The second epistle is addressed to an individual woman. One who had children, and a sister and nieces, is clearly indicated. According to one interpretation she is "the Lady Electa," to another, "the elect Kyria," to a third, "the elect Lady." The third epistle is addressed to Caius or Gaius. He was probably a convert of St. John, Epist. (3 John 1:4) and a layman of wealth and distinction, Epits. (3 John 1:5) in some city near Ephesus. The object of St. John in writing the second epistle was to warn the lady to whom he wrote against abetting the teaching known as that of Basilides and his followers, by perhaps an undue kindness displayed by her toward the preachers of the false doctrine. The third epistle was written for the purpose of commending to the kindness and hospitality of Caius some Christians who were strangers in the place where he lived. It is probably that these Christians carried this letter with them to Caius as their introduction.

The Second and Third General Epistles of John
... The Second and Third General Epistles of John. CONTENTS The Second Epistle.
After the address and the apostolic blessing, 1-3, the ...
/.../drummond/introduction to the new testament/the second and third general.htm

The Catholic Epistles.
... The designation, however, is not strictly correct, and applies only to five of them.
The second and third Epistles of John are addressed to individuals. ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 87 the catholic epistles.htm

On Bk. Iii. Chap. 24, 17 (Note 18 Continued).
... and may we thus explain the references to two epistles of John?" He ... Jerome, it may
be added, quotes names from the third epistle as from the second (De nom. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pamphilius/church history/on bk iii chap 24.htm

The Four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, Thirteen Epistles of ...
... of the Acts of the Apostles; after that are to be reckoned the Epistles of Paul. ...
and that of Jude, and the Second of Peter, and the Second and Third of John ...
/.../paley/evidences of christianity/section viii the four gospels.htm

The Epistles in General
... Even so, however the name cannot be regarded as entirely correct, because on the
one hand the second (?) and third Epistles of John are written to individuals ...
/.../drummond/introduction to the new testament/the epistles in general.htm

The Acts of the Apostles and the Acknowledged Epistles.
... The disputed books are, the epistle to the Hebrews, the epistle of James, the second
epistle of Peter, the second and third epistles of John, the epistle of ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/barrows/companion to the bible/chapter v the acts of.htm

Rise of the Apostolic Literature.
... to which time seven New Testament books (the "Antilegomena" of Eusebius), the second
Epistle of Peter, the second and third Epistles of John, the anonymous ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 75 rise of the.htm

The Order of the Gospels.
... 1 John nder the formula "John says in his larger Epistle," showing that he knew
of a second. The lack of citations from the second and third Epistles is easily ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter xxiv the order of the.htm

The Epistles of St. John
... CHAPTER XXIII THE EPISTLES OF ST ... The language of the Second Epistle bears almost
the same relation to that of ... like the name of the recipient of the Third Epistle ...
/.../pullan/the books of the new testament/chapter xxiii the epistles of.htm

The Apocalypse of John.
... But neither in the reputed second or third epistle of ... But Paul, in his epistles,
gives some indication of his revelations, [2365] though he has not written ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter xxv the apocalypse of john.htm