There was a man by the name of Diotrephes whose name meant ‘nourished by Zeus’ or foster-child of Zeus. He professed to be a believer but he also loved the praise of men. The Apostle John said “I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.” (3 John 1:9)
What was Diotrephes reason for not receiving the Apostle and those with him? John through the Spirit said that he “loveth to have the preeminence.” It was not that John was guilty of some offense, some sin against the Body.
No doubt if it were John would repent and gladly go before the church and admit his fault. It wasn’t because of some misunderstanding surrounding John’s actions. No doubt if it were John would stand before the church and explain the reasoning behind such actions.
It wasn't any of these things though,
John had a message for the church.
A word of exhortation and comfort.
But the Apostle was not permitted to have a voice in the church.
Why?
It was simply that Diotrephes loved to have the preeminence.
Even if John had made some mistake in the process of parting company he, in the interest of parting amicably, would have gone back to make things right.
We all have to be careful in our zeal that we
do not take a stance like Diotrephes.
Notice too that John wrote unto the church. He wrote, and then they delivered the mail, but the pony express was sent packing. He said, “Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.”
The word for preeminence that John used here is not actually just 'preeminence', it encompasses the phrase 'loves to have preeminence', it is philoprōteuōn (φιλοπρωτεύων), and it is a combining of two Greek words ‘philo - to love’ and ‘protos – first or chief’. The word preeminence as used in John’s text means fond of being first, and striving after first place. The tendency of Diotrephes to strive after first place was the only reason John gave for their poor reception.
In the King James Bible the word preeminence has two other uses, one in the Old Testament in Ecclesiastes where God says that man and beast are both subject to the curse of death brought on because of sin. Regarding the death of man and beast He says “that a man hath no preeminence above a beast.”
The other use of the word is in Colossians and its Greek meaning is similar to that of the word used in 3rd John but it’s not the same use of the word.
Paul in writing to the church there said by the Spirit that he wanted them filled with the knowledge of God’s will in wisdom and all spiritual understanding. (Col. 1:9) Sometimes others actions and even the things the Lord asks of us do not make much sense without this “knowledge of God’s will in wisdom and all spiritual understanding.”
Then Paul by the Spirit gives them a list.
I love these lists.
He says I want you…
1) walking worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing.
2) being fruitful in every good work.
3) increasing in the knowledge of God.
4) Being strengthened with all might.
Not strengthened to strive mind you but “unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; according to His glorious power, in the power of the Spirit.
Then he adds one more thing to the list…
5) Giving thanks unto the Father.
Paul immediately starts another list explaining the why of the what. Because…
v God hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.
v And God hath delivered us from the power of darkness,
v And translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins:
His dear Son is, that is to say that Jesus is…
1) the image of the invisible God.
2) And the ‘firstborn' of every creature.
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”
3) He is before all things.
4) and by Him all things consist.
5) He is the head of the body, the church.
6) He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence.
And here Paul brings us to that word again. Preeminence.
A word that I said was not exactly the same as John’s word but close.
John used a word that describes striving for or desiring preeminence, loving preeminence.
The word used here in Colossians is simply
‘protos – first or chief’
without the prefixed ‘philo – to love’.
What it says is that Jesus Christ alone is First, He holds first place.
Consider this too: The object of God’s love is us, not His preeminence, not the fact that He is First or Preeminent.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Brethren, listen to me. Jesus Christ has to be Preeminent in our lives, in our minds, our thought lives, and in our churches. Don’t allow anyone or anything else to rent space in your head that is for God and God alone. Diotrephes was trespassing in a place that belonged to God alone.
“that in all [things] he might have the preeminence.” He Must have the Preeminence. If we do not love God fully and obey Him completely we cannot be Spirit filled and we cannot please God.
“So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8)
If we are careful to let Him have His rightful place in our thought life,
if we are mindful to love God
and obey Him being Spirit filled.
He will increase and we will decrease.
“He must increase, WE must decrease!”
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