My Translations
The Elder to the chosen Lady and to her children, whom I love in the
truth, and not only I, but also all those who know the truth (for the
sake of the truth which is abiding in us, and will be with us
forever).
Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the
Father, and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father, in truth and
love.
It made me very glad that I have found some of your
children to be walking in the truth, even as we received the
commandment from the Father. And now I am asking you, Lady,
(not as though I were writing a new commandment to you, but it is
the one we have had from the beginning) that we might love each
other. And this is Love, that we might walk according to His
commandments. This is the commandment just as you heard it from
the beginning, that in it we might walk.
For many devious men went out into the world,
who are saying that Jesus Christ is not coming in the flesh. This
is the devious one and the anti-Christ. See to yourselves that you
may not let go that for which we worked, but that you might receive
full wages. Every one who goes ahead and does not stay in the
teaching of Christ, does not have God. He who is staying in the
teaching, this one has both the Father and the Son. If anyone is
coming to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him
into your house, and do not say anything to encourage him,
for the one who speaks to him to encourage him, is sharing in his
evil works.
Having many things to write to you, I did not want to
write to you with paper and ink, but I hope to come to you and to
speak with you in person, that our joy might be perfected.
The children of your chosen sister salute you.
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The Elder to Gaius the beloved, whom I love in truth.
Loved one, I am praying for you to be prospered
continually and in health in all areas of your life, just as your
soul is prospering. For I was made very glad by some brothers who
came and testified of you in the truth, just as you are walking
in the truth. I have no greater joy than these things, because I
hear that my child is walking in the truth.
Loved one, you are making a faith which could be used
to help the brothers, and even strangers. You are doing rightly,
attending those who testified for you in love in the presence of
the church, in a manner suitable for God. For they went forth for
the sake of the Name, not one of them taking from the Gentiles.
Now we are indebted to support such men in order that we may become
co-workers in the truth.
I wrote to the church, but the one of them who desires
to be first, Diotrephes, does not receive us kindly. Because of this,
if I should come, I will bring to mind his works which he is doing,
evil words talking foolishness against us, and not satisfied with
these things, he does not even receive the brothers kindly.
He is also hindering those who are willing to receive them, and
throwing them out of the church.
Loved one, do not imitate the bad but the good. He who
is doing good is of God. He who is doing bad has not seen God. It
has been testified of Demetrius by all men and by the truth itself,
and we also are testifying and you understand that our testimony is
true.
I had many things to write to you but I don’t want to
write to you with pen and ink, but I hope to see you very soon and
we will speak in person. Peace to you. Our dear friends salute you.
Salute the dear friends there by name.
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Judah, a slave of Jesus Christ, and brother of Jacob, to the ones
who have been loved in God the Father, and to the called ones who
have been kept in Jesus Christ. May mercy and peace and love be
increased in you.
Loved ones, I needed to write to you, making all haste
to write to you concerning our common salvation, inviting you to be
contending for the Faith which was once handed over to the saints.
For some men entered secretly who had been written of before, long
ago, into this judgment. Irreverent men who are exchanging the grace
of God for licentiousness and disowning our only Master and Lord,
Jesus Christ.
And knowing all things once, I wish to remind you that
the Lord saved the people out of the land of Egypt. Another time he
utterly destroyed the ones who did not believe, He has kept the angels
who did not keep their first state but left their own dwelling under
gloom in perpetual bonds until the judgment of the Great Day, as Sodom
and Gomorrah and the cities around them, these cities who were given
to fornication and who followed other flesh the same way, they are
placed before us, an example of eternal fire, suffering justice.
Likewise these men who are dreaming and staining the flesh
and disowning authority and blaspheming glories shall surely also
suffer Justice. Even the Archangel Michael when, differing with
the devil, he was reasoning concerning the body of Moses, made up his
mind not to carry out a blasphemous sentence, but said, ”May the Lord
reprimand you”.
But these men are blaspheming what they do not understand,
and whatever they naturally are versed in, like unreasoning animals,
in these they are being ruined.
Woe to them! Because they went in the way of Cain,
and they rushed headlong in the error of the wages of Balaam, and were
completely destroyed in the rebellion of Korah. These are the ones who
are fearlessly feasting with you, Jagged rocks in your love—feasts,
feeding themse1ves, clouds without rain, swept along by the winds,
fruitless Autumn trees, dying twice, being rooted up, wild waves of
the sea, foaming out their own shames, wandering stars, the gloom of
darkness in which they have been kept for eternity.
And Enoch, the seventh from Adam also prophesied to them,
saying, ”See, The Lord came in His holy ten-thousands to make judgment
upon all men, and He will test all the irreverent men concerning
all the works of their irreverence which were irreverent, and concerning
all the harsh things which irreverent sinners spoke against Him.
These men are fault—finding grumblings, going according
to their hearts’ desire, and their mouth is speaking boastful things,
continually admiring individuals for profit.
And you, loved ones, remember the words which have been
foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they said to
you “at the end of time there will be scoffers going according to
their own heart’s desire for irreverences.” These are the men who are
causing divisions, materialistic men, not having the Spirit.
But you, loved ones, continually building yourselves up
in your holiest faith, continually praying in the Holy Spirit, keep
yourselves in the love of God, continually receiving the mercy of our
Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And be showing mercy. Be saving,
snatching out of the fire those who are differing. And be showing
mercy to hating men, and saving the soiled undergarment from the
flesh. And by being able to guard you from stumblings, He will also
make blameless ones stand in the presence of His glory in extreme
Joy.
To the only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord:
Glory, Greatness, Strength, and Authority for the whole of eternity,
and now, and unto all the ages.
Amen.
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