Loves to be First

Jeremiah 50-51; 3 John 

“I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.”

3 John 9, 10

Gaius, to whom John addressed this letter, was an elder of the Church in Ephesus. He was working alongside Diotrephes, another elder in Ephesus who “loves to be first” and was divisive in his leadership. When positional authority is something we grasp, pride in our hearts is exposed. Diotrephes was abusing his position as the lead elder, or pastor in Ephesus, to undermine other leaders and withhold fellowship with visiting brothers sent by John the apostle who was a regional overseer, responsible for the church. John’s revelation from Patmos exposed the loss of “first love” for Christ in Ephesus. When we love our positions of authority more than we love Christ, we have lost our way. The malicious gossip about other leaders and abuse of authority in Ephesus has been repeated in many other places as the enemy opposes the advancement of the church. Our battle, as Paul wrote to the Ephesian Church, is not against “flesh and blood.”

Will we pray for our leaders and uphold the standards of humility, love, and unity in the church?

“Lord Jesus, enable me to love your Church as you do, seeking your ways over authority or power, for your glory.”