A divisive leader is one of the most serious problems to ever confront a church. When a church has within its ranks a divisive leader, the very life and ministry of the church are threatened. A divisive leader always carries a church through one of its most traumatic experiences. He usually gathers others around him into a clique of opposition, and when he goes this far, he becomes much more of a threat to the life of the church.
This is the very reason that this 3rd letter of John was written. There was a divisive leader in the church who was causing serious problems. In writing, John covers the traits of the divisive leader and he tells us how to handle him.
READ v. 9-11. We are introduced to this divisive leader, Diotrephes. Who was he? All we know is what is said here. This is the only time he is mentioned in Scripture. But we are given enough about him to know his ways. We can tell he’s a prominent leader in the church. He had enough authority to reject John’s letter. And he knew that John was not only an Apostle, but that he was one of the three closest Apostles to Christ.
Diotrephes also had enough authority to stop traveling ministers from holding meetings in the church. He had enough authority to force people out of the church. All this points to his being a minister or one of the highest lay officials in the church such as a deacon.
He had an enormous opportunity. Holding such a high call in the church he could have been a dynamic example of what a believer should be—an example of love, care, ministry, outreach, evangelism, and of purity of life. But the legacy he has left behind is a far cry from being a testimony. His legacy is division. Just think, after his death, the major thing remembered about him is that he was the person who caused division in the church. We see six things said about him worth noting:
1. Diotrephes loved recognition. Verse 9 says he loved to be first.
- He wanted people recognizing him as the most important leader in the church.
- He wanted people coming to him for advice and counsel.
- He wanted people seeking his opinion first before they went to others.
- He wanted all new ideas and ministries and programs to be brought to him first.
- He wanted to have the major say-so in all decisions.
- He wanted the right to approve or disapprove who did what in the church.
This is going to sound sad, and I won’t mention names because that doesn’t matter, but when I became pastor at SEBC, I had this EXACT problem with some. And on and on this list could go.
This same scenario exists in many churches today. A.T. Robertson wrote a paper on Diotrephes years ago. He wrote the paper to open churches’ eyes that this problem might exist in other churches. It was recorded by the editor of the writing that 25 deacons stopped the paper to show their resentment against being personally attacked in the paper.
This is why I am so blessed with our deacons. Many in our church have used the wrong terminology when referring to our deacons. SEBC does not have a deacon BOARD. A deacon board is a group of deacons who rule and run the church. We have a deacon BODY—a group of men who were ordained to be servant leaders. There’s a big difference. They don’t rule over me and I don’t rule over them. Instead, we respect one another for the position that God has entrusted to each one of us. That is how it should be.
Greek authorities tell us that the phrase “who loves to be first” in Greek is only found in this one place in the Bible. The meaning is simply “one who loves to be first—one who will rule or ruin.” But there are no rulers or lords in God’s church. Pastors, deacons, church leaders are not to be lords over God’s heritage.
2. Diotrephes rejected ministerial leaders. John had written some previous letter to the church. Diotrephes rejected the Apostle John—one who actually walked with Jesus. He wouldn’t even allow John’s letter to be read before the church. This is the very reason John has addressed this letter to Gaius. Diotrephes had destroyed John’s former letter to the church so this time John sends the letter to Gaius, who is another leader in the church.
When a person wants his own way in the church, authority matters very little. In fact, this is usually the way we can tell whether or not a person is wanting to be recognized: if he is rejecting the appointed authority in the church.
3. Diotrephes criticized, talked about, and censored the minister. He used malicious words. He was bitter and divisive against the minister John. He went about overflowing with talk and rattling on about the matter, talking against and letting the members know that he opposed the minister.
4. Diotrephes also opposed those who stood behind the minister. The issue within the church was whether or not to support traveling ministers. Some in the church led by Diotrephes felt that the only legitimate ministers were ministers of local churches. They felt that ministers outside the church were not needed—that the church didn’t need their help to mature the believers nor to reach out to the lost.
But John knew better. He knew that the Lord Jesus Christ had called and appointed specific officers for His church. He knew that believers needed the help of many ministers with very special gifts, ministers who could help the believers grow and carry out their own ministry. John knew that evangelists and missionaries could help the church reach out to reap the lost and stir believers to be more outreach minded. He knew that teachers and prophets could help believers of the local church grow, help them by giving them a different personality, voice, and perspective of God’s Word and Christian growth.
Diotrephes opposed all that. He was so strong in his opposition that he was publicly opposing those who stood behind the minister. He was even driving some of them out and away from the church.
5. Diotrephes had to be disciplined. He was destroying the church. He had opposed the minister John so much that some believers had already left the church. He was disturbing every facet of church life:
- Affecting the church’s testimony.
- Affecting the fellowship among believers.
- Affecting the spirit and enthusiasm of the believers causing a disheartened spirit to set in.
- Affecting the young and immature believers.
- Affecting the church’s outreach.
- Affecting the ministries and programs of the church.
- Affecting reaching the lost.
- Affecting the offerings of the church.
This and so much more is what always happens when a divisive leader stirs up trouble within a church. So Diotrephes must be disciplined. John says that he will deal with Diotrephes when he visits the church. The idea is that John is going to lead the church to discipline him. Jesus gave us the remedy to discipline someone in Matt. 18: 15-20. John was going to follow that plan.
6. Diotrephes was NOT to be followed. This is a strong warning issued by John: do not imitate what is evil, but imitate what is good. Don’t imitate this divisive leader. He may be a leader but he’s not to be imitated if he is divisive and bucking against the authority.
No matter who he is, no matter what his position, his leadership is to be rejected if he is sowing seeds of divisiveness. Why? Because a divisive person in not born of God. Only a person born of God does good.
READ v. 12. Here is the third leader mentioned in this letter, Demetrius. He is a godly leader who stands in the truth. Who is he? What is said here is all we know.
- He could be a leader in the church who stood up to Diotrephes. If so, John is telling Gaius to lead the church in supporting him.
- Most likely he is the minister and messenger John is sending to the church to deliver this 3rd letter, a minister who is to help straighten out the division in the church.
Note 3 facts about him:
1. Demetrius had a strong testimony among all believers. He was held in the highest esteem by God’s people. They respected him.
2. He had a strong testimony for walking in the truth.
3. He was highly esteemed by other leaders. John is saying that Demetrius is a godly servant of the Lord no matter what any divisive leader says. This points strongly toward Demetrius being one of the traveling evangelists or teachers serving with John. There is a possibility that he was one of those who had been opposed by Diotrephes and not allowed to teach in the church.
Whatever the case, Demetrius is a dynamic example of what church leaders should be. He is not a cowardly man. He is willing to personally deliver the letter of 3rd John to Gaius and the church and to deal with the problems of the division.
That is a testimony to all church leaders. A life that is rooted and grounded in Christ is the very purpose for which God calls church leaders.
READ v. 13-14. The problem in this church was severe, so severe that John planned to visit the church and to visit it soon. He would write no more. He had a lot to say to Gaius and the believers, but he needed to say it face to face. So he closes the letter.
- He wishes peace on them; this was the very thing Gaius and the church needed.
- He sends greeting from mutual friends; this was saying to Gaius and the believers that they weren’t being rejected by other churches and believers. They weren’t being frowned upon because they were unable to handle the division and to discipline the divisive leader.
- He asks Gaius to greet his friends by name for him.
And with that, we come to end of yet another of John’s writings.
