3 JOHN 1:10 — KING JAMES VERSION 3
“Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.”
So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the believers and hinders those who want to do so and puts them out of the church — Diotrephes' opposition manifests in multiple ways: slander against the elder, refusal of hospitality, suppression of hospitable impulses in others, and excommunication of those who resist his authority. The comprehensiveness of his opposition suggests a systematic campaign to consolidate power and eliminate rivals, making him a threat not merely to the elder's reputation but to the entire ecosystem of early Christian hospitality and itinerant ministry. His excommunication of faithful believers reveals a weaponization of church discipline for personal ends.
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
Publish a note on this verse
PS
Priya SharmaNote1mo agoThe meaning of sacrifice - 3 John 1
When we read this alongside the surrounding chapters, the narrative arc becomes clear: God is always working redemption, even in the darkest moments. Faith isn't the absence of doubt - it's choosing t...
1
AD
Amara DialloNote1mo agoLiving with purpose - 3 John 1
God is faithful in every circumstance. His timing, His methods, His purposes - all beyond our comprehension, yet perfectly good. The imagery here is agricultural - the original audience would have imm...
1
CR
Carlos RiveraNote1mo agoThe role of community - 3 John 1
God is faithful in every circumstance. God is faithful in every circumstance. Their context of persecution gives these words a weight we often miss. God is faithful in every circumstance. This connect...
1