3 John 1:9
“I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →John had written to the church, but a man named Diotrephes, who loved being first, refused to acknowledge John's authority.
What Does 3 John 1:9 Mean?
Here the letter turns to a painful matter. John had sent word to the church, but a man named Diotrephes stood in the way. The trouble was his heart: he "loveth to have the preeminence," craving to be foremost, and so he would not receive John or those John sent.
The contrast with Gaius could not be sharper. Where Gaius welcomed strangers in humble love, Diotrephes pushed others away to guard his own importance. Ambition for status has long been a danger within the household of faith. John names it plainly, showing that the desire to be first can quietly corrode a community. The gospel calls leaders to serve, not to rule, and warns that pride dressed in religious clothing remains pride.
In the Original Language
philoproteuo (φιλοπρωτεύω), "to love to be first" — a rare word naming the appetite for preeminence that drove Diotrephes.