Note Those Who So Walk

Diotrephes — Loving the Preeminence

Of the four times the word ‘note’ is used in the New Testament of the New King James version, two times it is used in the negative sense (Romans 16:17; 2Thessalonians 3:14). As Christians today note or mark different ones, they are to note both those who are doing well and those who are not behaving as they ought to behave. 3John 9-11 records some information about a man by the name of Diotrephes. What is recorded is not favorable toward him at all. The text says:

I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.

This passage teaches several things about the danger of the attitude which Diotrephes displayed. There are even several things which begin with the letter ‘D’ (four of the five major points are the work of brother Cliff Goodwin while the fifth is added by the author).

First, one might consider the desire of Diotrepehes. He was one who loved “to have the preeminence.” He desired first place. He wanted to be ‘number one,’ so to speak. He would promote himself because he wanted people to notice him. This kind of desire only did harm to the church. Notice, John initially wanted, even tried, to write to the church. Yet, the church never knew it because Diotrephes loved to have first place. Diotrephes loved to be above everyone else, or so he thought.

Today, there are those who do not want to humble themselves before God but want to be in first place. This sinful attitude is not only destructive to them but it is destructive to the whole church. John eventually had to write a letter to Gaius so the information could get to the church. In the letter to Gaius, he notes the evil work of Diotrephes.

In fact, the desire of Diotrephes was so great that one can easily see his defiance. Again, John wrote to the church but Diotrephes would not receive the letter. He was deceptive, withholding something from the church which belonged to the church. Verse 10 says Diotrephes was ‘prating’ against John and others. The idea of prating is to speak non-sense. This idea is seen in the verse because he was using ‘malicious words.’ He went as far as to speak things which were not true because he wanted so badly to have the preeminence. He went on to kick people out of the church not receiving the brethren.

Again today, there are those who are not interested in exalting Christ or glorifying God. They want only to exalt themselves. These people may even go as far as to speak untrue things about others because they do not wish for anyone else to get due credit. Interestingly, there is only one who can determine one’s status in the church — God. He informed man what they must do in order to be in the church.

Then, one might notice the denunciation of Diortrephes. His own quest for power accomplished the exact opposite of what he was seeking to accomplish! In his quest for preeminence, he was lowered to a place of no preeminence at all. This is the end of people who seek to exalt themselves and not God. In the end, people who desire self-proclamation are only hurting themselves. If Christians today desire to be high or exalted, they must become low. James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” Peter said it this way: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time….” (1Peter 5:6).

His desire and defiance which led to his denunciation shows his quest for domination. The attitude of putting self above all else leads to nothing less than a disrespect for God-given authority. The person who desires first place does not care about the authority given to elders in the church. The person who defies the church does not care about the authority of God. They only try to push their own authority on everyone else. Of course, in truth, they have no authority at all. It is interesting to notice the extent to which Diotrpehes went to propagate himself. He was doing things which he had no authority to do — speaking evil of others, not receiving the brethren, forbidding others to receive the brethren, and kicking people out of the church. Diotrephes had no authority to do such thing but simply wanted domination over the brethren.

Finally, it is interesting to see the final demise of Diotrephes. He tried to control the church but the Holy Spirit got John’s letter to the church implicitly through Gaius. In the end, what was said and recorded in the Bible about Diotrephes is really rather sad. He is infamous for being a person who only exalted himself. The Holy Spirit records him as a person who was evil and of a malicious mind. Nothing good of him is said in the text. This is the final end of anyone who wishes only to exalt themselves. They only end up hurting themselves.

Again, people today try to exalt themselves but would do well to learn from the end of Diotrephes. They end up only hurting themselves. They could end up losing their own souls. They are not concerned with what is really important.

John ends the section by exhorting the reader: “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.” The connection is clear. If Christians follow in the way of Diotrephes, then they are doing what is evil. The exhortation is to imitate what is good because what is good is what is of God.

-J

Note Those Who So Walk

Samson – Give Me a Head with Hair

Judges 17:6 and 21:25 shows the time period in which Samson lived was a very wicked time for Israel: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Israel had been under bondage to the Philistines for 40 years (Judges 13:1). Samson was to be born and live under the Nazirite vow from birth. It was declared by an angel of the Lord that Samson would “begin to deliver Israel…” (Judges 13:5). Samson was a mighty man as indicated when he killed 1000 men with the jawbone of a donkey (Judges 15:16). He also was to judge Israel for 20 years (Judges 15:20). The inspired book also tells of Samson’s shortcomings. One of them was his encounter with Delilah in Judges 16:1-22.

