3 John 13-14 I have much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink; instead I hope to see you soon, and we will talk together face to face.
Several of the epistles are the oldest writings of the New Testament. They are letters to individuals and to early Christian communities. Reading them is essentially reading someone’s mail, written by real people to real people in real situations.
Some readers may think there is not much substantial theology in this Johanine letter. Maybe. But as I read the names of these very real, Jesus-loving people, I am comforted to read that the early church, while inspiring on many levels, was not so different from our church today. Hospitality is still a hallmark of the church.
This small letter, with its names, its intimacy, its referral to things not clearly known to us, and its hope for a face-to-face meeting is a holy document that informs our legacy of relationship. The words of scripture are words of intimate relationship, of very real people and a very real God.
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