3 John 1
1 [You(sg) know me as] the [chief] Elder. [I am writing this letter to you], my dear friend Gaius, whom I truly love.
The Elder to his dear friend Gaius. Truly I love you.
2 Dear friend, I ask [God that things may go] well for you in every way, [specifically], that you will be physically healthy just like you are spiritually healthy [MTY].
My dear friend, I pray that you may in all respects prosper and enjoy good health, just as your soul already prospers.
3 I am very happy because some fellow believers have come [here] and told me that you conduct your life in a manner [that is consistent with God’s] true message.
For it is an intense joy to me when brethren come and bear witness to your fidelity to the truth--that you live in obedience to the truth.
4 I am very happy when I hear that (people whom I helped to believe in Christ/my [spiritual] children) are conducting their lives like you are!
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are living in obedience to the truth.
5 Dear friend, you are [serving Jesus] loyally/faithfully whenever you do things to help fellow believers, [even those whom you] do not know, who are traveling [around doing God’s work].
My dear friend, you are acting faithfully in all your behaviour towards the brethren, even when they are strangers to you.
6 [Some of] them have reported before the congregation [here how] you have showed that you love them. You should continue to help such people in their travels in a way that is pleasing to God.
They have testified, in the presence of the Church, to your love; and you will do well to help them on their journey in a manner worthy of your fellowship with God.
7 When those fellow believers went out [to tell people about Jesus] [MTY], the people who do not believe in Christ did not give them anything [to help them].
For it is for Christ that they have gone forth, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.
8 So we [who believe in Christ] ought to give food and money to such people to help [them as they teach others God’s] true message.
It is therefore our duty to show hospitality to such men, so that we may be fellow workers in promoting the truth.
9 I wrote [a letter] to the congregation [telling them to help those fellow believers]. However, Diotrephes does not (acknowledge my authority/[pay any attention to what] I wrote), because he (desires to be in charge/wants to be the leader) of [the congregation].
I wrote to the Church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the first place among them, refuses to listen to us.
10 So, when I arrive [there], I will [publicly] tell what he does: He tells others evil nonsense about us [in order to] harm [us by what he] says, and he is not content with only doing that. He himself refuses to receive the fellow believers who are traveling around doing God’s work, and he also stops those who want to receive them by expelling them from the congregation.
For this reason, if I come, I shall not forget his conduct, nor his idle and mischievous talk against us. And he does not stop there: he not only will not receive the brethren, but those who desire to do this he hinders, and excludes them from the Church.
11 Dear friend, do not imitate a bad [example like that]. Instead, [keep imitating] good [examples. Remember that] people who do good deeds ([truly] belong to God/are [spiritual children] of God), [but] those who do [what is] evil do not (know/have fellowship with) God.
My dear friend, do not follow wrong examples, but right ones. He who habitually does what is right is a child of God: he who habitually does what is wrong has not seen God.
12 All [the believers who know Demetrius] say that he [is a good person]. The fact [that he conducts his life in a way that is consistent/in accordance with God’s] true [message] shows [that he is a good person], and we also say the same thing [about him]. You know that what we say [about him] is true. [So it will be good if you welcome him and help him. He is the one who will be bringing this letter to you].
The character of Demetrius has the approval of all men, and of the truth itself. We also express our approval of it, and you know that we only give our approval to that which is true.
13 [When I began] to write this letter, I had much more [that I intended] to tell you. But [now] I do not want to say [it] in a letter [MTY].
I have a great deal to say to you, but I do not wish to go on writing it with ink and pen.
14 Instead, I expect to [come and] see you soon. Then we will talk directly with one another. [I pray that God will enable] you [to experience inner] peace. Our friends [here] (send you their greetings/say that they are thinking affectionately about you) [MTY]. Tell our friends [there] that we (send our greetings to/are thinking fondly about) them.
But I hope to see you very soon, and then we will speak face to face. Peace be with you. Our friends send greetings to you. Greet our friends individually.