Numbers 6:1-21 tells of the Nazirite vow to which Samson placed his allegiance. They were people who were separated for the service of God. They could not consume anything from the vine (grape juice, grapes) (Numbers 6:4). They could not cut their hair (Numbers 6:5). They could not touch or even go near a dead body (Numbers 6:6). If they were to leave the Nazirites or were only committed to them for a time, there were certain exit rituals in which they had to engage (Numbers 6:13-20). Samson was a Nazirite or under this vow from the womb (Judges 13:4).

Many things about Samson’s life are of interest. He married a Philistine to whom Israel was in bondage (Judges 14:1-5). He once challenged 30 people to a riddle (Judges 14:12-15). They were not able to solve the riddle and, in turn, asked his wife for help (Judges 14:15-18). She was unfaithful to him having a relationship with his best man (Judges 14:20). Judges 15:1-20 tells how Samson took revenge on his father-in-law. The account telling how Samson lost his power shows the poor decisions and deception which took place and ultimately led to his defeat.

Decision

Samson made a decision to have a relationship with a harlot (Judges 16:1). First, it is wrong to have a sexual relationship with a harlot (a person of low moral character). Then, it is wrong to have a sexual relationship outside of marriage (Hebrews 13:4). Samson was guilty. Further, he made a decision to take revenge on the Gazites as indicated in Judges 16:3. Revenge is not right (1Peter 3:9).

Today, it is easy to see that Satan will use such tactics as sexual temptation and revenge to prevent people from entering into Heaven’s gates. A person is at their weakest when they are not living right morally. Samson seemed not to care about God and His will so Satan was getting a hold on him. Peter declared, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1Peter 5:8). Christians today must be aware of the relationships in which they are involved. Do those relationships improve a relationship with God? Will they help one to live for God? “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits’” (1Corinthians 15:33).

Deception

Delilah and the Philistines who tried and eventually succeeded in overthrowing Samson had many traits which the Devil still uses today. They were sneaky (Judges 16:5). They were extremely persistent (Judges 16:5, 8, 12, 14, 17). They were eventually successful in finding out where Samson strength was (Judges 16:21). This deception points out several things about Samson and the Devil.

Samson obviously had a problem with priorities. He kept interacting with Delilah even thought she proved her deception. She asked him where his strength was and he did not tell her initially. But, Satan through the Philistines was very persistent. Samson kept playing with fire and eventually got burned! He should have run when first learning of the deception which was taking place.

Today, Satan will operate in the same way. He will be sneaky. He will be persistent. Often times, he is very successful in preventing people from obeying God’s will. Christians must be ever on guard for the wiles of the devil. Again, 1Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Christians must have their priorities in the right place (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Defeat

Samson broke the Nazirite vow when Delilah and the Philistines shaved his head (Numbers 6:5, Judges 16:19). He lost his strength and the Philistines blinded him (Judges 16:21). His commitment was broken and he was defeated. Today, defeat will come to the Christian who loses his or her commitment. Christians must keep their focus knowing the only way they can overcome all things is through Christ (Philippians 4:13).

Throughout the life of Samson, it is clear that he could be arrogant. He lost when he thought he was strong without God. Paul warned Christians: “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1Corinthians 10:12). He also exhorted: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1).

In the rest of Judges 16, it is recorded that Samson made himself right with God and was able to defeat the Philistines (Judges 16:28-30). No doubt, his blindness was a constant reminder of the mistakes he made. He eventually died with the Philistines (Judges 16:30-31). Yet, the chilling reality is he could have died before repenting to God.

Today, everyone has a decision to either humble themselves before God or be wise in their own eyes (James 4:10, Proverbs 3:7).

-J

Note Those Who So Walk

Jacob — Wrestling With God

Wrestling is a popular pastime in American culture. Some might be surprised to find wrestling in the Bible. It is not only in the Bible, but Jacob wrestles with God! In Genesis 32:22-32, an account is provided where Jacob wrestles all night. Verse 28 reveals that Jacob wrestled with God. In verse 30, Jacob reveals that he had seen God. The story actually begins in verse 22 where Jacob sent his wives, servants, and belongings and was alone. While alone, he wrestles with a man all night. Verse 25 says God touched the hip of Jacob and took it out of joint.

