Overview Article
This short personal letter addresses leadership and conflict issues in the early churches. A man named Diotrephes was trying to control the church and rejecting the apostle John and his representatives. In contrast, Gaius and Demetrius remained loyal to the church and the apostle John.
Key People, Places, and Terms
People 3
Places
None mentioned.
Themes
Early Christian Heresies 1 The Greek word hairesis , which first means "choice," refers to a sect or faction . For example, the Sadducees were a sect within Judaism, as were the Pharisees ( Acts 5:17 ; 15:5 ). They called early believers in Jes... Knowing God 1 To know someone meant having a close relationship with them. Knowing God involves more than just learning facts about him. It goes beyond discussing God's nature and character, though those things are important. Knowi... Material Reward 1 Some people in the Old Testament period believed that righteous people would usually prosper in material ways. They treated the wisdom sayings found in books like Proverbs as general rules for life. Other biblical boo...