II John, III John

“Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers …” (III John 3:5). In the radical community of early believers, people in need were helped, and traveling missionaries or teachers were welcomed and blessed. Of course, this generosity also attracted deceivers and manipulators (I John v7), and there were arguments about how best to manage the common funds (III John 1:10).

John encouraged believers to be cautious, not easily misled by false teachers (I John v10). However, he also encouraged them to be open-hearted givers, “fellow-workers with the truth” (1:8).