THE TRUMPET

Vol. XVII - Issue 3   Jul/Sept 2010  

Diotrephes

By Dr. Greg Dixon

One of the most interesting insights into the life of the apostolic era church is the experience that John the Apostle had with a pastor named Diotrephes. The obviously frustrated Apostle of Love is relating the incident to one named Gaius in his third Epistle where he refers to himself as John The Elder. To get the entire picture we include verses nine through eleven.

"I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church. Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God." [3 John v 9-11]

First the name "Diotrephes" itself carries with it an ominous thought. According to some Bible scholars Diotrephes, means loved by Jupiter, which was the name of a pagan god. I think it's interesting to note that at a time when the new believers often changed their names when they received Christ, Diotrephes may, in pride or family tradition, have held on to his pagan past.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee says, concerning this passage, that John sent out missionaries to minister to the churches from time to time. In this case, he wrote an epistle to this particular church to accept these missionaries, but Diotrephes the pastor, by not accepting his correspondence, in reality rejected John himself, and the Apostle considered it such a slight that he described his actions as "prating against us with malicious words." No doubt Diotrephes was jealous of his pulpit and was not about to share his authority with the great Apostle of renown, even the one who had been with the Lord Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, leaned against His breast at the last supper and had been given the guardianship of the Lord's mother until her death. John was so exercised over this attitude that he also explained, so all would understand, that if he came in person he wouldn't forget this action that this pipsqueak had shown toward his apostolic authority.

Apparently John sent the missionaries anyway and Diotrephes cast them out of the church and wouldn't allow them to minister to the congregation. The old Apostle uses this as an occasion to say, "He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God." In other words, he hath not known God in the sense of a man knowing his wife in a conjugal sense. Paul used this term when he said "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death" [Philipeans 3:10]. Hosea said, "Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD:" [Hosea 6:3]

Many believers, even pastors. are really babes in Christ and know enough to get the milk of the word to their people but not enough to follow through to present the meat of the word. So it was with Diotrephes. He was violating the admonition of the Apostle Peter which had already been written at that time. "Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock." [1 Peter 5:3]

The Hebrew writer says, "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you." [Hebrews 13:17] But we know that this cannot mean unlimited submission to the religious magistrate in the church anymore than it could mean unlimited submission to the civil magistrate in state government, or for that matter for the wife to her husband. Paul said, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord." [Colossians 3:18]. Pertaining to Christ and the church, he likens it to a man and his wife in Ephesians Chapter five. The husband is the head of the wife in all things even as Christ is the head of the church. The wife is to be subject to the husband as the church is to Christ. and yet the husband is to love his wife even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. But it is all willful submission, never forced. Paul said, "Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me." [1 Corinthians 4:16] He also said, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ." [1 Corinthians 11:1]

But we have pastors, priests and cult leaders all over the world exercising total control over people, especially children and often times vulnerable women who come for counseling. No authority on earth can demand unlimited submission but God, for He alone is Holy enough.

The Bible talks about "will worship" "Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh." The "body" here refers to the church body. [Colossians 2:23] These so called pastors display very little of the spirit of love for their people who do not bow to them in compliance to their lordship. One of the cardinal doctrines of scripture is the Priesthood of the Believer [1 Peter 2:9]. The proper church order is where the pastor is the Bishop (superintendent) or overseer [1 Tim 3:1] and the deacons are servants (attendants) [v-8], not a board of directors like in a business corporation. However. the pastor is not to be a lord, but a servant of servants as the "under shepherd" to lead his people to follow the Lord Jesus Christ through the wilderness of this sinful world. The Apostle Peter made it very clear: "Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock" [1 Peter 5:3]. And yet the contrast is very clear, the Hebrews writer is most jealous of the office of the pastor when he says, "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you" [Hebrews 13:17]

John, who wrote the book of Revelation, no doubt had this very thing in mind when he wrote to the angel or pastor of the church at Ephesus and commended them in that they "hated the deeds of the "Nicolaitanes." That is the sin of exalting a priestly order to rule over the people, the laity. One of the cardinal doctrines of scripture is the Priesthood of the Believer [1 Peter 2:9].

However by the fourth century what was the "deeds" of the Nicolaitanes in John's day had become the "doctrine" of the Nicolaitanes which our Lord Jesus said that he "hates." The true churches of Christ departed at that time when the false church accepted the marriage proposal of Constantine. It ended in the papacy of the Roman Catholic Church, which caused the greatest blood bath over the next 1500 years that defies all description.

We need to be constantly reminded of the words of our Lord, "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." [Matthew 18:4].