CRITICAL INTRODUCTION TO 3 JOHN

CRITICAL INTRODUCTION TO 3 JOHN

Virgil Warren, PhD

 I. Authorship

It is uncertain whether there is any evidence for 3 John ‘s being cited before the third century, if the Muratorian Canon speaks only of two epistles of John. This lack of citation and mention is understandable because of its brevity and the character of its contents. What was said of “the Elder” in connection with 1 John applies here also.

II. Destination

Beloved “Gaius” is unlikely to be one of the Gaiuses mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament since the name was common. The destination is probably an Asiatic church since the letter is similar to 2 John in its warnings against similar false teaching.

 III. Date of Writing

There is little to establish a date except the lifetime of John the apostle, although it is usually thought by conservatives that 2 and 3 John were written at nearly the same time for similar reasons.

christir.org