Does it surprise anyone that there are people in the Church—even in positions of leadership—who are committed to doing their own thing? It shouldn’t, because each of us is first-of-all human and driven to a self-benefiting style. The Apostle speaks to this very early in the Body in 3 John 9-10: ‘I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us.’

Saint John was not satisfied to simply let this go on. He states that he will surely address the errors of the elder’s ways when he next visits the community: ‘So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us.’ He is making the fellowship aware of the problem by calling a spade a spade.

John further amplifies the difficulty with this particular elder in light of the fact that he is seriously attempting to divide the body—already having slandered those in authority over the church. There is a move toward isolationism by this elder that must be addressed: ‘Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers.’ This is a clear sign of danger for the community of faith.

Saint John concludes his warning: ‘He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.’ The other elders in the community who do not agree with this elder are pushed aside. Everything identified by the Apostle are things which defy the Lord’s command to love each other and to be as one in the faith. BEWARE! WE MUST BE COMMITTED TO ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE!