3 John 1:9 (DBY)

Passage

I wrote something to the assembly; but Diotrephes, who loves to have the first place among them, receives us not.

Nearby Context

3 John 1:7 for for the name have they gone forth, taking nothing of those of the nations.

3 John 1:8 *We* therefore ought to receive such, that we may be fellow-workers with the truth.

3 John 1:9 I wrote something to the assembly; but Diotrephes, who loves to have the first place among them, receives us not.

3 John 1:10 For this reason, if I come, I will bring to remembrance his works which he does, babbling against us with wicked words; and not content with these, neither does he himself receive the brethren; and those who would he prevents, and casts [them] out of the assembly.

3 John 1:11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He that does good is of God. He that does evil has not seen God.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wrote", "something", "assembly", "diotrephes", "loves", "first", "place", and "receives". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wrote" and "something", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "We therefore ought to receive such that..." into verse 10's "For this reason if I come I...", so "wrote" and "something" belong inside that flow. In 3 John context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "wrote" and "something" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.