1 A2 John 1The elder to the beloved BActs 19:29; 20:4; Rom 16:23; 1 Cor 1:14Gaius, whom I C1 John 3:18; 2 John 1love in truth.

2 Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. 3 For I A2 John 4was very glad when BActs 1:15; Gal 6:10; 3 John 5, 10brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you A2 John 4are walking in truth. 4 I have no greater joy than 1Lit these things, that I hearthis, to hear of A1 Cor 4:14f; 2 Cor 6:13; Gal 4:19; 1 Thess 2:11; 1 Tim 1:2; 2 Tim 1:2; Philem 10; 1 John 2:1my children B2 John 4walking in the truth.

5 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the AActs 1:15; Gal 6:10; 3 John 3, 10brethren, and 1Lit thisespecially when they are BRom 12:13; Heb 13:2strangers; 6 and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to AActs 15:3; Titus 3:13send them on their way in a manner BCol 1:10; 1 Thess 2:12worthy of God. 7 For they went out for the sake of AJohn 15:21; Acts 5:41; Phil 2:9the Name, BActs 20:33, 35accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to 1Or receive such men as guestssupport such men, so that we may 2Or prove ourselves to bebe fellow workers 3Or forwith the truth.

9 I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to A2 John 9be first among them, does not accept 1Lit uswhat we say. 10 For this reason, A2 John 12if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not B2 John 10; 3 John 5receive the CActs 1:15; Gal 6:10; 3 John 3, 5brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and DJohn 9:34puts them out of the church.

11 Beloved, APs 34:14; 37:27do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. B1 John 2:29; 3:10The one who does good is of God; C1 John 3:6the one who does evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius AActs 6:3; 1 Tim 3:7has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we add our testimony, and BJohn 19:35; 21:24you know that our testimony is true.

13 A2 John 12I had many things to write to you, but I am not willing to write them to you with pen and ink; 14 but I hope to see you shortly, and we will speak face to face.

15 AJohn 20:19, 21, 26; Eph 6:23; 1 Pet 5:14Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends BJohn 10:3by name.