3 John 9-10

3 John 9 ESV

9 I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.

This is the problem John is addressing. There is a previous letter that may have been lost- maybe Diotrophes himself destroyed the letter. Its contents are not available, yet they are imaginable when you read the letter.

John has likely written asking the church for support for missionaries that had been sent out. By providing them, their work would be done more quickly and theywould be on their way more speedily.

Diotrophes- thwarted the intention of John’s request by either suppressing the letter or opposing the request before the congregation.

He may have even forced some out of the church.

Why? We don’t know.… many times we don’t in instances like this.

What we do know is that Diotrophes loved to be first. We can imagine the implications of that on the church.

An inflated and dictatorial ego is not the best personality in church business.

Perhaps Gaius and Diotrophes were in contention. Perhaps Diotrophes just was that person- the one who wants to be seen as in the know and in control. The one with seniority, or better experience, or personality. Remember, that doesn’t necessarily reflect the truth.

Been there done that bought the t shirt.

Does the statement that he “will have nothing to do with us” and that he is “gossiping maliciously about us” and “refuses to welcome the brothers” indicate that he is not really committed to the commandment of love the elder contends so unremittingly for? If so, Diotrephes had as yet shown no theological deviation regarding the person of Christ. If he had, we can, in view of his other actions, be quite certain that the elder would have exposed him and pronounced judgment on him

the elder may have expanded the activity of the missionary emissaries in order to stem the tide of false teaching flooding the area. The presence of these missionaries would have been an effective deterrent to schism and would have strengthened the hand of the elder in dealing with this threat to the gospel. But his actions may have been resented by Diotrephes as eroding the local autonomy of the churches. The “malicious gossip” referred to may have been that the elder was using the presence of false teachers as a pretext for establishing his own authority more completely over the churches

The real conflict is not between two types of belief. It is between two levels of commitment to the work of God: Diotrephes is more interested in furthering his own position than in furthering the work of God (cf. Stott, pp. 226–27).

3 John 10 ESV

10 So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.

Exactly how the elder intended to deal with Diotrephes is unclear. John’s statement that he “will call attention to what he [Diotrephes] is doing” suggests that John planned to confront Diotrephes, perhaps personally, and expose his conduct before the whole church, unless he completely repented. There seems to be an implication that Diotrephes’ misdeeds were not yet fully known to the congregation; and perhaps it was the elder’s hope that once they were revealed, the church would either censure or expel Diotrephes from his position.

How are we to explain the sharp words and drastic response on the part of the apostle of love? Do they not represent a contradiction to his teaching? More probably they represent the response of one who sensed that the very nature of the gospel was threatened by such hypocritical conduct on the part of one of its ministers. Diotrephes’ actions against the elder were reprehensible by any standard; but they were even more so on the part of one who probably had been of the fellowship of the elders who knew the message of love that had been received, and who had pledged to live a life according to the commandment given by the Son of God

For such a leader of the church to give way to personal pique and selfish ambition was unthinkable.

the wickedness involved spread beyond the vicious innuendos and lies directed against the elder. It extended to those wholly innocent of possible wrongdoing. The hospitality due the missionary “brothers” in order to speed them on their way in their service of the gospel had also been singled out for abuse; and they were denied the welcome due them as members of the household of faith. Because they came from the elder, they suffered the consequences of guilt by association. The harshest treatment of all had been directed against those whose conscience required them to extend hospitality to the brethren. Because they dared to disobey Diotrephes on this matter, they had been cast out of the congregation.

Such contradiction to the gospel by word and deed as done by Diotrephes could not be condoned, and indeed it was not. It was no longer Diotrephes who was on trial for his action but the elder and all those who believed like him. Silence on their part in the face of such total rejection of the truth and the life of the gospel would have been as hypocritical as Diotrephes’ earlier action.

It was no pleasant experience that awaited the elder, but “truth” without love is no truth at all. Diotrephes was condemned not because he violated sound teaching regarding the person and nature of Jesus Christ but because his “life” was a contradiction to the truth of the gospel. This condition required action by John and by the congregation.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.............................

Who’s the boss ??

pastors....…

members.… seniority, education, influence.

Matthew 18.1- disciples argued over being first greatest in the kingdom.

Remember Christ’s example in Philippians 2.1-11

Philippians 2:1–11 ESV

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Diotrephes was motivated by pride. Instead of giving the preeminence to Jesus Christ (Col. 1:18), he claimed it for himself. He had the final say-so about everything in the church, and his decisions were determined by one thing: “What will this do for Diotrephes?” He was most unlike John the Baptist who said, “He [Jesus Christ] must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). The Greek verb indicates that it was the constant attitude of Diotrephes to promote himself.

Resident dictators are not the ideal of Christ for the local church.The Holy Spirit is grieved when the members of the body are not permitted to exercise their gifts because one member must have his own way. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, we will discover how many hearts have been broken and churches destroyed because of the arrogant “ministries” of people like Diotrephes.

He Refused To Receive John (vs9)

Why did Diotrephes reject John? The obvious reason seems to be that John challenged the man’s right to be dictator in the church. John was a threat to Diotrephes, because John had the authority of an apostle. John knew the truth about Diotrephes and was willing to make it known. Satan was at work in the church because Diotrephes was operating on the basis of pride and self-glorification, two of the devil’s chief tools. If John appeared on the scene, Satan would be the loser.

He Refused To Be Truthful about John (vs10a)

Christians must be careful not to believe everything that they read or hear about God’s servants,

diotrophes was gossiping about John (an apostle of Christ).

We should filter everything through Philippians 4.8

Philippians 4:8 ESV

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

He Refused John’s Friends (v10b)

Diotrephes would not even receive the other brethren because they were in fellowship with John! It was “guilt by association.”

However, to break personal fellowship with a brother because I disagree with his circle of friends is, to me, going beyond Scripture. Diotrephes rejected John, and then rejected the believers associated with John! But he went even further.

He Retaliated With Those Who Disagreed (v10c)

The church members who received John’s associates were dismissed from the church! Again, it was guilt by association. Diotrephes had neither the authority nor the biblical basis for throwing these people out of the church, but he did it. Even “religious dictators” have to be careful lest the opposition become too strong!

Church “dictators” are dangerous people but, fortunately, they are easy to recognize. They like to talk about themselves and what they have “done for the Lord.” They also have the habit of judging and condemning those who disagree with them. They are experts in putting labels on other Christians and classifying them into neat little categories of their own intention. They base their fellowship on personalities, not the doctrines that are fundamental to the faith. The tragedy is that these “dictators” actually believe that they are serving God and glorifying Jesus Christ.

It has been my experience that most of the distress and division in local churches, and between churches, has resulted from personalities more than anything else. If only we would return to the New Testament principle of making the person and work of Jesus Christ our test for fellowship, rather than associations and interpretations of nonessential doctrines. But people like Diotrephes will always have their enthusiastic followers because many sincere but immature and untaught believers prefer to follow such leaders.

Follow The Leader- He’s On A Cross