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TIME WITH GOD FOR BUSY PEOPLE JIM LAWS Julius Caesar said that he would rather be first in an Iberian village than second in Rome—he love to be first. The Bible tells of a certain man, who was like this. He was a man who craved first place and had an overwhelming ambition for it. III John 9, 10 states, “I wrote to the church: but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, receives us not. Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words; and not content therewith, neither does he himself receive the brethren, and forbids them that would, and casts them out of the church.” Diotrephes and any who are like him are people the church can do without…until they repent. Let’s notice some things about this type of person. John provides some of the identifying marks of the Diotrephes type. First, this kind of person always loves to put himself first. Of all men’s activities ambition is one of the most powerful. In fact, the church must have ambition, that is, a strong desire to grow and increase. However, one of the most destructive things to the church is selfish ambition. In Romans 12:3 Paul wrote, “For I say, through the grace of God given to me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Second, the Diotrephes type does not acknowledge anyone but himself. Primarily, Diotrephes did not acknowledge John’s apostolic authority. It is very likely that he was not concerned with the needs of others, either. Dioetrephes had the “Do it the way it pleases me, or I’ll ruin it for you” policy. Third, Diotrephes “prated” against others with evil words, i.e., he was a talker, a slanderer, a back-biter. The word “prating” denotes insinuations and insinuating words. Fourth, he was a hindrance to the life and fellowship of the congregation. He was casting faithful people out of the church (assembly). It is evident why the church
can do without the Diotrephes type, until they repent. The church is made up of people that should
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