3 John 1:9

⁷ For they went out on behalf of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.

⁸ Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

I have written to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not accept our instruction.

¹⁰ So if I come, I will call attention to his malicious slander against us. And unsatisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers and forbids those who want to do so, even putting them out of the church.

¹¹ Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: I have written to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not accept our instruction.
KJV: I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
WEB: I wrote to the assembly, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, doesn’t accept what we say.
ASV: I wrote somewhat unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
DARBY: I wrote something to the assembly; but Diotrephes, who loves to have the first place among them, receives us not.
BLB: I did write something to the church; but the one loving to be first among them, Diotrephes, does not welcome us.

ÅB: Jeg har skrevet noe til menigheten; men Diotrefes, som gjerne vil være førstemann iblant dem, tar ikke imot oss.
OTB: Jeg skrev et brev til menigheten; men Diotrefes, som elsker å være den fremste blant dem, anerkjenner ikke vår autoritet.
B1930: Jeg har skrevet noget til menigheten; men Diotrefes, som gjerne vil være førstemann iblandt dem, tar ikke imot oss.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Titus 1:7–16
As God’s steward, an overseer must be above reproach—not self-absorbed, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money.
Read in context
Luke 22:24–27
A dispute also arose among the disciples as to which of them would be considered the greatest.
Read in context
Matthew 23:4–8
They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
Read in context
Luke 9:48
And He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. For whoever is the least among all of you, he is the greatest.”
Read in context
Mark 9:34
But they were silent, for on the way they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.
Read in context
Matthew 10:40–42
He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me.
Read in context
Philippians 2:3–5
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
Read in context
Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.
Read in context