Journey Through James and 1 2 3 Johnಮಾದರಿ

2 & 3 John: Behind the Text

These themes of truth and love had a context where false teaching and the need for hospitality were constant.

3 John & the Gospel of John

While other Bible authors describe “speaking” or “understanding” in the truth, John is the only one who talks about being in the truth in this way, of acting in the truth in some way: “love in truth” (2 John 1:1, NASB) or “sanctified in truth” (John 17:19, NASB). We’re reminded in 3 John’s references to “walking in the truth” that Christianity is simply “living in the truth,” which can also be described as “living in Christ” who is “the Truth” (John 14:6).

Identify the distinctive Johannine features in the passage from 3 John below.

Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.

3 John 12 (NASB)

The phrase in verse 12 that asserts, “you know that our testimony is true” should recall a similar assertion from the Gospel of John, where the author states in this book’s next-to-last verse:

This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

John 21:24 (NASB)

This claim also appears in John 19:35, but it is a specifically Johannine comment. In fact, these are the only books in the New Testament that make this kind of claim on the part of the author—the Gospel of John and 3 John. Interestingly, John is the only Gospel that presents itself as a “testimony” (John 1:19, NASB). Through parallels like the one we just discussed, we know this testimony John began in his Gospel continues in these letters, albeit in a different context and form.