Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.
Parallel translations
- WEB Therefore if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words. Not content with this, neither does he himself receive the brothers, and those who would, he forbids and throws out of the assembly.
- BSB 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.
- NKJV 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.
- NASB For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with malicious words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brothers either, and he forbids those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.
- NLT When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
John promises to confront Diotrephes' slander, his refusal to receive fellow believers, and his expelling of those who would. Unchecked pride breeds slander, division, and abuse of power.
Overview
Diotrephes' sin escalated from rejecting John's words to maligning the apostle with malicious talk, then to barring traveling believers and even excommunicating those who welcomed them. John, exercising apostolic responsibility, intends to address these deeds openly when he comes. The passage shows that genuine love and truth sometimes require confronting destructive conduct within the church for the protection of Christ's flock.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Isa 66:5Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.
- Prov 10:10He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.
- Prov 10:8The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.
- Luke 6:22Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.
- 2 Cor 13:2I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare:
- 3 Jn 1:5Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;
- John 9:22These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
- John 9:34–35They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
- 1 Cor 5:1–5It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
- 2 Cor 10:1–11Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:
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