The Pulpit Commentary — 3 John — Section 10

Vcrs, 9, 10.-Diotrephes : a beacon. " I wrote unto the Church : but Diotrephes," etc. 1. THE CHARACTER OF DroTREPHES BRIEFLY STATED. "Diotrephes, who loveth to have the pre-eminence among them." We do not know who or what this ma.n wa.e beyond what is stated in our text. ,vhether he was pastor, elder, deacon, or other office-bearer in the Church, we cannot tell. Whatever he was in other respects, we know th11t he was ambitious cl the highest place a.nd of the grea.test power in the Church: be would be first and chief of all, or he would be nothing. An evil and dangerous character in any one. "Before honour is humility." "A man's pride shall bring him low; but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit." "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord." "Pride goeth before destruction," etc. "Whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister for,' servant']; and whosoever would be first among you shall be your servant (or, 'bondservant'J; even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unt.o," etc. The chiefsbip is to be given, not to him who loveth to be first, but to him who most humbly and faithfully serves others. "For every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." "Humility is the surest path to exaltation." " The highest honour is won by the deepest humility." He who will be first of all, or nothing, will in the end be last and lowest of all. II. THE CB.All.ACTER OJI' DroTREPHES ILLUSTRATED IN ms CONDUCT. 1. He rejected the highest commendation. "I wrote somewhat unto the Church: but Diotrephes . . . receiveth us not." He would not recognize the authority of St. John, and rejected the lett.er of commendation which the apostle had sent to the Church. Neither would he receive the missionaries, and that probably because St. John commended them, and he would acknowledge no one to be greater than himself in the Church to wh.ich he belonged. He was determined "that not the apostle, but himself, should rule the Church." 2. He defamed the fairest reputation. "Prating against us with wicked words." Here are two evils, and one worse than the other. (1) Loquacity. "Prating "-running on with speech. "The reproaches were mere tattle, worth nothing, irrelevant." " In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin." " Be slow t.o speak." "If any man bridleth not his tongue, this man's religion is vain." Beware of the slavery of the tongue, and the sin of gab. (2) Slander. "With wicked words." The holiest man is exposed to the venom of the tongne of the slanderer. Arrogance leads to terrible extremes; it dares to calumniate the most beautiful-spirited! apostle. When a man has done wrong to another, he finds it necessary either to confess the wrono- er to say false and wicked things against him he has wronged, hoping thereby io ju;tifv himself. So Diotrephes prated against St. John with wicked words, There- fore be~re of the first wrong step. The slanderer frequently assails the best of men. Our Lord was thus attacked. "A gluttonous man and a wine-bibber.'' "He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the demons casteth he out the demons." "No might no:r greatness in mortality Ca.n censure 'scape; back-wounding calumny The whitest virtue strikes: what king so strong Can tie the gall np in the slanderous tongue? " (Shakespeare,) "Be thou as chaste ae ioe, as pure as snow, Thou shalt not escape calumny." (Ibid.) Be not dismayed iC you are thus assailed. Loathe th.is sin. 3. He· proltt,'bit«l tlui t1Uraise of a sacred pri,11ilege ?-"4 duty ... '"Neither doth h_e himself _receive the b~ethr~n, &[td them that wouid be foro1ddeth," ~tie. He would neither recem1 the miss1onar1es 1-14.] 'l'HE 'l'HiftD EPISTLE OF JOHN. 11