Diotrephes

3 John 1:9-11

"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."

In my Bible reading, this stuck out to me quite a bit. I've read the story referring to Diotrephes before, but it never struck me the same way as it did recently. In the past I have just kind of skimmed over it, thinking "yea, bad Diotrephes" but never pondering the reasons for why John writes of him.

John points out this wicked man within the church.

Diotrophes puts himself first; he does not acknowledge the authority of the apostles; and he talks wicked nonsense against them. Now, what stuck out to me the most this time was in the following bit:

Not only did he do all those things, but he also refuses to welcome Christian travelers, and even casts people out of the church when they do want to help their fellow Christians.

I realized that Diotrephes must be in some position of leadership within the church.

This led me to wonder how he got there. What evidence of righteousness did he show, that brought people to the conclusion that he was a man of God? It seems that he was really not - John alludes to this when he states "whoever does evil has not seen God". Whatever it was, it must have been convincing. By all accounts he must have at first looked like a man who truly served God.

In the same reading, I switched over to 2 Corinthians and read this passage:

2 Corinthians 11:12-15

"And what I do I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do.

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds."

Diotrephes disguised himself as an apostle of Christ, a servant of righteousness.

In reality he was serving his master, Satan.

Make no mistake, Satan infiltrates the Church. His desire is to wreak havoc among God's children, to do as much damage as he possibly can before Christ's return. He knows his own defeat, but that does not mean he won't try to leave scars all along the road to his demise.

Just like when he left Jesus after tempting him, waiting for an "opportune time", he waits for the best moments to strike. And strike he does.

Have you ever heard of leaders within the church who have fallen out of tune with Scripture? Who have committed some despicable sin against their families, their church, and God? Who have betrayed the people who knew, loved, and followed them? I have.

It's easy to be afraid when you think about that. All the people I know, that I think are excellent servants of Christ, who live lives that are "as close as possible" to God's will, can be lying to themselves and to me. I mean, it's possible.

We are weakest where we think we are safest. It's easy enough to feel comfortable within the church, like nothing is wrong. In reality, we are a bunch of sinners gathering together. The scarier reality is that some of those sinners aren't relying on the blood of Jesus.

But it's only scary insofar as we rely on ourselves and our own wits, instead of relying on the grace and power of God. Satan infiltrates the church, but God protects His own. He has the victory already. Those scars that Satan leaves on the Church are reformed into marks of beauty and grace when washed by the blood of the Lamb.

So, should we be wary that false apostles and deceitful workmen could be moving freely in the church? Indeed we should. That is why we should be studying the Scriptures in earnest, and praying daily that God would reveal the truth of it to our ignorant minds; we should receive the word with joy, and study the Scriptures to see whether these things are so. That is why we should put on the whole armor of God, and flee to the Shepherd and Protector, never wandering away from His side with an overblown confidence in our own ability to withstand the devil's schemes.

But should we be afraid? Not at all.

Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Psalm 56:4 "In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?"

Jeremiah 1:8 "Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord."

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word."