Demetrius VS Diotrephes         

Greek mythology or Latin lesson? Actually, these are the names of two individuals spelled out by the Apostle John in his third letter. Can you imagine yourself written in the pages of the Bible? You could be proud, and rightly so, if it were a good report. You could lift your head in honor, knowing that somehow, you got recorded for all history. But if it were a bad report, then you should hang your head in shame, greatly wishing for the mountains to fall on you.

Demetrius has something to boast about, for he was promoted by the Apostle John himself. The apostle of love, as we like to call John, praised Demetrius for his good works. John is not specific about the good things that he did, but we can be assured that if John is promoting someone, it is a faithful witness. John is so confident of his praise that he not only speaks for himself but the others with him, saying, "...our witness is true."

"Demetrius has a good report coming from everyone, even from the truth itself; of whom we also testify, and you know our witness is true" 3 John 12.

What a wonderful tribute to a real Christian! But John also speaks of Diotrephes, who was a powerful authority in that same church. Maybe this Diotrephes character was too powerful for Demetrius to take on, but John would if he could: "Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, talking nonsense against us with malicious words" (v. 10a). John tried to write directly to the church, but Diotrephes, "who loves to have the high authority among them," would not allow it (v. 9). What a horrible thing for a church to allow! We don’t know if Demetrius actually had an ongoing struggle with Diotrephes, but we know the apostle John did. Not only did this power-hungry man forbid the apostle’s teaching and authority, but he kept out the true brethren, forbade his people to associate with them, and kicked anyone out of the church whenever they disagreed with him (v. 10). This is a church?

Demetrius is our example for good. Somehow, he persisted in doing good even though a maniac posing as a Christian pastor kicked him and everyone else out that he didn’t like. You can imagine how terrified the parishioners were of this Diotrephes prophet or apostle or whatever he claimed to be. Oh, they wouldn’t say they were afraid of him. They probably reverenced the man, like many ignorant people idolize Hitler or Saddam Hussein or the Pope. These usurpers of God’s authority are to the naive loving, kind, gentle, understanding, blah, blah, blah (even if it takes guns and torture racks to convince them). The apostle John and the true brethren appear to be a bunch of hoodlums, trying to bust up their little sheepfold.

John says this about it: "Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God" (v. 11). Jesus said, "Beware of false prophets, for they come to you in sheep’s clothing, but are inwardly ravening wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit" "Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit." .Matthew 7:15-18 and 12:33, respectively.

How many Diotrephes-type characters are running around in the church today? It is hard to tell. If the church in John’s time couldn’t tell who were the true apostles or the true brethren, even with John’s very presence, then how can we tell today? As Jesus said, we must be willing to look at the fruit coming from the tree. Do these men, who appear so suave and knowledgeable, throw out the brethren who are trying to warn the church of their misdeeds? Yes, they do. Do they have the parishioners shun those brethren who are zealous for the gospel? Yes, they do. They surround themselves with yes-men (and yes-women, ladies) until they have their own little church to command. The final result is that all sorts of wickedness creeps into the church, defiling all associated with it. Witness everything from the Catholic Church on down to Casual Chapel! We have idolatry. We have covetousness. We have adultery, fornication, homosexuality and other perversities of sexual immorality. We have a general hatred for the time-honored gospel, which has been replaced by various "Christian" how-to manuals written by and for the fleshly mind.

But where is Demetrius through all of this? Is he leading a takeover of the church? Is he gathering others around him in order to establish a newer, purer, church? That’s what denominations and cults are made of. No, I think he is warning the brethren right where he is at, to come out of Babylon, to come out of the religious way of thinking that so easily takes mankind. He may not be successful as so many churches and false prophets count success, but he will save himself and those who hear him (1 Timothy 4:16). He may or may not get written down in the annals of history as one who accomplished anything. He may not be the founder of a new denomination. He may not even be recognized (3 John 9), but he will be remembered by the God and Father of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 4:8). Not he who commends himself is approved, but he whom God approves is very well commended (2 Corinthians 10:18).

I think he is following the Lord Jesus by doing so. Paul followed Jesus. He founded the Gentile churches, many of which turned against him, but he continued to preach the gospel, knowing it is the power of God to those who believe. Those who respond to the gospel receive the Holy Spirit. They form groups of like-minded people so they can fellowship in the Spirit, thus worshiping God in the Spirit. Many years ago, the church was formed by Jesus Christ through his apostles and prophets. We cannot improve upon this. We must live our lives before God and man as those who have been redeemed from the corruption that is in the world about us and in the church. If we are persecuted for our efforts, let us join with the millions of other brothers and sisters of the Lord, who heard his word and kept it.

Diotrephes or Dimetrius? Which will it be for you?

- Chris Simonson

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