Passage
The Elder vnto the beloued Gaius, whom I loue in the trueth.
The Elder vnto the beloued Gaius, whom I loue in the trueth.
3 John 1:1 The Elder vnto the beloued Gaius, whom I loue in the trueth.
3 John 1:2 Beloued, I wish chiefly that thou prosperedst and faredst well as thy soule prospereth.
3 John 1:3 For I reioyced greatly when the brethren came, and testified of the trueth that is in thee, how thou walkest in the trueth.
The verse centers on "elder", "vnto", "beloued", "gaius", and "trueth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "elder" and "vnto", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The next verse adds "Beloued I wish chiefly that thou prosperedst...", so "elder" and "vnto" should be read forward into that movement. In 3 John context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "elder" and "vnto" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.