Sermon Tone Analysis

“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.

“Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good.

Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.

Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself.

We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.”[1]

Dead for almost two millennia, Diotrephes nevertheless lives!

He holds membership within many congregations, wreaking havoc within the vineyard of the Lord, destroying the work of God and hindering the advance of the divine Kingdom.

Who is Diotrephes?

He (and just as often “she”) is the “church boss” who controls the life of the church.

Though he would deny the charge, the church boss has displaced the Head of the Body.

He is a usurper, a pretender to the throne of the assembly, who has shoved the Master to an inferior position so that he can reign.

I have met Diotrephes, just as you have, if you have been among the churches of our Lord for any length of time.

Diotrephes is easily identified because he has embraced reprehensible attitudes and performed detestable deeds that violate church polity.

Above all else, he viewed membership in the church as one would treat membership in a civic club.

Thus, the church of the Living God is reduced to a personal, and petty, fiefdom.

Before we actually examine the implications of the text, it will prove helpful for us to clarify one textual matter.

Many people assume that Gaius is a member of a particular congregation and that Diotrephes is a member of the same congregation.

They assume that Gaius is a church member, and that Diotrephes holds some church office, perhaps as a tyrannical deacon or elder.

However, the church mentioned in our text does not appear to be the same church that is mentioned in verse six.

It seems likely that John, the Elder, belongs to, or perhaps pastors, the church mentioned in verse six, which is distinct from the congregations to which either Diotrephes or Gaius belong.

While it is not apparent in my translation, John used the third person pronoun in this ninth verse.

For instance, one translation reads, “I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not acknowledge us.”[2]

It is unlikely that the churches John referred to in verses six and nine were the same church.

Had they been the same congregation, the writer would not have used the third person pronoun to refer to the other members of the congregation.

If Gaius was a member of the same church, it would have been more natural to use a second person pronoun (“Diotrephes, who loves to be first */among you/*”).

Thus, it seems reasonable to conclude that Gaius belongs to, or provides oversight for, one local congregation while Diotrephes is in another congregation—a church known to Gaius but to which he does not belong.

What appears obvious, and is the focus of our study at this time, is that Diotrephes is a church bully.

He controls the church, regulating who is welcome and who is unwelcome.

He is less concerned with doctrinal integrity than he is with personal control.

John warns against such attitudes and his warning merits closer examination if we will honour God.

Join me, then, is learning about the “church boss,” so that none of us fall into the trap of either attempting to exert personal control over the congregation of the Lord, and so that we will resist every attempt to manipulate the people of God.

Diagnosis of a Church Boss — “Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.”

Would you not imagine that one of the Twelve would merit respect among the churches?

Would you not imagine that when an Apostle appointed by the Master spoke, church leaders would heed what he said?

Apparently that was not the case for Diotrephes, the church boss.

While there is no continuing office of Apostle, among the early churches we readily imagine the Apostles who were appointed by the Master were respected because of that appointment.

Those who were Apostles had not only known the Master in the days of His flesh, but they had been personally selected by Him to be with Him, and also that they might preach and exercise authority over demons [see *Mark 3:13-15*].

This raises a sufficiently important point that I am compelled to point out some truths that may be neglected in this day.

To be an Apostle, one must have been appointed to the office by the Master [*Matthew 10:1-14; 1 Timothy 2:7*].

Though from earliest days some appointed themselves to be apostles, the Risen Master identifies them as false and instructs the churches to test all who make such claims [*Revelation 2:2*].

Those who were true Apostles were not only appointed by the Master Himself, but they understood that they were servants to His people [see *2 Peter 1:1*].

In the pages of the New Testament, those identified as having been appointed by Christ to serve His people (teachers, shepherds, evangelists, prophets, and especially apostles [see *Ephesians 4:9 ff.*]) always exhibit a servant’s heart.

Those few whom we meet in Scripture that exalt themselves, lording it over the people of God, either have never received divine appointment, or they have departed the position to which they were assigned.

Listen to the words that Peter wrote in his first letter to believers of the Diaspora.

“I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders.

Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’” [*1 Peter 5:1-5*].

Certain individuals other than the Twelve are identified as apostles in the Word [e.g.

James, the brother of our Lord, *Galatians 1:19*;* *Titus and others, *2 Corinthians 8:23*; etc.], however, only the Twelve can properly be spoken of as Apostles appointed by Christ.

In every other instance, those who are called apostles in the Greek text are appointed by the churches.

