“Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.”

And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren,

Not satisfied with undermining John and his team’s authority, he refused them hospitality on their journey, making it difficult for them to advance the gospel. 

and forbids those who wish to,

The audacity of Diotrephes was amazing. His pontifical impudence and effrontery were blatant. His palpable nerve was something else. He prevented others in the congregation from fellowshipping with a gospel team! 

putting them out of the church

The third area of his malice was to develop an intimidation policy of excommunication against the gospel team. Against those who did not join him in refusing to welcome the gospel team, he personally vetoed their fellowship with the church. 

The problem of Second John was doctrinal. The problem in Third John is practical. John condemned Diotrephes publicly not because of his system of belief but because of his conduct of life. He ran things with an iron hand. He was a religious tyrant. 

PRINCIPLE: 

Conduct within the local church is important to its vibrancy. 

APPLICATION: 

Trouble from within the local assembly is a real problem. What cannot destroy the church from without, we can destroy it from within. What we say and do in the local church matters. It is not only who we are, but also how we operate that matters to the function of the body of Christ. 

Acts 20:29-30,  “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ “Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”