He wanted to be the fourth person in the Godhead. What did he finally do? What was he trying to hide? One of those, “He who has ears to hear” moments he learned from his Master.

Teachers like Demetrius, for example (3 John 12). He wanted to be regarded as spiritual, a natural leader, an anointed teacher— basically God’s gift to the church.

Pride. Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true (3 John 11-12). The description of Diotrephes as one who loves to be first suggests he is arrogant, and his behavior displays this: He refuses to acknowledge the written communication mentioned by the author at the beginning of v. 9 (and thus did not recognize the author’s apostolic authority), and furthermore (v. 10) refuses to show any hospitality to the traveling missionaries (welcome the brothers) already mentioned by the author. © 2006-2020 by Steve McCranie | Leaving Laodicea, 418: What Happens When Our Prayers Go Unanswered. Where is the Freedom of Information Act when you need it? Because pride caused Absalom to believe that he, and not God, knew who should be king in Israel.

This was the question Nebuchadnezzar asked. Covering the whole Epistle, there is the exhortation to follow the good and refuse the evil. Answer: Diotrephes is mentioned in one passage of the Bible, in the short letter of 3 John. And, as the story goes, neither was it God’s problem. As John stated, those seeking the preeminent role—seeking to do harm and exhibit control for evil purposes to the point of slander—will not go unnoticed. “How you have fallen from heaven, O star (shining one) of the morning, son of the dawn!” (Isa.

Why? The greatest leaders are servants; they always have Christ as the goal. 9-10). If you don’t want to miss a thing, enter your email on the right. Read 3 John 1:1-14, Ministering to Quench the Thirst for Christ. He was one of the Twelve, the disciple Jesus loved, and his standing and credibility in the church was never in question. It is sometimes suggested that Gaius belongs to this church, but that seems unlikely, because the author uses a third-person pronoun to refer to the other members of the church (among them). It was pride that led Absalom to publicly rape David’s wives and try to remove, by the force of betrayal and rebellion, the king God had placed to rule His people, Israel.

Gaius treated the saints passing through with generous hospitality—even the strangers who were working in the name of Christ (v. 5). Or persecution. sn Because Diotrephes did not recognize the authority of the author, the author will expose his behavior for what it is (call attention to the deeds he is doing) if he comes for a visit. [6] 1:10 Therefore, if I come,[7] I will call attention to the deeds he is doing[8] – the bringing of unjustified charges against us with evil words!

In fact, it seems that the letter John wrote to the church regarding that very matter was intercepted by Diotrephes, the self-proclaimed resident gatekeeper, and deemed so sensitive to National Security that, taking his lead from our own Government, it was Classified and kept from the congregation. Or death. Pride. We call that jealousy.

Diotrephes, who imagined his perceived greatness should be seen by all, could not allow another’s greatness to outshine his. Diotrephes or Demetrius?

We know nothing of his background, other than he was probably a …

He went as far as to “unjustly accuse [them] with wicked words” (v.10).

And it appears the congregation does nothing to stand against this evil. Or excommunication. Persecuted. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. sn The exhortation do not imitate what is bad but what is good is clearly a reference to Diotrephes’ evil behavior. If we seek to be prominent and the greatest among men, we will hinder the work of Christ. It was pride that hardened the heart of Cain against his brother Able. Diotrephes was a man mentioned in the Third Epistle of John (verses 9–11). More sought after? “Hey God, You want blood as a sacrifice?

He wanted others to come to him, and not John, for the answers to their questions.


John had to go.

Don’t be like them— even to the point of rejection. "[1], In addition to being ambitious, proud, disrespectful of apostolic authority, rebellious, and inhospitable, the author of the letter says that Diotrephes tried to hinder those desiring to show hospitality to the brothers and to expel these from the congregation. John was well known and beloved among the brethren of the church. It was pride, the original sin, that tempted Satan to exalt himself above God and to be cast down, banished from his place in heaven. Carnal, heavy-handed bullying tactics within the church— and the sinister source of this sin, as always, is pride. Pride.

