The Modern-Day Diotrephes

Diotrephes! As Judas brings to our minds a picture of betrayal, and as Jezebel brings to our minds the worst in female unpleasantness and ungodliness, so the name of this man brings to our minds a pride and arrogance that should never be in God's kingdom. We find this record of the man:

I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteththem out of the church (III John 9-10). 

Our purpose now is to examine that passage, and to note the qualitiesabout this prideful man, and then to note how these same characteristicscan be found in the church today. The purpose is that all of us might be thus warned, and then let each and every one keep himself pure (I Timothy 5:22).

The behavior of a Diotrephes is (1) First, in ATTITUDE. Note that John states that he loved the preeminence. Jesus is to be the preeminentone (Colossians 1:18), and one has a real character flaw if he desires a higher place than God gave him. Love of preeminence is seen in thebehavior of the hypocrites in Judiasm (Matthew 6:1-18). It is animproper motive for one desiring any work in the church, and is contraryto the Will of God in any event. Diotrephes first had a problem with humility.

(2) Then, IMPROPER USE OF THE TONGUE. John states that Diotrephes was “prating against us.” That is, overflowing with talk, and the apostle states, “malicious words” at that! The arrogance of man is seen in his speaking against the apostles and those in company with the apostles. The greater portion of the inspired New Testament message is borne to us through the work of the apostles. To “receive them” is to receive the Christ (Matthew 10:40). Their words were the words of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 2:13). It is a lack-of-humility and an arrogance “gone to seed” when anyone becomes so big that they stand against inspired apostles!

(3) Further, this man stands TO FORBID OTHERS IN RIGHT DOING. John states that he would not receive the brethren, but forbad those who were doing so! His is a voice and an “authority” in the kingdom that God has given to none! Some have speculated that Diotrephes was an elder in the church, that we cannot say, but no matter, for his behavior was sinful and all the more repugnant if he had entered into the leadership. Anyone in the kingdom, regardless of their particular work, is first of all God’s SERVANT, and has been shown by the Lord that service to others is true greatness (Matthew 20:26).

(4) The last picture of Diotrephes is that of CASTING MEN OUT OF THE CHURCH! A standing against the apostles, and those who would fellowship the apostles, so as to bar acceptance in the kingdom to those who dared oppose him. The Lord adds to the church (Acts 2:47), and it is not the function of any of us to “cast men out.” Men may, due to persistence in impenitent sinfulness, be disfellowshiped, but their sins have removed them from fellowship. They were not “cast out”at the whim and fancy of some arrogant church “leader.”

It is significant that the record of Diotrephes follows the plea by John that we all should be “helpers to the truth” (v. 8). Helpers, not hinderers; helpers, not stumbling blocks. Diotrephes was working contrary to Truth, and therefore against the Truth. We note also that the record of Diotrephes is followed by the admonition to follow the good, and not the evil (v. 11). Diotrephes needed that advice, just as he needed to follow the example of Demetrius (v. 12), who seemed to be his opposite in terms of life and character.

We can avoid having modern-day Diotrephes’ among us when we all remember that: (1) Greatness in God’s sight is in humility, (2) that we, as servants, must always be open to the apostolic message, (3) that preeminence is given to the Christ, (4) that our influence on others should be to lead them toward spirituality, (5) and that none of us hasauthority to cast men from the kingdom. An elder who would be a Diotrephes is unworthy of the office. A man desiring to be an elder who longs for preeminence is unqualified for the office. A person not an elder should not be allowed by those of us in the kingdom ever to achieve the preeminence Diotrephes had! Let us, in looking into III John, seek to be a modern-day Demetrius rather than a modern-day Diotrephes!

Bill Jackson

The Right Attitude for Congregational Unity

Not only must one believe the right thing to have unity but one must also have the right attitude and disposition of heart to have unity. Having the truth is no justification for having a haughty disposition. We must have lowliness and meekness with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love.

Of Diotrephes, the beloved John wrote (III John 9–10):

I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.

The sin that John charges against Diotrephes is that he loves to have the preeminence. The word here employed by John is a very rare one and means “fond of being first.”

Years ago A.T. Robertson wrote an article on Diotrephes. He set him forth as “a church regulator,” “a short-horn deacon.” He of course, never knew all the results of the article. But one thing he did learn was that twenty-five subscribers to the paper in which the article appeared, asked that their subscription be cancelled immediately. They did this as a protest against the personal attack that they thought had been madeupon them. These twenty-five men recognized themselves in the picture of Diotrephes whom the writer had painted. The shoe fit; the hit dog howled; the guilty conscience saw its owner in such a setting.

The church does not need men like Diotrephes. We do not need men who seek to rally parties about them. We need people who will follow Jesus and preachers who point people to Jesus and not themselves. Men heard John the Baptist preach, and they followed Jesus. This was great preaching. John was a great preacher. He was no Diotrephes. He said Jesus must increase, but that he himself must decrease. He could gracefully grant the preeminence to Christ, where it belongs, in all things.

Paul did not want the brethren at Corinth divided into parties with each following their favorite preacher. That is the wrong attitude. The glory in the church is not to go to the preacher who plants or the preacher who waters, but to God who gives the increase (I Corinthians 3:1–9). We should step out of selfishness and into the service of God. With the proper attitude among brethren all of the small things vanish away.

J. Noel Meredith

Who Has the Preeminence?

There has always been a desire on the part of some to be preeminent among the followers of Christ. In Matthew 20, the mother of James and John came to Jesus with her sons and requested the places of preeminence in the kingdom for her sons (20:20-28). In Mark 10:35-45, James and John came to Jesus themselves with the same request. On both occasions Jesus’ response is the same. There is no place in the kingdom for the domination of or for exercising lordship over other disciples. Jesus made it clear that in the kingdom, He has “all authority” (Matthew 28:18). Paul wrote “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body” (Ephesians 1:22-23). Many years after learning this vital lesson himself, John encountered Diotrephes “who loveth to have the preeminence” (III John 9). This expression in the Greek is a compound verb, combining a verb which means “to love” and a verb which means “to have first place.” The second of these verbs occurs only once in the New Testament in Colossians 1:18 where it is used of Christ, “that in all things he might have the preeminence.” Diotrephes was running the church to ruin because of his exaggerated appraisal of his own worth and his lack of concern for the truth and the welfare of the church. 

Regrettably, there are still some of the sort of Diotrephes in the church who seize power for themselves thinking that the church stands or falls because of them. They believe that their judgments, ideas, and plans are more important than the church itself. Their love for preeminence usually exhibits itself like that of Diotrephes in III John 9-11 by: (1) accusing faithful preachers falsely, (2) forbidding others in the church to receive faithful Gospel teachers, and (3) expelling from the church those who refuse to bow to their will. Such domination in the church is always wrong. We must never place ourselves in such a position or allow others to do so (Romans 16:17). The church of our Lord is greater than any personality. 

The church does not depend upon any living person(s) for its existence and wellbeing. The church is built upon Christ (I Corinthians 3:11) and is founded and sustained by truth (I Timothy 3:15). The church does not belong to us; it belongs to Christ (Matthew 16:18). Our obligation is to respect and submit to His authority (28:18) by abiding in His Word (John 8:31). We must speak where the Bible speaks and remain silent where the Bible is silent (I Peter 4:11). We show our love for Christ and for His church, the body of Christ, by doing His will (John 14:15). Those who refuse to abide in the teachings of Christ do not have God (II John 9). 

Lester Kamp