¹The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. ²Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

The three letters of John were probably written from Asia circa A.D. 85–90, although the dates are somewhat speculative. The second and third of his missives, being the shortest “books” of the NT, were accepted as inspired Scripture later than most of the other NT writings, probably due to their brevity, lateness of composition, and personal nature. In all three letters, we can only speculate the historical background that prompted their writings, unlike Paul’s letters, where we have an abundance of historical references that help us fit those writings into the context of the book of Acts. However, the early church universally accepted all three letters as authentically written by the apostle John.

This last letter is a personal communication from “the elder” (see 2 John 1), keeping with John’s humble penchant for not using his own name. The recipient is “the beloved Gaius,” a common name in the Roman world. We don’t know for sure, but this could have been the same Gaius whom Paul baptized in Corinth and who subsequently became one of Paul’s traveling companions on the apostle’s third mission tour (Acts 19:29, 20:4). Later, we find a man named Gaius providing hospitality to many Christians in his home and even hosting Paul when he wrote his letter to the Romans (A.D. 53–57, Rom. 16:23). It is possible that since John refers to him as “the beloved” Gaius, the man would have been well-known among the Christians, likely because of his associations with Paul. We don’t know if he was a prominent leader in a local church, but judging from the contents of this letter, he was undoubtedly a person of influence.

At any rate, John, being the “disciple whom Jesus loved,” saw fellow believers as beloved, and Gaius particularly so. And the apostle desires the best for him in both his physical and spiritual health.

The apostle writes to encourage Gaius in his spiritual walk and to prompt him to encourage and support others who were sent out to preach the Gospel. He contrasts Gaius and these faithful servants with another individual, Diotrephes, who desires the status and esteem of position in the church. So, while this letter is short and personal, we find great truth for the workings of the local church in supporting those who faithfully preach the Gospel while resisting the strong-headed, proudful would-be leaders who seek power for the wrong reasons.

Lord, help me to love others in a way that shows that I, like Gaius, am a beloved brother and disciple.