Title: Imitate What is Good
(3 John 1:9-15)
1. Diotrephes' evil deeds
Little is known about the position of Diotreve, and what kind of person he was in the church. However, judging from the words in the text, it can be seen that he was a person who did not use his position in the church for good, but ruled the church arbitrarily and led the church in an evil direction. The apostle John said in verse 9, 'Diotrephes did not receive us.' Here, we refer to the gospel workers sent by the Apostle John on a missionary mission.
2. Do not imitate the evil, but the good
In verse 11, the Apostle John exhorts the church members to 'beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but imitate what is good'. Evil refers to a vain deed like Diotrephes. Church leaders must be very careful with his words and deeds. Because you are in a position to be imitated by others. To imitate Diotrephes's evil deeds is to divide the church and to create factions. The apostle John speaks of Demetrius in verse 12.
Then he said that he received a witness from the truth. To say that he received a witness to the truth means that his one right deed came from the Word of God. Diotrephes's evil deeds were not witnessed by anyone or the truth. His wickedness and arrogance led him to run the Church of God with his own arbitrary judgment and insist on his own will.
And the third evidence is that of the apostle John, who said that we also testify. The objects we call us refer to the apostles. Demetrius' good deeds were recognized even by the apostles. Such conduct is recommended good deeds. Christians set the standard of their religious life on Jesus or the Apostle Paul, but in reality, they follow the target of an example who lives by seeing them realistically.