“I wrote to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us. When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church.
Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.”- 3 John 9-11 New Living Translation
In these verses,John is taking the time to point out someone in their midst who loves to be in charge, but doesn’t wish to follow instructions laid out by someone else. Diotrephes is the example of someone others should NOT follow. He is doing the exact opposite that John had instructed them to do. He made it all about HIM and not all about God and others.
The apostle encourages the brethren not to let Diotrephes bad example influence them in any way. We are all called to be humble and selfless and while it isn’t always easy to do so, it should be common sense that we are to strive for it. Following in Diotrephes footsteps will only get you his results … separation from Almighty God. Those that practice evil on a regular basis do not know God.
Conversely, children of God are those who practice doing good. We must lead by example, acting out our faith and leaving words as supplemental to our actions. People want to SEE Christ, not just hear about him and we have been commissioned to be his representatives on this earth.
Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.
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