Scripture:
3 John 9–12
9 I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not welcome us. 10 So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing in spreading false charges against us. And not content with those charges, he refuses to welcome the brothers and sisters and even prevents those who want to do so and expels them from the church.
11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but imitate what is good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. 12 Everyone has testified favorably about Demetrius, and so has the truth itself. We also testify for him, and you know that our testimony is true. (NRSVUE)
Observation:
This is a personal letter from John, written to Gaius. He is commending Gaius for his hospitality, for welcoming traveling preachers, but then he condemns Diotrephes. There is something lacking in his behavior. He struggles with putting himself first and does not practice hospitality. John plans on coming and addressing the concerns raised by Diotrephes. Evidently, Diotrephes is placing himself in a position of authority, refusing to welcome other preachers. Not only that, he won’t let other people around him welcome them, and if they do, he expels them from the church. You get a sense that this man is somewhat of a bully.
As he moves on in his letter, John tells them to imitate what is good. I think he may be telling them not to imitate the behavior of Diotrephes. Imitation of the good found in God is of great importance in the Christian life. He contrasts Diotrephes with Demetrius. Evidently, Demetrius is the one they should be imitating. People are reporting such good about Demetrius, and his life reflects the truth. That testimony reaches beyond the local church community to John and his companions as well.
Good news and bad news spread. John places before the people two contrasting figures and tells them to imitate the good.
Application:
I’ve been reading a great deal lately about entire sanctification and the need for a deeper walk with Jesus Christ. I think that in Diotrephes we find an excellent example of someone who is self-centered and has all the focus on himself. He is someone in need of divine love so filling him that there is no room for this self-centered nature. Perhaps he thinks he’s a good believer. Perhaps he thinks he’s protecting the church. And yet, his actions are extremely harmful and are not reflective of the nature and character of Jesus Christ. A follower filled with the Holy Spirit is one who becomes other-oriented because of the fountain of love springing up within them.
So that brings us to the contrast here. Demetrius seems to represent someone who has embraced the truth and is living it out. We can imagine a life filled with the Holy Spirit and, therefore, divine love. That love overflows in doing good because God is the source of that goodness. God is the source of his life, and therefore he lives in imitation of Christ. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we begin to testify to the work of Christ in us. As a result, others begin to testify as well, for they see the fruit of our lives. The community and beyond could see the fruit in Demetrius’ life.
There was a blockage to the fruit in Diotrephes’ life—and it was Diotrephes himself. His desire to be first had become an obstacle to the work of God. Perhaps he thought he was doing the right thing and was zealous for the church, but his actions suggest someone more concerned about maintaining control than extending the love of Christ.
Letting go of our fears and trusting God for the outcomes can be a challenge. Diotrephes may have thought that he was protecting the fledgling church, but in the meantime, his testimony was being destroyed. Instead of the fruit of holy love, people were experiencing rejection and exclusion.
Who do we relate to? Are we a Diotrephes or a Demetrius? Are we still holding on so tightly to things that we can’t let go and let God be the One in control? Demetrius seems to have learned to allow God’s truth to shape his life. That’s what people saw in him.
May we go on in our faith, letting go of trying to be in control and trusting God as we seek to imitate what is good.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for those who have gone before and provided examples for us in the way we should live. I know that I want to trust You more today and trust You for the fruit of my life. Amen.
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