The Usurper Who Loved to Have the Preeminence
The New Testament provides warnings not only against external persecution but against the internal decay of pride and power-seeking within the Church. Diotrephes is the infamous figure recorded in the Third Epistle of John, serving as a permanent, concise warning against the dangers of ecclesiastical tyranny and unspiritual ambition. His actions were a direct attack on the apostolic mission and the principle of Christian hospitality.
The Charge of Arrogance
Diotrephes was a leader—likely a prominent elder or bishop—within a local church in Asia Minor. His entire character is summarized in a single, devastating phrase written by the Apostle John, the last living Apostle:
“I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.” (III John 1:9, KJV)
The key indictment is that he “loveth to have the preeminence” ($philoprōteuō$), meaning he desires to be first or hold the chief place. This trait, a craving for personal authority and status, stands in direct opposition to the servant-leadership modeled by Christ. Diotrephes sought a throne in a place where only the cross of service should reign.
The Attack on Apostolic Mission
Diotrephes’s ego drove him to actively resist the authority of the Apostle John and to obstruct the mission of the traveling evangelists John had sent. His rebellion took three forms, each a direct violation of Christian duty:
- Refusal to Receive Apostolic Messengers: He deliberately rejected John’s letter and refused to acknowledge the messengers carrying the authority of the Apostle (III John 1:9). This was a calculated move to sever the local church from the foundational authority of the apostles.
- Slander and Malicious Words: He actively employed verbal abuse against John:”Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words…” (III John 1:10, KJV)This act of slander was designed to discredit the rightful authority and poison the minds of the congregation against the true shepherds.
- Expulsion of the Faithful: His power-trip extended to persecuting those within the congregation who disagreed with him, specifically those who showed Christian hospitality to John’s traveling ministers:”…and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.” (III John 1:10, KJV)
This final action reveals Diotrephes as a usurper: he sought to control the church by making its fellowship conditional upon loyalty to him, rather than upon faithfulness to Christ and the apostolic truth.
The Warning Against Factious Ambition
Diotrephes is the enduring biblical example of the factious man—the type of leader driven by ambition rather than the Holy Spirit. His name serves as a solemn warning that the uncompromised mission of the church can be severely undermined not by outside pressures, but by internal figures who confuse their own pride with spiritual leadership.
John promises a firm response: he will address Diotrephes’s wicked deeds upon his arrival. This emphasizes that divine authority will always confront and judge those who seek self-exaltation within the house of God. The fate of Diotrephes is a timeless reminder that while service earns a “good degree” (I Timothy 3:13, KJV), pride earns public condemnation and exclusion from the true fellowship of Christ.