To the church:
I rejoice that you walk in the truth. Love each other.
Watch out for deceivers who deny Jesus came in the flesh. Don't receive them.
I hope to see you face to face instead of writing.
3 John
To Gaius:
I rejoice to hear you walk in the truth and help unknown Christians on their way in your house.
Diotrephes likes being first, rejects our authority, won't receive true Christians, and throws out those who do. I'll deal with him if I come.
Do what is good, imitating God.
Demetrius is doing good.
I hope to see you face to face instead of writing.
Greet the friends, as the friends greet you.
Jude
I wanted to write more about your sanctification, but need to defend the faith against false teachers.
Jesus punishes or destroys the wicked: unbelieving Israelites in the desert, fallen angels from the beginning, Sodom and Gomorrah.
You have some like this among you, who reject authority, blaspheme, pursue selfish gain, cause division, grumble in discontent.
Enoch prophesied Jesus would come with his saints and judge them. Peter said the same. Jude quotes 2 Peter 3:3.
You act differently: build yourself up in the faith, and save others from the fire.
God will keep you from stumbling - all glory and rule to Him!
Application
Even in the earliest church there was strife, contention, division, jockeying for position, etc.
We should not be surprised, nor tolerate it.
Their selfishness shows itself eventually.
Whatever we can't deal with, Jesus will come and judge. Again, He is not only Savior, but judge and punisher of those troubling His church.
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