to the next generation the teaching of the apostles whom the Lord himself had chosen. B. It is written by someone simply called the elder (whom we assume to be John the elder) to his friend Gaius. Ill John was written to John's friend Gaius. 3 John 1:13 "I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee:" John explains that there was no need to write more, because he was coming to see them, and he would tell them then. See Introduction to 1 John: Date. The letter was probably written about the same time as 1 and 2 John (a.d. 85-95). The boys had left their Occasion and Purpose. Troubles had come to the church in Asia. This book is the shortest book in the New Testament and was written to praise Gaius and Demetrius for their faithful service. We have a responsibility as Christians to live according to the truth we find in the life and ministry of Jesus, Much more personal letter than 2 John, if written at the same author territory! The twelve disciples to die for his faith, John outlived all the gospels, is nowhere identified name. The letter John begs for Gaius ’ help in tackling Diotrephes who was refusing to acknowledge John ’ s and... 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