St. Paul National Bible Test Practice

The main idea here is recognizing who the letter is addressed to and who is praised for hospitality to traveling missionaries. In the Third Letter of John, the elder identifies the recipient right at the opening: he writes to his dear friend Gaius, expressing love and warmth. The heart of the message is that Gaius welcomed and cared for the missionaries who came to him—providing them support, hospitality, and assistance on their travels—so they could carry the gospel forward. That faithful hospitality is commended and framed as partnering in the truth, showing that such generosity is essential for the church’s mission. Demetrius is mentioned later as someone who has a good testimony, but he is not the person who received the missionaries, and Philip and Lydia are not part of this letter’s situation. So the individual thanked for receiving the missionaries is Gaius.