Later, as the account continues, God changes Jacob’s name to Israel. This is very interesting because of what the names Jacob and Israel mean. Jacob means ‘heel catcher’ which makes sense as Jacob came out of the womb holding Esau’s heel. Israel means ‘he will reign as God’ which makes sense in light of verse 28 of the text under consideration. This change of name is significant of the life God has planned for Jacob.

Some have argued and even questioned the validity of the account asserting it does not make sense for Jacob to wrestle with God. The account certainly leaves a lot of unanswered questions. However, just because the questions one might have in reference to the story are not answered does not mean the story is not real. The book of Genesis is a literal historical account of events in the early world. Thus, the dialog is not symbolic in the sense that the events are not real or literal. The account is symbolic, however, in the sense that there are lessons for children of God to learn about faith development.

What does the account mean? In an immediate way, the account was symbolic of what was prophetically revealed in Genesis 25. This chapter tells of the account of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob. Two nations were represented then by Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:23). This, of course, came to pass and the older son served the younger or Edom (Esau) served Israel (Jacob). This is vividly seen in the book of Obadiah where God’s wrath was kindled against the Edomites yet God’s chosen nation was Israel.

The account in Genesis 32 also has some great lessons about the progression of faith. Everyone today is taking a walk of faith albeit it may be a false faith. Faith has to grow and develop (see 2Peter 1:5-11). The account of Jacob wrestling with God shows a journey of faith on the part of Jacob. This then, might have a broader and perhaps more meaningful application for those seeking the Lord today.

In the beginning, Jacob’s faith came to him in lumps. It was not his own but rather was something which was passed on to him from his parents, primarily his mother. Isaac loved Esau but Rebekah loved Jacob (Genesis 25:28). When faith begins, often times, it is the result of the actions of someone else. Timothy had faith which was first in Lois and Eunice (2Timothy 1:5). Parents are admonished to teach their children in the ways of the Lord (Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4). Children of God are exhorted to teach others about him or to pass their faith on to others (2Timothy 2:2).

Faith begins in lumps. It is generally started by someone teaching another about God and His will. This was the case of Jacob. This is also the case for men and women of faith today. It is true that some are able to develop faith by simply opening the Bible and reading and studying for themselves the important messages contained therein. However, by and large, people gain or develop faith because someone has enough love for them to share their own faith with them. As mentioned previously, this is the plan of God (2Timothy 2:2).

At some point, faith becomes lamps. The words of the Psalmist ring clear here: “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). At some point in Jacob’s life, his faith had to become his own. Some have speculated Genesis 32:22-32 was the time and place this happened. He named the place Peniel and explains why: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” At some point, Timothy’s faith became his, not his mother’s or grandmother’s. Children, at some point in their lives, must make faith their own even when Godly parents teach them initially.

This experience might be compared to a lamp (light bulb) lighting up in the mind. Faith has to be genuine and based on the word of God (Romans 10:17). The writer of Hebrews says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Faith has to become real. Biblical faith is not some out-of-body subjective experience or feeling but rather a faith of reason, based on evidence (Hebrews 11:1). Faith has to become the lamp that leads, not the idea that coincides with life.

Finally, faith can grow by limps. Jacob was injured by the Lord in Genesis 32:22-32. The text says Jacob limped on his hip. Mature faith will bring about trials which can be conquered. These limps will help the child of God to grow and mature. Jacob certainly had some trials with his children as they sold their own brother Joseph into slavery and let Jacob believe he was dead. His experience with God in the text under consideration here was a faith-building experience for Jacob. Today, faith will bring trials to the children of God. James says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1:2-3). Paul said no Christian would be tested or tempted beyond what the Lord knows he is able to bear (1Corinthians 12:9). In the end, it is faith which will help the child of God to endure and overcome. Faith leads the Christian through the limps of life.

These limps can also be a suitable reminder that God is still there and God is still in control. Jacob’s limp and the fact that Israel did not thereafter eat the muscle which was affected reminded them of God’s providence (Genesis 32:32). Paul’s thorn in the flesh reminded him God’s grace was sufficient (2Corinthians 12:7-10). The trials of Christians today remind them of the grace and love of God.

Faith begins in lumps. Faith becomes lamps. Faith matures in limps.

-J