The Elder to my dear friend Gaius, whom I truly love.

I have written briefly to the church, but Diotrephes who likes to be their leader will not accept what I say.

So if I come, I will bring up the things that he is doing, and how he is maliciously accusing me. Not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers himself, and he is interfering with those who want to do so, and has them put out of the church.

Dear friend, do not follow bad examples, but good ones. The man who does right is a child of God; the man who does wrong has never seen God.