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            The elder (John) wrote of a troublesome person in the church when he said, “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” (3 Jn. 9-10). According to this rendering John had written something previously to this congregation but it go no farther than the trash can because of Diotrephes.
             Such a man is one that presses his will, conclusions or opinions over that of anybody else in a congregation. He never sees his will as anything less than gospel. He is a hobbyist, or has issues to press upon anyone that will listen. If given a platform he will never miss an opportunity to advance his cause. “Twenty centuries of church history have witnessed many of his successors; the lust for power, from whatever form of inner insecurity it may spring, is always a curse, and pre-eminently so in the realm of religion” (F. F. Bruce, The Epistles of John, 153). I have no doubt but that I have met some of his descendants!
            Diotrephes was a self-promoted demagogue that did not share the disposition of Gaius who was faithful in his hospitable treatment of itinerate preachers (“brethren”) and strangers (3 Jn. 5-8). John commends Gaius whom he knew to be assisting and encouraging those who took the name of Christ to places near and far (Vs. 7). Traveling apostles and prophets depended on the reception of brethren for the boarding and supplies necessary to further their missionary labors (Matt. 10:1-42). Diotrephes and Gaius were very different personalities. One was commendable. One was not commendable. One was helpful to the church. One was detrimental to the church. Do you think that they might represent personality types we still see today?
            In my experience a person afflicted with the spirit of Diotrephes is never able to see his or her true standing in terms of being a church trouble maker. In their own eyes they are the savior of a congregation, the sole voice of reason and soundness calling them to their exclusive pattern of doing things.
            In his editorial, “Diotrephes, Who Love the Preeminence,” B. C. Goodpasture wrote, “The church does not need any ‘leading brethren’ in the sense of those who rally parties about them. It needs ‘following brethren’ in the sense of those who follow Christ. Men heard John the Baptist preach and they followed Jesus. This was great preaching. John was a great preacher. He was no Diotrephes. He said Jesus must increase but that he himself must decrease. He could gracefully grant the preeminence to Christ, where it belongs, in all things. So can all true men” (Gospel Advocate, April 24, 1975, p. 261).