FRIDAY April 21st
3 John 1:9–10
‘I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 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.’
Remember a few devotions ago I mentioned Sanballat who did all he could to oppose the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, well in our verses in this devotion we come to a man of equal standing with Sanballat, he is called Diotrephes and he is a trouble maker in the church. Notice I said ‘in the church’!
Yes, we know there are many trouble makers outside of the church, many who oppose the gospel, oppose what we stand for and who oppose us individually as Christians, they are trouble enough, and will put every effort they possibly can to oppose the building of the Church, but Diotrephes is in the church causing trouble! He refuses to come under spiritual authority, he likes to put himself first, and he is talking nonsense against the leaders, and he refuses to welcome brothers and puts out of the church those who are wanting to give a welcome. Imagine being in a church with an individual like that! And John says, ‘When I come, I will bring up what he is doing’, I wouldn’t have wanted to be Diotrephes when John made his visit!
Opposition outside, well we expect it, but not within! It shouldn’t be, for one of the important characteristics for a local church is that those who gather there should be united, being of one heart and one mind for the sake of the gospel.
May we all ensure that we seek always to be found in the place where we are supporters and encouragers, the promise Jesus made to build his Church and that the gates of hell will not prevail against it, is a promise for the universal Church, but when it comes to having individuals like Diotrephes in a local church unfortunately they can prevail and they can destroy a local church, or at least stop it from moving forward and growing as it should.
In the next verses (vv11-12) John makes reference to another individual called Demetrius, he has a far better testimony, of him John says, he ‘has a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself’. Let us all make sure that when it comes to the local church, wherever that may be for each of us that we have a testimony that matches Demetrius rather than that of Diotrephes.