BEMA Episode Link: 172: 3 John — Diotrephes
Episode Length: 14:35
Published Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2020 01:00:00 -0700
Session 4
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings take a brief but meaningful and reflective journey through the short letter of 3 John, hearing the apostle warn the church about those who are trying to discredit and dismantle the faith.

Discussion Video for BEMA 172

BEMA 39: A King After God’s Own Heart

Transcript for BEMA 172

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 172: 3 John — Diotrephes

Title & Source Summary

Episode: 172 - 3 John: Diotrephes Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings Focus: The letter of 3 John, examining contrasts between Gaius and Demetrius (hospitality and love) versus Diotrephes (exclusion and self-promotion)

This episode explores the brief but powerful letter of 3 John, where the apostle John writes to commend Gaius for his faithfulness in showing love and hospitality to traveling believers, while warning against Diotrephes, who refuses to welcome others and even expels those who do. The hosts emphasize John’s central theme that truth is inseparable from love, and that genuine faith manifests through hospitality and care for others. The episode connects this New Testament practice to the Old Testament concept of kiddush haShem (sanctifying God’s name), demonstrating how loving others hallows God’s name across all of Scripture.

Key Takeaways

  • Truth without love is not truth at all - love is the foundational element that makes truth authentic
  • Hospitality is the defining characteristic that sets believers apart from pagans, not theological correctness alone
  • Church conflicts and difficult people have existed since the very beginning of the faith community
  • The concept of kiddush haShem (sanctifying God’s name) continues from the Old Testament through the New Testament, fulfilled through acts of love and hospitality
  • Those who follow God are rarely alone - there are always fellow workers like Demetrius alongside people like Gaius
  • Walking in truth means walking in love, not merely possessing correct doctrinal positions
  • Opposition to the Gospel often comes from within the church itself, even from those wearing “Jesus t-shirts” and singing worship songs

Main Concepts & Theories

Kiddush HaShem (Sanctifying the Name)

The Hebrew phrase kiddush haShem means “to hallow or sanctify the name” of God. This rabbinic concept, introduced in the episode on King David (Episode 39, Session 2), describes David as a king who sought to sanctify God’s name despite his many failures and sins. What set David apart as a ruler “after God’s own heart” was not perfection but his consistent desire to kiddush haShem.

This concept is not merely an Old Testament idea but continues into the New Testament. John tells Gaius that showing love and hospitality to others is how believers sanctify God’s name. The phrase “for the sake of the name” in 3 John directly echoes this tradition. When believers practice radical hospitality and love, they are actively hallowing God’s name in the world, fulfilling what Jesus taught about love being the mark of discipleship.

Truth Rooted in Love

John’s letters consistently present truth as inseparable from love. While many Christians are familiar with the phrase “truth without love isn’t truth, and love without truth isn’t love,” the Biblical text (particularly in John’s writings) emphasizes something more fundamental: love always contains truth, but truth without love is not actually true.

This challenges the common evangelical emphasis on “having the right theology” or “defending the truth” when such defense lacks love. According to John, if you possess love, truth is inherently present within it. However, if you claim to have truth but demonstrate no love, you do not actually possess truth at all - you possess falsehood masquerading as truth. This is not merely about balancing two equal components but recognizing love as the foundational reality that authenticates all truth claims.

Hospitality as a Defining Mark

In the ancient world, hospitality was a crucial virtue, and in the New Testament, it becomes the defining characteristic that distinguishes believers from pagans. Jesus emphasized this in the Sermon on the Mount: “Don’t even the pagans love those who love them?” The call for believers is to love enemies and welcome strangers - this is what sets the community of faith apart.

Diotrephes violated this core value by refusing to welcome other believers, particularly John’s disciples. He not only failed to practice hospitality himself but actively prevented others from doing so and expelled those who wanted to welcome traveling teachers. This made him functionally indistinguishable from pagans, regardless of his position in the church.

Conversely, Gaius exemplified true faith through his consistent hospitality. His love was “established in the church” - it was not a one-time act but a pattern of life rooted in his community. This love overflowed to strangers, creating a contagious effect like leaven in dough or seeds planted in a field, echoing Jesus’s parables of the Kingdom.

The Character of Diotrephes

Diotrephes is described as someone “who loves to be first.” His name means “loved by Jupiter” (the Roman equivalent of Zeus, chief of the gods), possibly indicating a struggle to leave behind pagan ways of thinking about power and status. Whether his name is literal or symbolic (John may be using a pseudonym), Diotrephes represents those who operate within the church while opposing the fundamental work of the Gospel.

His actions included:

  • Refusing to welcome John and his representatives
  • Spreading “malicious nonsense” about the apostles
  • Refusing to welcome other believers
  • Preventing others from showing hospitality
  • Expelling people from the church who wanted to welcome travelers

This pattern reveals someone more concerned with control, status, and being “first” than with embodying the love and hospitality that define authentic faith. John’s warning about Diotrephes serves as a reminder that opposition to Gospel work often comes from within church structures, not just from outside opposition.

The Example of Demetrius

In contrast to Diotrephes, Demetrius is presented as someone “well spoken of by everyone, and even by the truth itself.” This fascinating phrase suggests that truth itself testifies to Demetrius’s character - not abstract theological correctness, but the lived reality of love and generosity.

Demetrius, like Gaius, represents the reality that “those who follow God rarely are alone.” Even when facing opposition from figures like Diotrephes, there are always fellow workers in the Kingdom who embody the same values of hospitality, love, and truth. This echoes Elijah’s experience when God reminded him that 7,000 in Israel had not bowed to Baal - the faithful are never as isolated as they feel.