Pride.

Gaius treated the saints passing through with generous hospitality—even … Let’s take a quick look back at the Scriptures and see how the thread of pride, like a malignant cancer or mutating tumor, winds itself around the lives of those who claim to know and love God and subtly, over time, changes good, God-fearing people into a mob of self-seeking free agents.

The author exhorts Gaius (whom he wishes to continue assisting the missionaries) not to follow the negative example of Diotrephes, but to do what is right. So what was John’s final word on Diotrephes? Not only did he refuse to help the brethren, but he excommunicated anyone who had intentions to do so. Intimidated and green with envy. His name means "nourished by Jupiter". His name means "nourished by Jupiter". He accuses John to others with wicked words. The flesh-exalting sin of pride stained each of them— and each of us, to such a degree that it required the blood of Christ to remedy. Conversely, those who abide in the truth and are faithful to the work will also be stand out and receive a good report. They were outwardly religious like “white-washed tombs,” but inwardly they were rotten, corrupt and decayed like “dead men’s bones” (Matt. “He that does good, is … Who was more esteemed than he? He wanted it all. Tell me Moses, what part of this miracle did you do? But his actions here suggest otherwise: He is able to refuse or ignore the author’s previous written instructions (v. 9), and he is able to have other people put out of the church for showing hospitality to the traveling missionaries (v. 10).

Instead, he urged Gaius, and each one of us as well, to imitate what is good and just. It was pride that fostered in her a driving desire to be like God, to be better than God, to assume the worst about God, and to lust for His place of preeminence. Pride. And the Scriptures have much to say about it.

As Raymond E. Brown comments, "Diotrephes is not a particularly common name." John is writing this letter to a man named Gaius, a beloved elder in the church.

He personally refuses to recognize John’s authority and receive the itinerant teachers approved by John. And God answered in a way that only He could (Dan. Listen to the application gleaned from the actions of Diotrephes. He wanted to be the one who set the vision for what God was going to do.

It was pride that kept Moses from entering the Promise Land. It was Cain’s pride that demanded God accept his sacrifice regardless of what God required.
It was the pride of Aaron and Miriam that brought about God’s judgment of leprosy on them because, dissatisfied with God’s plan, they sought to exalt themselves by questioning Moses’ leadership and God’s supreme plan. As the proverb warns, “Nor is it glory to search one’s own glory” (Prov.

It was pride that led to the deaths of Nadab and Abihu who disregarded the command of God and offered what they wanted, strange fire, before the Lord (Lev. It was the prideful words uttered from Nebuchadnezzar that drove him into the wilderness to live like an animal until he recognized and acknowledged the sovereignty of the Lord. To find out more about us, read our full bio. Even if they are members of your church.

“Listen now, you rebels, shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?” (Num.

Pride was the great sin of the Pharisees in Jesus’ time. Why? 23:27). For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church (3 John 10).

Diotrephes was a man mentioned in the Third Epistle of John (verses 9–11). After all, pride reasoned, “I’m bringing the best of my fields to God as my sacrifice and that should be good enough for Him. These are the charges the author will make against Diotrephes before the church: (1) Diotrephes is engaged in spreading unjustified charges against the author with evil words; (2) Diotrephes refuses to welcome the brothers (the traveling missionaries) himself; (3) Diotrephes hinders the others in the church who wish to help the missionaries; and (4) Diotrephes expels from the church (throws them out) people who aid the missionaries. In essence, lost people act like lost people.

It was the pride of Haman and his jealousy of Mordecai that compelled him to build the gallows, designed for Mordecai, that Haman’s body hung from (Est. After all, just being in his presence reminded them of being with Jesus. sn The statement The one who does what is bad has not seen God is asyndetic; its abrupt introduction adds emphasis.

Demetrius received a “good testimony from everyone and from the truth itself” (v.12). He wanted to be the final authority in all matters, spiritual or not. The following is the passage and notes from the New English Translation.