3 John: Authorship and Date

It is not certain whether the apostle John is the author of 3 John. This letter was probably written around the year AD 100.

The three writings known as the letters from John come from the same circle as the Gospel according to John. It is likely that 3 John and the other two letters were written later than the Gospel according to John. We do not know whether the author was familiar with the whole text of the Gospel as we know it.
3 John was written by a person of authority in the “Johannine” circle of congregations. The author refers to himself as “the Elder”. The letter is attributed to the apostle John, although the name of the writer is not mentioned in the text. As with the Gospel according to John, it is uncertain whether the letters can be linked to the apostle John in Ephesus.

Biblical scholars think the letters from John were written after the Gospel according to John, around the year AD 100.