Fact: A personal letter

A personal letter. John’s letter to Gaius follows the pattern of personal letters of his day: greetings (v. 1), a prayer for Gaius’s health (v. 2a), the main message (vv. 5–12), and a brief farewell (vv. 13–15). John departs from the standard form only in his expression of concern for his friend’s spiritual well-being (vv. 2b–4).