November 21

Day 252: Guarding the Front Door

As I read through the Bible each year, some days on the schedule are longer reads than others. This morning was a much shorter stretch: 2 & 3 John.

It's not like we quote from these two short letters often. One is written to a person. The other is written to a "lady" but is most likely addressed as intended to a church.

The recipient of 3 John is a guy named Gaius. He is a leader in a local church. Where this church is located it does not say. Gaius has been dealing with a problem (one that can happen anywhere), so John writes to encourage.

A guy named Diotrephes is the dominant personality on the leadership team. Diotrephes likes to "put himself first." As such, he does not recognize (respect, listen to, submit himself to) any other authorities; Gaius for sure, but even that of John.

The church has been faithful to receive, provide for and send on traveling evangelists and gospel servants. Diotrephes, however, has made it increasingly difficult for the people in the church to do so. He is discouraging any input the people may receive, other than his own. He is trying to close the borders, and meeting with at least some success.

John refers to a letter he had written to that church. Apparently, Diotrephes intercepted that letter, never again to see the light of day. So this letter to Gaius is hand-delivered, by a faithful guy named Demetrius. John's one request is that the church ignore Diotrephes and warmly receive Demetrius.

Nothing is said about how Diotrephes gets his way. What emotional artillery he utilizes, what threats he includes. He's just a bully who gets his way. Intimidation always has an agenda.

Sometimes, no usually, bullies are just scared little boys or girls internally. To hide the fear, an outward protective crust is constructed. It may be threats,. It may be demands. It may be emotional explosions. It may be arm's length distancing.

Because both anger and efforts to control others are symptoms of someone afraid of losing something dear to them. Usually a self image constructed on something soft and unstable.

How to counteract all that, you ask? John says two things. One, walk in the truth. Know what the Bible says. Trust God's Word as your singular and ultimate truth source. When in doubt, go there.

Secondly, John tells Gaius (and by extension his church family) to "not imitate evil but imitate good." (Flash back to what Paul wrote the Ephesian church in chapter five of that letter.)

He explains why. "Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God." In other words, don't allow the functional unbeliever to dominate the church.

Bullies don't stick around once they've been out-bullied. They simply lick the wounds of their injured pride, pack up and move on to another bully gig with a new audience.

So John has encouraged Gaius by telling him how to eliminate his internal church problem, how to out-bully the bully. Know God's Word. And imitate the Lord Jesus in doing right, and not doing wrong. That'll isolate the cancer Diotrephes represents, for his eventual removal, and subsequent health for that congregation.

Gospel life can therefore thrive, no longer with a functional unbeliever guarding the front door.

-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church Juneau