Walking in Truth

Throughout 2 and 3 John, the phrase “walking in truth” appears repeatedly. This is not abstract or merely intellectual - it refers to embodying love in practical, tangible ways. John rejoices to hear that his “children” (disciples or spiritual descendants) are “walking in the truth,” which manifests as faithfulness to love and hospitality.

The progression in John’s thought is significant: love is established first, and through love, the community works together toward truth. This inverts the common assumption that correct doctrine must precede ethical action. Instead, the practice of love is the path by which truth is discovered and lived.

Examples & Applications

Modern Church Conflicts

The existence of Diotrephes in the first-century church reminds us that difficult people and church conflicts are not modern problems. Every generation of the church has faced individuals who prioritize control, status, and exclusion over love and hospitality. Recognizing this pattern can help contemporary believers respond with wisdom rather than surprise or despair when similar situations arise.

Hospitality in Contemporary Context

While ancient hospitality often involved housing traveling teachers and missionaries, the principle extends to all forms of welcoming others. Contemporary applications might include:

  • Welcoming newcomers to church communities without judgment
  • Supporting and including marginalized groups
  • Creating space for questions and doubts rather than demanding conformity
  • Providing practical support to those in need
  • Refusing to participate in gossip or exclusion of others
Truth Claims in Practice

When Christian communities or individuals claim to possess “the truth” while demonstrating harsh judgment, exclusion, or lack of compassion, they reveal (according to John’s framework) that they do not actually possess truth at all. Authentic truth claims are validated not by logical argumentation alone but by the presence of genuine love.

This has implications for apologetics, evangelism, and theological debate. The question is not merely “Is this doctrinally correct?” but “Does this embody love?” If the answer to the second question is no, the first question becomes moot.

Building Established Love

Gaius’s example shows that love must be “established” - it is not sporadic or occasional but rooted in consistent character and community practice. This suggests that spiritual formation involves cultivating patterns of hospitality and generosity over time, not just having good intentions or occasional good deeds.

Churches and individuals might ask: What are we establishing in our communities? Are we known primarily for what we oppose or for whom we welcome? Is love our reputation, or something else?

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

  1. The Canon Formation of 2 and 3 John: Why were these letters among the last to be included in the New Testament canon? What debates surrounded their inclusion, and what does this tell us about early church discernment?

  2. Johannine Community Structure: What can we learn about the organization and dynamics of John’s churches from these brief letters? What role did traveling teachers play, and how did local leadership interact with apostolic authority?

  3. Historical Context of Early Christian Hospitality: How did Christian hospitality function in the Roman world? What risks and costs were involved in housing traveling missionaries? How did this practice contribute to the spread of Christianity?

  4. Comparative Study of Love and Truth: How do other New Testament authors (Paul, Peter, James) relate love and truth? Is John’s emphasis unique, or do we find similar patterns throughout the New Testament?

  5. The Name of God in Jewish and Christian Tradition: How does the concept of kiddush HaShem develop in rabbinic literature? How do Christian practices of sanctifying God’s name compare and contrast with Jewish traditions?

  6. Psychological and Sociological Dimensions of Diotrephes: What drives individuals to seek control and status in religious communities? How can contemporary churches identify and address these dynamics constructively?

  7. The Role of Reputation in John’s Letters: Both Gaius and Demetrius are commended based on their reputations. How should Christian communities think about reputation, public witness, and character formation?

  8. Face-to-Face Communication in Ancient Context: John prefers personal presence to written correspondence. What does this reveal about ancient communication practices and values? How might this inform our thinking about digital communication today?

Comprehension Questions

  1. What does the Hebrew phrase kiddush HaShem mean, and how does it connect King David’s story to the practices commended in 3 John? How do believers sanctify God’s name according to this letter?

  2. Describe the contrasts between Diotrephes and Gaius/Demetrius. What specific actions characterized each, and what do these actions reveal about their understanding of faith?

  3. According to Marty’s interpretation of John’s writings, what is the relationship between love and truth? How does this differ from the common saying “truth without love isn’t truth, and love without truth isn’t love”?

  4. Why is hospitality described as the defining characteristic that sets believers apart from pagans? What did hospitality look like in the first-century context, and how might it apply today?

  5. What does it mean that Gaius’s love was “established in the church” and that through this established love, the community works together “for the truth”? What is the significance of love being established first?

Summary

In this brief but meaningful exploration of 3 John, we encounter the apostle John writing to commend Gaius for his exceptional hospitality and faithfulness in welcoming traveling believers. John celebrates that Gaius walks in truth, which manifests concretely as walking in love. The letter warns against Diotrephes, a church member who loves to be first, refuses hospitality, spreads malicious gossip, and even expels those who want to welcome others. In contrast, Demetrius joins Gaius as an example of one whose reputation for generosity and love is well established.

The central theological claim of the episode is that love is not simply paired with truth as an equal component - rather, love is the foundational reality that makes truth authentic. If you have love, you have truth within it. But if you claim truth without love, you possess falsehood, not truth. This challenges common evangelical emphases on doctrinal correctness divorced from ethical practice.

The concept of kiddush HaShem (sanctifying God’s name) bridges Old and New Testaments, showing that from David through the first-century church, hallowing God’s name happens through acts of love and hospitality, not merely right belief. The letter reminds us that church conflicts and difficult people are not modern problems but have existed from the beginning, and that those who faithfully follow God are rarely alone - there are always fellow workers like Demetrius alongside the Gaiuses of the world. Ultimately, 3 John calls believers to embody radical hospitality as the defining mark of authentic faith and the pathway to truth.

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