[CHAPTER 1]

1. The elder, to the beloved Gaios, whom I truly love.

Truly love: literally, love in the truth.

2. Dear [friend], I pray that concerning all things you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

3. I was extremely glad when the brothers came and gave a good report about your truthfulness, as you are indeed walking in the truth.

​The brothers: emissaries from Gaios and his congregation who brought his greetings and probably some provisions to Yochanan in prison.

4. I have no greater joy than in such things—that I should hear of my children walking in the truth.

My children: Gaios is apparently one whom Yochanan trained, in which case he is probably not the same as any of the apparently several men by the same name that Paulus worked with in Makedonia (Acts 19:29), Derbe (Acts 20:4), and Korinthos (Romans 16:23; 1 Cor. 1:14), but probably a leader in a congregation not far from Patmos—possibly one of the seven in Revelation 2 and 3. 

5. Dear one, you are acting faithfully in whatever you have done for the brothers and those who are foreigners,

6. who have borne witness concerning your love before the called-out community, whom, if you equip them to be sent forth on their journey in a manner worthy of Elohim, you will do well,

7. because they went out for the sake of [His] Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.

Gentiles: outsiders to the faith, for Gaios himself was apparently a former Gentile, but was now part of Israel either through Yeshua or through returning to his own ancestral covenant as a member of another tribe than Yehudah, or (more likely) both.

8. Accordingly, we ought to welcome such men, so that we may become true co-laborers.

9. I have written something to the called-out congregation, but Diotrefeys, who likes to be first among them, is not welcoming us.

10. Because of this, if I do come, I will remind him of the deeds that he is doing—bringing false accusations against us with evil words, and not being satisfied with these things, he not only does not receive the brothers himself, but those who want to, he forbids, and he casts them out of the called-out assembly.

11. Dear [one], don’t imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is from Elohim; the one who does evil has not experienced Elohim.

This is advice applicable to us all. Wherever we do wrong is an area of our lives where we have not experienced YHWH as we should, and when we see such attitudes rising up in our hearts and minds, we need to submit those areas to Him and, like David, ask Him to create in us a clean heart. (Psalm 51:10)

12. Demetrios has been provided evidence by all; the truth itself also [bears witness], and we also testify, and you know that our testimony is true.  

Demetrios: apparently another leader along with Gaios, who was also in a position to limit Diotrefeys’ influence. Truth: the latter’s own actions were enough to show them what kind of character he had.

13. I did have many things to write to you, but I preferred not to write to you with ink and reed-pen.

14. However, I hope to see you soon, and we will speak face to face.

Face to face: literally, mouth to mouth.  

15. May there be peace upon you. Give my regards to those who are friends; greet all of them, each one by name.

This is part of v. 14 in Greek, but a separate verse in the Aramaic version. Greet: Aramaic: seek the welfare of.
THE THIRD LETTER FROM
Yochanan

INTRODUCTION:    This was written by one of the three men closest to Yeshua, one of the students he taught most intensively, so he had a good grasp of what Yeshua had in mind as his mission. While his brother Yaaqov was the first of the inner 12 to be martyred for Yeshua, Yochanan has now outlived all the rest. This was written around 60 years after Yeshua’s resurrection, probably from Patmos but at a time when Yochanan thought his exile might end, and he writes to deal with a problematic situation that has to be taken care of in the meantime, because the arrogance of one who is trying to wield influence in the congregation whose true leader Yochanan is addressing is wrongly excluding those who should be honored.