When apostle John writes to Gaius in 3 John he gives him the best compliment a Christian could ever receive:

It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it (3 John 3)

I can think of no greater honor than to be called one who walks in the truth that sets a person free!

Unfortunately there are many leaders today who want to be like Diotrephes, “first” in the church. According to John he spread malicious nonsense, refused to welcome believers. To retain his autocratic control he had many removed from from the house of God.

Disagreements are always going to happen as sinful people struggle to determine the will of God. How one handles these disagreements matters. We as brothers and sisters in Christ need to make room for one another! Seeing each other as image bearers of God should compel us to always treat one another with love as we gently correct and restore our fellow brother or sister in Christ.

John encourages the church to not imitate the evil that Diotrephes is doing. While many might feel justified in giving this leader a taste of his own medicine John recommends bringing out the truth to expose his darkness as the best solution. Exposing this truth of course must be done with great love for the person and with the hope that he/she might repent and be restored!

As a pastor I have no greater joy than to hear that the people of the church are walking in the truth! The truth is that Jesus loves us and has commanded His church to love Him and each other! There is to be no favoritism or discrimination inside the church for at the foot of the cross the ground is truly level! When a person strives to be “first” inside the church remind them that that position remains with Jesus Christ and Him alone!