3 John 1:9
New International Version
I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us.

New Living Translation
I wrote to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us.

English Standard Version
I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.

Berean Standard Bible
I have written to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not accept our instruction.

Berean Literal Bible
I have written something to the church; but Diotrephes, the one loving to be first among them, does not welcome us.

King James Bible
I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.

New King James Version
I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us.

New American Standard Bible
I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.

NASB 1995
I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.

NASB 1977
I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.

Legacy Standard Bible
I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not welcome what we say.

Amplified Bible
I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to put himself first, does not accept what we say and refuses to recognize my authority.

Christian Standard Bible
I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have first place among them, does not receive our authority.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have first place among them, does not receive us.

American Standard Version
I wrote somewhat unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
I desired to write to The Assembly, but he who loves to be their number one, Diotrephis, does not receive us.

Contemporary English Version
I wrote to the church. But Diotrephes likes to be the number-one leader, and he won't pay any attention to us.

Douay-Rheims Bible
I had written perhaps to the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the pre-eminence among them, doth not receive us.

English Revised Version
I wrote somewhat unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I wrote a letter to the congregation. But Diotrephes, who loves to be in charge, won't accept us.

Good News Translation
I wrote a short letter to the church; but Diotrephes, who likes to be their leader, will not pay any attention to what I say.

International Standard Version
I wrote a letter to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be in charge, will not recognize our authority.

Literal Standard Version
I wrote to the assembly, but he who is loving to be first among them—Diotrephes—does not receive us;

Majority Standard Bible
I have written to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not accept our instruction.

New American Bible
I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to dominate, does not acknowledge us.

NET Bible
I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not acknowledge us.

New Revised Standard Version
I have written something to the church; but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.

New Heart English Bible
I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.

Webster's Bible Translation
I wrote to the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the pre-eminence among them, receiveth us not.

Weymouth New Testament
I wrote to the Church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the first place among them, refuses to listen to us.

World English Bible
I wrote to the assembly, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, doesn’t accept what we say.

Young's Literal Translation
I did write to the assembly, but he who is loving the first place among them -- Diotrephes -- doth not receive us;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Diotrephes and Demetrius
8Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers for the truth. 9I have written to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not accept our instruction. 10So 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.…

Cross References
Matthew 7:8
For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Colossians 1:18
And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.

2 John 1:9
Anyone who runs ahead without remaining in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever remains in His teaching has both the Father and the Son.

3 John 1:8
Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers for the truth.


Treasury of Scripture

I wrote to the church: but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, receives us not.

who loveth.

Matthew 20:20-28
Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him…

Matthew 23:4-8
For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers…

Mark 9:34
But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

receiveth.

3 John 1:8
We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.

Matthew 10:40-42
He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me…

Mark 9:37
Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

Jump to Previous
Accept Acknowledge Assembly Church Desire First Letter Loves Preeminence Pre-Eminence Receive Receives Receiveth Refuses Something Write Written Wrote
Jump to Next
Accept Acknowledge Assembly Church Desire First Letter Loves Preeminence Pre-Eminence Receive Receives Receiveth Refuses Something Write Written Wrote
3 John 1
1. He commends Gaius for his piety,
5. and hospitality,
7. to true preachers;
9. complaining of the unkind dealing of ambitious Diotrephes on the contrary side;
11. whose evil example is not to be followed;
12. and gives special testimony to the good report of Demetrius.














Ver. 9. - I wrote somewhat to the Church (reading, with the best authorities, ἔγραψά τι probably means that St. John had written a letter, now lost, and perhaps destroyed by Diotrephes, to the Church to which Diotrephes belonged. That Diotrephes was bishop of this Church is conjecture; as also that he opposed St. John's emissaries "because they were bent on carrying the gospel to the Gentiles, he himself being, no doubt, both a Jew and of the Jewish faction." He may have been an influential layman. But the context favours the view that he was at least a presbyter. This ecclesiastical Cleon is the type of all vain, noisy, self-asserting teachers, whose main object is to get their own way - an object which they effect by browbeating all who differ from them. No authority is respected and no character spared which seems to oppose their policy. Even an apostle is denounced if he ventures to maintain that the truth may be larger than their view of it. Christian ministers now must not be surprised if they sometimes meet with no better treatment.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
I have written
Ἔγραψά (Egrapsa)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1125: A primary verb; to 'grave', especially to write; figuratively, to describe.

to the
τῇ (tē)
Article - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

church
ἐκκλησίᾳ (ekklēsia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1577: From a compound of ek and a derivative of kaleo; a calling out, i.e. a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation.

[about this],
τι (ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.

but
ἀλλ’ (all’)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

Diotrephes,
Διοτρεφὴς (Diotrephēs)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1361: Diotrephes. From the alternate of Zeus and trepho; Jove-nourished; Diotrephes, an opponent of Christianity.

who
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

loves to be first,
φιλοπρωτεύων (philoprōteuōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5383: From a compound of philos and protos; to be fond of being first, i.e. Ambitious of distinction.

will not accept
ἐπιδέχεται (epidechetai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1926: To accept, admit, welcome. From epi and dechomai; to admit (figuratively) teacher.

our [instruction].
ἡμᾶς (hēmas)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.


Links
3 John 1:9 NIV
3 John 1:9 NLT
3 John 1:9 ESV
3 John 1:9 NASB
3 John 1:9 KJV

3 John 1:9 BibleApps.com
3 John 1:9 Biblia Paralela
3 John 1:9 Chinese Bible
3 John 1:9 French Bible
3 John 1:9 Catholic Bible

NT Letters: 3 John 1:9 I wrote to the assembly but Diotrephes (3J iiiJ 3Jn iii jn 3 jo)
3 John 1:8
Top of Page
Top of Page