3 John 1:9-12
Do Not Imitate What Is Evil
Read the passage
9I have written to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not accept our instruction.
10So if I come, I will call attention to his malicious slander against us. And unsatisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers and forbids those who want to do so, even putting them out of the church.
11Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.
12Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also testify for him, and you know that our testimony is true.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
The elder says he wrote to the church about supporting the workers, but Diotrephes will not accept his instruction. The reason is named plainly: Diotrephes loves to be first.
The desire for first place becomes destructive. Diotrephes spreads malicious slander, refuses to welcome the brothers, prevents those who want to welcome them, and puts some people out of the church. His ambition is not a private feeling. It controls how he speaks, whom he receives, and who is allowed to belong.
The elder says that if he comes, he will call attention to what Diotrephes is doing. Public harm sometimes requires public correction. The goal is not humiliation for entertainment. It is to stop slander and protect people who are being excluded for doing good.
Gaius is told not to imitate what is evil but what is good. The person who does good is of God; the person who does evil has not seen God. This is a call to choose a model carefully. A confident leader is not automatically a faithful leader.
Demetrius provides a different example. Everyone speaks well of him, the truth itself testifies for him, and the elder also testifies for him. Diotrephes seeks the first place, but Demetrius's good name grows from truth and the testimony of faithful people. The church should learn the difference.
Families can teach children to recognize the difference between influence and control. Good leaders welcome truth, faithful people, and correction. They do not need everyone else to disappear so they can remain first.
How We Know
Mark 10:42-45 contrasts Gentile rulers who lord authority over others with Jesus' call to servant leadership. Philippians 2:3-8 calls believers to humility and points to Christ's self-emptying service. 3 John contrasts Diotrephes's control with Demetrius's trustworthy testimony.
Questions
1 What did Diotrephes love?
AnswerHe loved to be first, and that desire controlled the way he treated the brothers. The problem was not merely ambition; it became a refusal to share welcome and authority.
2 What did Diotrephes do to the brothers?
AnswerHe refused to welcome the brothers, blocked others who wanted to receive them and expelled those people from the church. He also slandered the elder and his companions.
3 What did the elder plan to do?
AnswerIf he came, he planned to call attention to Diotrephes's malicious conduct. The elder was prepared to confront public harm rather than leave Gaius to face it without support.
4 What testimony did Demetrius receive?
AnswerEveryone spoke well of him, the truth testified for him, and the elder also testified for him. Demetrius's reputation rested on several witnesses instead of on his own claim to importance.
What This Means for Us
Examine whom you imitate when you have influence. Do you welcome faithful people and receive correction, or make room only for those who preserve your importance?
Give support to someone whose good conduct is confirmed by trustworthy witnesses. If slander or exclusion is harming the church, seek truthful accountability rather than copying it to gain a place.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, make us servants rather than people who need first place. Protect churches and families from slander and control, and help us imitate what is good. Amen.