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Gaius and Diotrephes

By Tim Nichols

It is sometimes helpful to view people, not only as individuals, but in the way that they interact with others. "No man is an island" and we cannot help but notice that all are helped, hindered, harmed, and heartened by others as we go arm in arm or head to head with fellow travelers along the road of life.

The Third Epistle of John deals primarily with two individuals who were, apparently, members of the same church. We are given a sketch of their respective attitudes and actions relating to their work in that church. No two people could have been more dissimilar.

Gaius is introduced first and is the recipient of the letter from John. He appears to be a spiritually healthy man (verse 2) with a gracious heart (verse 5) and a conscientious desire to live according to the clear light of God's word (verse 3). Even in other places, members of the Lord's church talked about his faithfulness to the truth (verse 3) and of his kindness in helping strangers and those who were preaching the gospel of Christ (verses 5-7). Gaius was truly a part of the team that has Christ as captain (verse 8). We cannot help but breath a comfortable sigh when we learn of such good-hearted and active Christians.

But Gaius was apparently not the leading voice in his home congregation. That role was played by the sinister Diotrephes. This man felt that he had to be in charge and that others had to both do and see things his way. For reasons that are not clear, Diotrephes would not receive or help those who passed that way with the message of the cross of Christ (v 9). He uttered unjust and nasty things about those gospel preachers and he actually kicked those out of the church who would not follow his example (v 10).

In the background we imagine the rest of the church in that place to be weak and yielding to the loud demands of Diotrephes. They are the ones who gave him his power. By their inaction they empowered Diotrephes to act as the tyrant that he had become. We can almost hear them saying that Diotrephes and Gaius simply had a "personality conflict" that they needed to work out. They ought to have noted that Diotrephes had a personality sickness that led him to engage in actions that were worthy of his being "booted out" if he could not mend his ways (Romans 16:17). This would have been the most loving thing in the world for them to have done, both for Diotrephes and for the good of the church, if they could have found the backbone to express love in such a way.

John was not inspired to advise Gaius and the church to seek concessions with Diotrephes. After discussing the good example of Gaius and the evil example of Diotrephes he wrote: Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God (verse 11).

Let us do follow that which is good. Let us not emulate or empower, that which is evil.  

  Other Articles by Tim Nichols
This Stuff Doesn't Belong Under the Table
The Prudent Pause
They Run in Packs