The next several articles are from 3 John and 1 John, starting with some verses from the little book of 3 John. 3 John is one of the single-chapter books in the Bible (which is so short that I heard it described recently as a “postcard”), so we don’t have to say “3 John chapter 1” (although if you do, that’s OK, too).
Pop quiz: Besides 3 John, can you name the other 4 books in the Bible that have only 1 chapter? (See end of article for answers.)
3 John is just 15 verses long, shorter than some e-mails that I have written for work! We generally accept that it was written by John the Apostle, and its first verse addresses it to someone named Gaius.
Recently, one of my aunts sent my wife a card in the mail, in which she had written some words of encouragement. I suspect that my aunt (who rarely misses a birthday or wedding anniversary with the cards she sends out) also sends letters like that to each of her many daughters, daughters-in-law, nieces, and nieces-in-law.
In a world where it may seem like the only feedback we get is when someone isn’t happy with us, it’s good to remember the gift of encouragement. While some people – like my aunt – are exceptionally good at this (and that special ability may be a gift of the Holy Spirit), I think that each of us can make a point of encouraging others.
Along those lines, let’s see what John wrote in a couple of verses from this letter that we call 3 John.
It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
3 John 1:3-4 NIV
Notice how John encourages Gaius:
- He is specific, explaining how – even though John is presumably far away from his beloved friend – he has heard about how things are going with him.
- He shares good news with his friend, rather than just hearing a good report about him and leaving it at that or keeping it to himself
- He identifies the good that Gaius is doing in the context of spiritual integrity.
- And, John explains the joy that his friend’s living in a righteous manner brings to himself.
That’s a great way to encourage someone else, and a nice pattern for us to follow if we’re not sure how to encourage others. So, let us also be encouraging…intentionally, specifically, lovingly, and with “no strings attached”.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for February 23, 2025
References:
- 1717 Bible Studies, 1, 2, and 3 John, © 2025 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1, 2 & 3 John, by Morris M. Womack. © 1998 College Press Publishing Co.
For those taking the pop quiz near the start of the article, the books of the Bible – other than 3 John – having only one chapter are: 2 John (the shortest by verse count, at 13 verses, but about the same length as 3 John when translated in English, at least in the NIV), Jude, Philemon, and Obadiah.
Those Who Sin Differently 