Editing Third Epistle of John (section)

===Greeting and introduction===
The letter is written to a man named Gaius.<ref name="Stott 217">Stott, 217</ref> Gaius seems to have been a wealthy man, since the epistle's author, who identifies himself only as "the Elder", did not think it would impose unduly on him to host some traveling preachers for a short time.<ref name="Dodd156">Dodd, 156</ref> The Elder may have converted Gaius, since he calls Gaius his "child" in the faith.<ref name="Dodd156"/> The ''[[Apostolic Constitutions]]'' VII.46.9 records that Gaius was made bishop of [[Pergamon]], though there is no early support for this statement.<ref name="Dodd156"/>

The name Gaius occurs four other times in the New Testament. First, a Christian Gaius is mentioned in [[Macedon]]ia as a traveling companion of Paul, along with Aristarchus ([[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]] 19:29). One chapter later, a Gaius from [[Derbe]] is named as one of Paul's seven traveling companions who waited for him at [[Troad|Troas]] (Acts 20:4). Next, a Gaius is mentioned residing in [[Roman Corinth|Corinth]] as being one of only a few people there (the others being Crispus and the household of Stephanas) who were baptised by [[Paul the Apostle|Paul]], who founded the Church in that city ([[First Epistle to the Corinthians|1 Corinthians]] 1:14). Lastly, a Gaius is referred to in a final greeting portion of the [[Epistle to the Romans]] (Romans 16:23) as Paul's "host" and also host of the whole church, in whatever city Paul is writing from at the time (probably Corinth).<ref name="Stott 217"/> However, there is no reason to suppose that any of these men were the Gaius of 3 John.<ref>Stott, 217–218</ref>
[[File:MEIJI-MOTOYAKU 3John.png|thumb|Japanese translation of 3 John (1904)]]