maybe someone can explian to me the meaning of Paul words. When I saw this many elders came to mind.Diotrephes elders.
how do the jw view 3john 9-10
by jam 5 Replies latest watchtower bible
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Amazing
Jam,
maybe someone can explian to me the meaning of Paul words. When I saw this many elders came to mind.Diotrephes elders.
The Apostle Paul did not write 3 John. The Apostle John wrote it. Yes, the application could be made to JW Elders, or at least a good number of them, as well as Circuit Overseers, District Overseers, and even the Governing Body.Jim Whitney
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AlmostAtheist
For the lazier crowd: "9 I wrote something to the congregation, but Di·ot´re·phes, who likes to have the first place among them, does not receive anything from us with respect. 10 That is why, if I come, I will call to remembrance his works which he goes on doing, chattering about us with wicked words. Also, not being content with these things, neither does he himself receive the brothers with respect, and those who are wanting to receive them he tries to hinder and to throw out of the congregation."
Dave
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TheHypnoToad
AlmostAtheist,
Are you calling me Lazy? Just cuz I didn't have it memorized, or is it because I didn't study for this meeting errr forum.
Thanks!!
cuz I guess I am lazy. -
AlmostAtheist
>>Are you calling me Lazy? Just cuz I didn't have it memorized
You DIDN'T have it memorized?!?! Get behind me, Santa! ;-)
Dave of "All hail the hypno-toad" class
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reneeisorym
*** w90 9/1 p. 18 Are You Reaching Out? ***
4 Some ambitious people seek glory. Others want to rule fellow humans. Greed for prominence or power is like a rotten root that can cause even a healthy-looking tree to come crashing down. A Christian too could succumb to such wrongly motivated ambition. (Proverbs 16:18) “I wrote something to the congregation,” said the apostle John, “but Diotrephes, who likes to have the first place among them [“who wants to be head of everything,” Phillips], does not receive anything from us with respect. That is why, if I come, I will call to remembrance his works which he goes on doing, chattering about us with wicked words. Also, not being content with these things, neither does he himself receive the brothers with respect, and those who are wanting to receive them he tries to hinder and to throw out of the congregation.” (3 John 9, 10) The ambition of Diotrephes was unchristian. Arrogance and the ambitious pursuit of power over others have no place among Jesus’ true followers*** w89 10/15 p. 19 How Harmful Gossip Can Be Crushed ***
16 Respect for fellow believers also helps to crush hurtful gossip. Since they are acceptable to God, surely we should not malign them. Let us never be like the “false brothers” that Paul encountered. Doubtless, they said evil things about him. (2 Corinthians 11:26) Apostates must also have maligned him. (Compare Jude 3, 4.) In Corinth some individuals said: “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his presence in person is weak and his speech contemptible.” (2 Corinthians 10:10) People do not make such remarks about those they love.
17 Consider the apostle John, who was spoken against by Diotrephes. “I wrote something to the congregation,” said John, “but Diotrephes, who likes to have the first place among them, does not receive anything from us with respect. That is why, if I come, I will call to remembrance his works which he goes on doing, chattering about us with wicked words.” (3 John 9, 10) Such chattering was a very serious matter, and if we are listening to or spreading similar talk today, we should stop doing so immediately
*** w87 6/15 p. 29 ‘God Will Finish Your Training’ ***
In the first century, a more sinister danger appeared among Christians. Peter warned about it: “There will also be false teachers among you. These very ones will quietly bring in destructive sects and will disown even the owner that bought them, bringing speedy destruction upon themselves. Furthermore, many will follow their acts of loose conduct, and on account of these the way of the truth will be spoken of abusively.” (2 Peter 2:1, 2) This experience would result in the destruction of the unrepentant “false teachers.” (2 Peter 2:3) But what of those who remained faithful?
The experience would train them to ‘rouse up their clear thinking faculties.’ (2 Peter 3:1) Their alertness in guarding against the intrusion of false teachings would call for them to review the reasons for their faith. As they saw the bad results of the actions of the “false teachers,” their confidence in Christian truth would be even stronger.—2 Peter 3:3-7.
For example, in one congregation the aged apostle John was opposed by a certain Diotrephes, an ambitious man who had little respect for John’s authority and who not only refused to receive the messengers sent by John but may even have tried to disfellowship those who did. This must have been painful to all the sincere Christians who were in the same congregation as Diotrephes. But it did give them the opportunity to show that they were not ‘imitators of what is bad