The only apostle on earth, without mentioning his authority, expresses his concern for the health of Gaius and commends him for walking in the truth in its primitive simplicity, also for receiving and aiding the Lord’s itinerant ministers of the truth, and thus doing good. But he sternly condemns the arrogant spirit of clericalism in Diotrephes who loved to have the first place in the assembly, running everything and everybody as a dictator, thus doing evil. He might not have realized how obnoxious was his self-importance, and no doubt detested this faithful exposure.
Beware of too sublime a sense of your own worth and consequence.
The man who deems himself so great, and his importance of such weight,
That all around and all that’s done, must move and act through him alone,
Will learn by deep humiliation, the folly of self-exaltation.
“It cheered Gains not to mind the frown of Diotrephes.” W.K.
Written after A.D. 90.