AUTHOR: The Apostle John.

THEME: John wrote this letter to encourage Gaius [ 3Jo 1 ], perhaps converted by Paul [ 1Co 1:14 ], [ Rom 16:23 ], in his generosity, hospitality and to rebuke Diotrephes for his arrogance, and also to announce the intention of soon visit the said [3Jo 1:14]. In the previous letter, the apostle John forbade hospitality to false teachers; here, he encourages hospitality. One of the apostle John's favorite words is truth. He uses it more than 20 times in the Gospel, 9 times in 1st John, 5 times in 2nd John and 5 times in this very brief letter: love the truth [ 3Jo 1:1 ], faithfulness to the truth, walk in truth [ 3Jo 1:3 ], cooperating for the truth [ 2Jo 1:8 ], testimony of the truth [ 3Jo 1:12 ].

COMPILATION: Like the other two letters, the third letter of John was probably written in Ephesus, between the years 85 A.D. and 90 A.D. It consists of 1 chapter and 15 verses.