Who is this John?

John was, and is, a very popular name in the Christian world. It was commonly used at the time of Jesus and ever after because tradition has it that John was the "beloved disciple" of the Lord. Who doesn't want to be beloved by Jesus? Therefore, the authorship of the 3 epistles ascribed to John has never been convincingly settled. In the epistles, he called himself the presbyter/elder, not the apostle. Nor does he reveal any link with the apostles or Jesus. Furthermore, "the truth" seems to be a codename for Jesus in these epistles. The issue is notoriously difficult to crack. Therefore, we can only accept the tradition, unless more conclusive evidence surfaces.
In this third epistle of John, three names are mentioned. Gaius was the recipient of this epistle (3 John 1:1). Diotrephes was the enemy of the elder (3 John 1:9). He put himself before everything and did not accept the authority of John the elder. Therefore, most probably, this John was not the apostle. Lastly, there was Demetrius whom everybody supported, included the truth (3 John 1:12). Throughout the epistle, 'the Lord', 'the Son' etc are conspicuously missing whereas the truth appears six times. Sometimes it even acquires a personality like 1:3, 4 and 12. Therefore, it is very likely that the truth has become a codename for Jesus in this epistle.
3 John tells us something about the practice of early Christianity. There were travelling preachers. John, the elder advised that the believers should extend hospitality to them.
Beloved, it is a loyal thing you do when you render any service to the brethren, especially to strangers (3 John 1:5).
For they have set out for his sake and have accepted nothing from the heathen.
So we ought to support such men, that we may be fellow workers in the truth (3 John 1:7-8).
So, there is a division of labour. Most of the early believers had in time become missionaries. When more people were converted, some continued to be itinerary preachers. More would become sedentary Christians who had the obligation to support those itinerary ones.
3 John offers one more piece of advice.
Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. He who does good is of God; he who does evil has not seen God (3 John 1:11).
Unlike the two other Johannine epistles, this one does not mention love, or love one another. It does not contain the communion concept or the abiding in love formula. Of course, it is unrealistic to demand an epistle of 15 verses to carry every Johannine characteristic. Actually, her last 3 verses bear close resemblance to the last 2 verses of the second epistle of John. That probably explains why this epistle goes under the author John.

My dear Advocate, life is getting more difficult in Hong Kong. More people are laid off. More shops are closing down. Last time, with the onslaught of SARS, Hong Kongers learned to value life. What will they learn in this financial tsunami? Simplicity of life? I pray that we may go through this crisis. Amen.