Titus and the unnamed brothers from the churches sent to the Corinthians are called messengers [*2 Corinthians 8:23* (*/apóstoloi/*)].

Likewise, Epaphroditus is called a messenger (*/apóstolon/*) of the church at Philippi [*Philippians 2:25*].

Therefore, the Word reveals that the churches of our Lord may appoint messengers; but Christ alone can appoint Apostles.

As an aside, of greater importance than is generally practised among the churches bearing Christ’s Name, no congregation can appoint a delegate to an assembly, convention, conference or fellowship of churches, for the authority God has vested in the congregation cannot be delegated.

The churches may appoint messengers who may convey the mind of the congregation to a deliberative assembly, but no church can appoint a delegate without denying the authority of the congregation.

It is more than mere semantics to exercise care in identifying and clarifying the role of those appointed to represent the interests of the congregation.

In light of this excursus from the text, you can understand the horror with which this brief letter from John was met among the churches when it was first read.

Here was an individual, from his actions self-appointed to be a church boss who was now running roughshod over the congregation in which he held membership.

Despite his rudeness and tyrannical spirit, it is a mark of an Apostle that John does not rail against him or threaten him with expulsion from the church.

John simply says that he will expose him, bringing up his wicked nonsense.

This again raises a significant matter that demands comment.

Because Diotrephes was acting contrary to what would be expected of an elder, or even of a church member, it would be necessary for him to be exposed.

However, John would not act harshly.

Take careful note how in verses nine and ten that it is Diotrephes who refuses to acknowledge the authority of an Apostle, and not an Apostle who doubts the authority of the elder.

Moreover, it is Diotrephes who is attempting to put out of the congregation those who welcome the missionaries, and not an Apostle who is putting the rouge elder out of the assembly.

This is at variance with the practise of the churches of this day.

To be certain, when an elder acts contrary to the will of the Master, the elder is to be held accountable, but it is foolish to stumble into the trap of this dying world and threaten one whom Christ has appointed.

If he was hired, then he may be fired.

However, if he is appointed by God to his position, then the One who appointed him is responsible to remove him.

This is contrary to the general situation that prevails in this present world as individuals exalt themselves to control the congregation.

Such people imagine that they hire and fire preachers.

However, all they can find are people willing to prostitute themselves for a salary.

One who is appointed by God will remain at the post until God removes him.

The elder whom God appoints is dependent upon God to care for him, and does not depend upon mere mortals for his sustenance.

A wicked heart lies behind the creation of the church boss.

He expresses attitudes better identified with this fallen world than with the exalted position we enjoy as children of the Living God.

In a narrower sense, the church boss is the logical conclusion of the error that is commonly held among professed Christians that sees the congregation as an organisation rather than understanding that the church of the Lord is the Body of Christ.

If the church is an organisation, then it must be joined; if it is the Body of Christ, then we must be added to the congregation.

If the church is an organisation, then it is possible for individuals to climb to positions of power and rule over the organisation; if this is the Body of Christ, then Christ Jesus is the Head and He appoints whom He wills to provide oversight.

If the church is an organisation, then it can be manipulated to produce the outcome her rulers’ desire; if the congregation is the Body of Christ, then she responds to the mind of the Spirit exercised through the members of the Body.

As a church boss, Diotrephes had grown arrogant.

This was revealed through John’s descriptive phrase that Diotrephes “likes to put himself first.”

Perhaps Diotrephes imagined that he alone is capable of controlling the church.

Perhaps he imagined that his expertise is all that will “save” the church from error.

Consequently, he ignored John’s previous written communication [*verse 9a*] and refused to acknowledge the apostolic authority which John would have wielded [*verse 9b*].

Not only that, he exercised absolute control over the lives of the members of the congregation, debarring them from showing hospitality to itinerating missionaries and even putting some of them out of the congregation because they had failed to obey him [*verse 10*].

I have pastored among the churches of our Lord for almost four decades now, observing the situation from the trenches.

Elders can act as church bosses, but the more frequent condition prevailing among the churches appears to be illicit rule exercised by individuals who though never having received divine appointment assume power through default.

Among the churches, as is true in the world at large, power hates a vacuum.

When those appointed to exercise oversight fail to act decisively, you may be assured that someone will seize power.

This is the condition Solomon addressed when he wrote, “There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were an error proceeding from the ruler: folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place.

I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves” [*Ecclesiastes 10:5-7*].

This is the same condition addressed when he wrote:

“Under three things the earth trembles;

under four it cannot bear up:

a slave when he becomes king,

and a fool when he is filled with food.”