Twentieth_Century
(i)
1 To an eminent Christian Lady, and to her Children, from the Officer of the Church. I sincerely love you all, and not I only, but also all those who have learned to know the Truth.
2 We love you for the sake of that Truth which is always in our hearts; yes, and it will be ours for ever.
3 Blessing, mercy, and peace will be ours--the gift of God, the Father, and of Jesus Christ, the Father's Son--in a life of truth and love.
4 It was a great joy to me to find the lives of some of your children guided by the Truth, in obedience to the command that we received from the Father.
5 And now, I pray you, Lady--not as though I were writing a new command for you; no, it is the command which we had from the first--Let us love one another.
6 And this is love--to live in obedience to the Father's commands. This is the Command as you learned from the first, to live in a spirit of love.
7 I say this because many impostors have left us to go into the world--men who do not acknowledge Jesus as Christ come in our human nature. It is that which marks a man as an impostor and an anti-Christ.
8 Take care that you do not lose the fruit of all our work; rather, reap the benefit of it in full.
9 Every one who goes beyond the limits of the Teaching of the Christ has failed to find God; the man who keeps to that Teaching--he has found both the Father and the Son.
10 If any one comes to you and does not bring this Teaching, do not receive him into your house or welcome him;
11 for the man who welcomes him is sharing with him in his wicked work.
12 Though I have a great deal to say to you, I would rather not trust it to paper and ink, but I am hoping to come and see you, and to speak with you face to face, so that your joy may be complete.
13 The children of your eminent sister send you their greetings.
3 John
1 To his dear friend Gaius, whom he sincerely loves, From the Officer of the Church.
2 Dear friend, I pray that all may be well with you and that you may have good health--I know that all is well with your soul.
3 For it was a great joy to me, when some Brothers came and testified to your fidelity to the Truth--I know that your own life is guided by the Truth.
4 Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to hear from time to time that the lives of my Children are guided by the Truth.
5 Dear friend, whatever you do for our Brothers is done in a Christian spirit--even when they are strangers to you.
6 They themselves have testified before the Church to your love; and you will do well to help them on their way in a manner worthy of the service of God.
7 For it was on behalf of the Name that they left their homes, and refused to take anything from the Gentiles.
8 We, therefore, ought to give such people a hearty welcome, and so take our share in their work for the Truth.
9 I wrote a few lines to the Church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, declines to recognize us.
10 Therefore, when I come, I shall not forget his conduct in ridiculing us with his wicked tongue. Not content with that, he not only declines to recognize our Brothers himself, but actually prevents those who would, and expels them from the Church.
11 Dear friend, take what is good for your example, not what is bad. The man who does what is good is from God; the man who does what is bad has never seen God.
12 Every one has always had a good word for Demetrius, and the Truth itself speaks for him. Yes, and we also add our good word, and you know that what we say about him is true.
13 I have a great deal to say to you, but I do not care to trust it to pen and ink in a letter.
14 I hope, however, it will not be long before I see you, and then we will speak face to face. Peace be with you. Our friends here send you their greetings. Greet each one of our friends.