The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Book 71: 3 John: The Challoner Revision

3 John is the shortest book in the Bible, a brief but pointed letter from the aging apostle John to a church leader named Gaius. In just fifteen verses, John addresses hospitality, truth, and the quiet politics of early Christian communities. He commends Gaius for welcoming traveling teachers and practicing radical generosity, then singles out Diotrephes, a church leader who hoards authority and rejects the apostles' representatives. This contrast between humble service and petty tyranny feels startlingly contemporary. John writes with the directness of someone who has seen everything in church leadership, offering neither doctrine nor prophecy but simple counsel: walk in truth, do good, and support those who labor for the Gospel. The letter concludes with a warm recommendation of Demetrius, "who hath good testimony from all men, and from the truth itself." For readers curious about how early Christians navigated community, power, and hospitality, 3 John offers a vivid, intimate window.