This commentary interprets the three letters of John for the first time consistently as the oldest documents of the Johannine tradition and integrates them into a representation of the history of the Johannine school. In the order of 2 John - 3 John - 1 John, they represent the initial and formative stage of Johannine theology. They provide insight into the emergence of a new perspective on the Christ event and the associated conflicts. Theologically, they are also of great significance, as the most important statement of the New Testament appears twice in the First Letter of John: God is love (1 John 4:8, 16).