3 John 13I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with ink and reed. 14I hope to see you soon, and we will speak mouth to mouth.
This letter ends in a similar way to 2 John 12. John would rather be with Gaius in person than write with ink and reed, which hints at how ancient writing was done. As modern people know with things like email on computers and texting on phones, it can be difficult to express one’s thoughts and almost impossible to express one’s feelings and emotions. It takes great skill with words to state one’s ideas through writing. This letter is not long. We do not know why John did not take more time and effort to write a longer letter, particularly given the literary skill evident in his traditional authorship of the Gospel of John and Revelation. These two verses hint at John’s affection toward Gaius. John attempted to lift him up while also warning him about Diotrephes and people like him who were not living out the truth of the gospel. John had to be blunt and quick while also showing Christian love. Spiritual discipline of the wayward is usually not easy to give, but sometimes strong warnings are necessary so that the church keeps to the truth.
The idiom at the end of verse 14 gives a picture of two people dialoging with the mouths (2 John 12). John hoped to be present with Gaius in person soon, showing the seriousness with which John took the situation and his desire to be with Gaius. His visit would confirm and reinforce all he wrote and also give strength to Gaius to deal with any heresy or bad characters. Letters can be helpful and sometimes might be the only way to communicate, but nothing replaces personal presence. It can be tempting to hide behind generic or even unpleasant written words. Being with someone in person can both communicate love and care but also reinforce needed change. One’s emotions tend to run high in the presence of someone. Much communication also takes place through one’s face and body language.