Goodspeed
(i)
1 The Elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I truly love—and not only I but all who know the truth—
2 because of the truth that stays in our hearts and will be with us forever;
3 blessing, mercy, and peace be with us from God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, in truth and love.
4 It makes me exceedingly happy to find that some of your children are guided by truth, just as we have been commanded to be by the Father.
5 And now I beg you, my lady—not as though I were writing you any new command, but one which we have had from the beginning—let us love one another.
6 Love means this, that we be guided by his commands. The command, as you have heard from the beginning, is to be guided by love.
7 For many impostors have gone out into the world—men who do not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in human form. That is the mark of the impostor and the Antichrist.
8 Look out for yourselves, take care not to lose what we have worked for, but make sure that you are paid for it in full.
9 Anyone who goes too far and does not keep to the teaching of Christ has not God. It is the man who holds to the teaching who has both the Father and the Son.
10 If anyone comes to you without bringing this teaching, do not let him come into the house or bid him good morning.
11 For anyone who bids him good morning shares in his wicked work.
12 Though I have a great deal to write to you, I would rather not write it with paper and ink, but I hope to come to see you, and talk with you face to face, so that your happiness may be complete.
13 The children of your chosen sister wish to be remembered to you.
3 John
1 The Elder to my dear friend Gaius, whom I truly love.
2 Dear friend, it is my prayer that everything is going well with you and that you are well; I know it is well with your soul.
3 For it makes me exceedingly happy to have some brothers come and testify to the truth of your life, for you are guided by truth.
4 I know of no greater blessing than hearing that my children are being guided by the truth.
5 Dear friend, it is loyal of you to do anything you can for the brothers, especially as they are strangers;
6 they have testified before the church to your love. Please see them off on their journey in a way appropriate to God's service.
7 For they have started out for the sake of the cause, and they are accepting nothing from the heathen.
8 So we ought to support such men, to show that we are ready to co-operate with the truth.
9 I have written briefly to the church, but Diotrephes who likes to be their leader will not accept what I say.
10 So if I come, I will bring up the things that he is doing, and how he is maliciously accusing me. Not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers himself, and he is interfering with those who want to do so, and has them put out of the church.
11 Dear friend, do not follow bad examples, but good ones. The man who does right is a child of God; the man who does wrong has never seen God.
12 Everybody testifies to Demetrius; the truth itself does; I testify to him too, and you know that my testimony to him is true.
13 I have a great deal to write to you, but I do not want to write it with pen and ink;
14 I hope to see you very soon and we will talk face to face. Goodbye. Our friends wish to be remembered to you. Remember me to our friends, every one.