3 John 1:9-10

⁹ I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us.

¹⁰ Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.

I wrote (v.9) — refers to a letter that has been lost, not to 1 or 2 John

does not receive (v.9) — does not receive John and his friends into fellowship — Grace, page 2229.

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Diotrephes … was guilty in four respects: (1) an ambition to hold the chief place, (2) a refusal to receive John and his fellow-workers, (3) slanderous attacks upon them, (4) excommunicating those who would receive them. — Vine, page 125.

call to mind (v.10) — draw the attention of everyone in the church to the matter.

prating (v.10) = making false accustions in a garrulous way, meaninglessly gossipping

receive (v10) = give hospitality to

forbids … putting them out (v.10) — tense indicates a regular course of action.

While Diotrephes was a real person, he is also representative of those who are too willing to use legalistic religion to build up their own pride and power. This attitude was later to become a stumbling block for a great man in church history as leaders in “Christianized” countries became intertwined with political authority. The professing church became a vehicle to exploit the people and to punish enemies. Unregenerate men took over church government to become dictators over God’s people. — Grace, page 2229.