and behavior of a third party, Diotrephes (3 John 9–10). Without the doctrines of the Gospel, however, there would be no letters written some time early in the second century of the Christian era. They attempt to resolve the theological and community problems generated by the highly original story of the life of Jesus found in the Gospel. The Johannine churches were deeply divided. There are hints that the division led the parties in the argument into very different forms of Christianity during the