Title: Those Who Like to Be First
Content 1. Words that begin
There is not a single person who does not like to be first. At one time, a company advertised, "No one remembers second place." A few days ago, a student gang called Iljinhoe, which was modeled on a Japanese violence cartoon, was arrested by the police while using violence, extorting money, and expanding the organization. Exemplary students all dream of being number one. The muddy fights and ugly noises that occur between people who are obsessed with power day after day are disappointing the people quite a bit.
After all, even Jesus' disciples once followed him with a dream of being seated in the first place when Jesus was ruling the world. However, very few people know exactly the problems that come with those who like to be supreme.
2. The conduct of Diotrephes, who likes to be first
The Apostle John is wary of Diotrephes, a clergyman who likes to be supreme to Gaius, a man of faith working through love. Diotrephes, a leader of the church Gaius was well acquainted with, did not receive the apostle John's letter of request, but did not entertain the missionaries sent by the apostle John, nor did he provide assistance for the missionary journey.
As always, there are people in every group who love their primacy, and it's because of those people that conflict, strife, and strife in the group are bound to arise. The reason is that a person who wants to be the best will use all means to attain a high position, including bribes, flattery, accusations and slander, conspiracies and conspiracies, betrayal and betrayal.
Truly, a true leader is not one who likes supreme status, but one who likes supremacy. It is not the person who wants to sit in the top position, but the person who wants to be the top worker, who is really useful, both in church and in the world. A person who likes the best skills sincerely spares no effort and effort in order to have the skills to take responsibility.
The traits and harms of a person who likes to be first are clearly shown in Diotrephes.
First, he did not entertain his superior, the apostle John, and the itinerant missionaries he sent. True to the meaning of the original language (ο?κ ?πιδ?χεται: uk epideketai), it was not accepted, let alone received. As a result, he did not accept Jesus Christ, and thus turned the opportunity to receive God's reward into an opportunity for reproof. Jesus said, “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person You will receive a reward” (Matthew 10:40-41). But Diotrephes used the opportunity to receive the good reward as an opportunity for evil deeds. After all, did the Apostle John say, “When I go, I will remind you of what you have done”?
“John knew that Diotrephes had been enslaved to the desire to be first in the church,” Reimer said. Church leaders enslaved by such desires continued to appear after Diotrephes. The temptation to use our role in the Christian community as a means of self-gratification continues to exist as a real temptation to which all servants of God must resist.”
Second, Diotrephes blasphemed against the apostle John and the missionaries he sent with evil words.
“Even with blasphemy” is Fluaron (φλυαρ?ν), which means ‘to chatter’, ‘to chatter’, ‘to speak useless things’, ‘to slander unreasonably’, etc.
Diotrephes, a clergyman, the leader of the church, unjustly slandered the apostle John and the itinerant missionaries he sent with evil words, but he felt inadequate. Diotrephes, who slandered and felt inadequate, seems strange to us, but in fact, such a chatty slanderer will never be satisfied with his chatty slander.
Regardless of age or gender, wherever gossipers go, troubles are bound to arise. Proverbs 16:28 says, “… A talker separates close friends” and 26:20 says, “When the wood is exhausted, the fire goes out, and when the talker is gone, quarrels cease.”
Third, Diotrephes did not even entertain his brothers. He did not entertain the itinerant missionaries who were prepared for martyrdom and work under the orders of the apostles, as well as the brothers of faith. If he treats others, it is only when he has a greater advantage or advantage than himself. He was a man who would not serve even a bowl of cold water outside of his own interests.
Fourth, Diotrephes went even further, forbidding members who wanted to host itinerant missionaries and even expelled them from the church. As used here, “to cast out” is ekvalei (?κβ?λλει) in the present tense, meaning a habitual action, not an accidental action.
Diotrephes, who is a cleric or church leader, did not hesitate to engage in satanic actions by forbidding, excommunicating, or excommunicating the members of the church who wanted to receive them, far from receiving the itinerant missionaries sent by the Apostle John. Does it mean that you don't like what others love when you don't love yourself? Does it hurt your stomach to obey others when you don't obey yourself? Such a person is said to be loved by others because they love him, and when he obeys and receives blessings, he gets a stomachache and goes in and out over and over again. Shouldn't we at least prevent others from loving and helping?
Apostle John, who listed Diotrephes' evil deeds, urges his beloved Gaius not to imitate what is evil, but to imitate what is good. Those who do good according to the Word of God belong to God, and those who do evil have never seen God.
3. Demetrius' conduct worthy of imitation
The Apostle John explains Demetrius, who should be imitated by Gaius, as follows.
First, Demetrius received a witness from everyone. In other words, the fact that he did good works according to the will of God is what everyone who knows him hopes to testify to. Our deeds of believing in the Lord must be able to receive evidence from both believers and non-believers. In other words, church life and social life must be good works that follow the Word consistently.
Second, Demetrius's act of faith received a witness from the truth, that is, Jesus Christ. All of our deeds that are saved by the blood of the Lord must be able to receive the testimony of the Lord.
The Apostle Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 2:10, “You are witnesses, and so is God, of how we have behaved in holiness and right and blameless toward you believers.”
4. Conclusion
People who like the top position have a tendency not to recognize their superiors or those who are more capable than them, and they have a tendency to chatter and slander others. Not only do they disapprove or love others, but they also tend to bully and disturb those who engage in such behavior.
Therefore, I earnestly pray that all of us may bring glory to the Lord and benefit and virtue to all people by being the foremost in our sincere efforts to equip ourselves with the capacity to take responsibility before the Lord.