"NO GREATER JOY"

John was a beloved apostle of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 10:2; John 19:26) John accompanied Jesus throughout his ministry, witnessed his miracles, and stuck with him during difficult times. He watched as Jesus was executed and saw him after he was resurrected. He also witnessed the spread of Christianity in the first century from a small group of faithful ones until the good news had been "preached in all creation under heaven." - COLOSSIANS 1:23. 

Near the end of his long life, John was privileged to contribute to God's inspired Word. He recorded the awe-inspiring   "revelation by Jesus Christ." (Revelation 1:1) John wrote the Gospel bearing his name. He also wrote three inspired letters.  He addressed his third letter to a faithful Christian named Gaius, whom John viewed as a beloved spiritual child. (3 John 1) By then, there must have been many whom John viewed as his spiritual children. What this faithful older man wrote has encouraged all of Jesus' followers down to our day.

What did John write? (Read 3 John 4.) John wrote of the joy that obedience to God brings. By the time John wrote his third letter, some individuals were spreading false teachings and causing divisions. However, others continued "walking in the truth." They obeyed Jehovah and were "walking according to his commandments." (2 John 4, 6) These faithful Christians brought joy not just to John but also to Jehovah himself. - PROVERBS 27:11. 

Next time: "NO GREATER JOY" - Conclusion

From the jw.org publications