When was 3 John written?

Third John is one of the five New Testament books the apostle John wrote, along with the Gospel of John, 1 and 2 John, and the book of Revelation. Although 3 John is one of the shortest books in the New Testament, it has an important message for readers. John wrote the letter in the late first century to praise a man named Gaius and to condemn a man named Diotrephes. Like his other books, John likely wrote 3 John around 90 to 95 AD.

Knowing the author of 3 John is important in determining when it was written. However, John doesn’t directly identify himself in the letter. In the first verse, he refers to himself as “the elder,” writing, “The elder, to my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth” (3 John 1:1). In context, the term “elder” may refer to John’s age or the office he held in the church (cf. 2 John 1:1).

In addition, certain characteristics of the letter mirror those of 2 John, which John also wrote. For example, the author refers to the recipients as children: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 1:4). Likewise, 2 John 4 reads, “It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.”

Another similarity is how both letters close. Third John 13–14 says, “I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.” Similarly, 2 John 1:12 reads, “I have much more to say to you, but I don’t want to do it with paper and ink. For I hope to visit you soon and talk with you face to face. Then our joy will be complete.” The common phrasing of the first two sentences suggests the same person wrote them.

The letter doesn’t refer to specific dates or historical events, yet early church tradition places its writing to the latter part of Emperor Domitian’s reign (81—96 AD). This suggests a composition date between 90 and 95 AD, like his other writings. Given the book's traditional title, 3 John was likely written after 1 and 2 John. However, it’s unknown if John wrote 3 John before or after his Gospel and Revelation.

The internal problem identified in the letter also supports a late-first century date of writing. In 3 John, John commends Gaius, a faithful Christian in Asia Minor, but confronts Diotrephes, who rejected John’s earlier letter. Diotrephes wanted to challenge apostolic authority by excluding other believers from the church (3 John 9–10). This conflict reflects the challenges faced by late-first-century Christians, when church divisions and doctrinal disputes were common. John’s charge to Gaius to remain faithful and walk in the truth emphasizes his concern for the integrity of local church leadership.

These details support the conclusion that 3 John was written in the final decade of the first century, between 90 and 95 AD.