Ink and Pen, Face to Face, and Peace among Friends

Third John ends almost exactly where Second John ends: the elder has more to communicate but does not want to continue by ink and writing instrument; he hopes to speak “face to face.” The parallel endings are one of the strongest literary links between the two short letters. The final greeting is also intimate: peace to Gaius, greetings from “our friends,” and greetings to the friends “by name.” Behind the theological conflict is a real social network of people who know one another, carry news, host travelers, disagree about authority, and hope to meet in person. The closing keeps this study from turning the Johannine letters into abstractions. Truth and love were lived inside actual relationships.