PONDERING... Diotrephes: A Testimony of Self-Serving Destruction (3 John 9-11)

Diotrephes: A Testimony of Self-Serving Destruction 

GIST: Sin is self-serving and destructive.
SCRIPTURE: 3 John 9-11

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

11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.

The last two testimonies in this letter, Diotrephes and Demetrius, are tied together by verse 11. Here we are told that true Christians, those who know and have been changed by God, will imitate good rather than evil. Those who imitate evil, on the other hand, are not from God. Diotrephes is the example of the latter. He serves himself instead of God, which is the root of evil/sin.

The situation here is pretty sad. Diotrephes apparently has some authority in the local church (which would have been a community of believers likely meeting in homes). However, he is abusing this power/influence. He refuses to recognize the authority of the apostles, those Jesus chose to spread the Truth (Gospel), and even speaks badly about them. Furthermore, not only does he refuse to help the traveling missionaries, but also kicks people out of the church who try. Clearly, there are some major issues here. But where does it all start? Look at verse 9 again: "...Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first..."

We're going to look at the result of his selfishness and how we can be warned by it, and we'll see the self-serving and destructive nature of sin.

1. Rejecting God-given authority

• He refuses to acknowledge the authority of John, the apostle. Now this might not seem like a huge issue. Why does he have to accept John's authority? Remember, Jesus chose to use the apostles to spread His good news. Without them, nearly the entire New Testament would be gone. John is not trying to execute ungodly or selfish leadership. We have seen from his Gospel and other letters, he leads by example and emphasizes the necessity of Christians knowing the Truth and living in Love. Rejecting John, in this context, is rejecting God's use of John. Why would he do this? Self-love rejects anything or anyone who threatens its autonomy and/or preeminence. We see that Diotrophes loves to be first, and this love is incompatible with Christian love. 
• So let's take this home a little... 
• What do you put first?
• How seriously do you take God's Word?
• What if you don't like what it says, or the implication of following its teaching?

2. Gossiping against or slandering the name of others

• We don't know what exactly was being said against John and those associated with him. [However, it is interesting to point out that this is the only place this particular phrase is used in the New Testament (per Albert Barnes).] What is being said, nonetheless, is called wicked nonsense. He's gossiping and slandering the reputation of John and his associates. Why? He wants to be first, and he can't do that if others are held higher. So, now we see the furtherance of sin's destruction. He has already rejected God's authority. Now, he is bad-mouthing God's people--all in pursuit of preeminence. 
• Again, let this one hit home...
• Why do you gossip? I know there is this self-righteous turn we like to put on our own failings. We're not gossiping. We're just "telling the truth". Or, "sharing our concerns". Nope. Look at your heart (that includes me). Gossip is self-serving and destructive to its core. No one wins. You let anger and bitterness rule in your heart while tearing down someone Christ died to save. Anyone who is reading this, please take a moment to really let this sink in. There is no age or gender exclusion to this sin. From my observations, it effects us all. Pray for forgiveness, and stop. All of us.

3. Lacking compassion and hospitality

• Here, Diotrophes is held in direct contrast with Gaius who serves through hospitality. Diotrophes refuses to accept these servants of God. Why? ... Yep, he wants to be first. Jealousy? I think so. 
• Taking it home?
• Look at the way you treat others. Do you have to be first?
• What priority does God being served have in your life...regardless of personal prestige?

4. Redefining the Church 

• This might seem like a stretch. How is he redefining the Church (yes, big "C"... the Church, the body of Christ)? Look at what he does when people want to help the traveling ministers. He kicks them out the local congregation! What is the purpose of the Church? This could be answered a number of ways, but the key purpose is to reflect and serve Christ. We are His body. We are His people. We are to use the gifts He has given each of us to serve His kingdom together. Are there reasons for the Church to execute discipline? Sure. But not for obedience... How does kicking people out of the church for trying to do exactly what Jesus has commanded us to do (love one another) fit with that picture? It doesn't. But when you're being driven by self-serving sin, it doesn't have to. It has to fit with...whatever you think benefits you. We cannot live like this.
• The application here should be pretty clear...
• Who are you serving?
• How do we determine, as a local church, what we should or should not be doing? Is God's Word our standard, or personal preference or gain?

We really need to ask ourselves these questions. Diotrephes was not some "outside" force. He was a prominent member of the church letting selfishness (sin) destroy himself and those around him. If we're honest, we've all probably seen these tendencies in our lives. Remember: "11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God." And this was set before us as an example of evil.