Introduction
To the Christians who knew him, the apostle John was not ˇ°Saint John,ˇ± but a
man. For a certain Diotrephes, to whom John gave the responsibility of a
community that we do not know, John was a bothersome old man. In order to
better dominate his church, Diotrephes was cutting off the relationship.
John, however, in his three letters, as in the Gospel, speaks of the
ˇ°communionˇ± which must exist among Christians. Any church or group must
remain open to others, maintain ing constant contact with them. Paul also
insists on this responsibility: to welcome in their homes all Christians
coming from other places in order to strengthen the bonds of the common
faith.