The Domineering Pastor

III John 1:1-8

“The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.” (I John 1:1)

The letter to Gaius is, like the letters to Philemon, Titus, and Timothy, written to specific individual, to address a specific problem. In many respects it is very similar to Philemon, focusing on the individual’s personal response to a particular problem, whereas II John is concerned with individual responses of a group. It appears that Gaius was standing alone against the problem. John is careful to give him personal encouragement in his stance.

“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” (I John 1:2-4)

I have been privileged to go back from time to time to churches I worked in and see people who I taught continuing to serve God, twenty or thirty years later. Others have moved to other areas, and impact people that I meet later. It is almost like finding out that one of your children has made some great accomplishment, especially when others have fallen by the way side.

Gaius had continued faithfully reaching out to and encouraging others in the Lords work, demonstrating his love by his faithfulness in his actions. They had declared his faithfulness to John.

“Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well: Because that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.” (III John 1:5-8)

If we love the Lord, we ought to love those who carry the Gospel to others. While it is the churches place to support the pastor, there is no reason for the unsaved to support those who come to preach to them. One of the ways we fulfill the great commission is by enabling others to go to areas we cannot, helping them to accomplish their ministry.

In the past few years, it has become common for a new pastor to try to eliminate all evidence of the previous pastor in an attempt to consolidate his control of the church. They cut off fellowship, join a different organization, eliminate missionaries to make it clear who is the pastor. Frequently, they push out the former pastor’s family and faithful older members of the church who question his actions. Gaius was apparently in this position of being forced out because he wouldn‘t go along.

“I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. 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.” (III John 1:9-10)

Like some modern pastors, Diotrophes wanted to be the one in control. He had no trouble ignoring Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 20:25-28. “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:43 records the same incident. In Luke 22:24-27, Jesus repeated the command at the last supper. “And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.”

In his effort to establish his control, Diotrophes began to imply wrong doing or false teaching on the part of John and others. He demanded obedience to himself and forced those who did not obey him and maintained a relationship with the former leaders out of the church.

As we see the same things done in modern churches, it is easy to understand God’s statement in Revelation 2:6, that he hates the actions of those who believe they have the right to dominate the church. “But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.” In Revelation 2:15, he states that he hates the very belief that a man has the right to dictate and control the church. “So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.”

They demand that their standards and ideas be followed, with no regard to what God has commanded. As the Apostles told the Jewish leaders in Acts 5:29, “…We ought to obey God rather than men.” This must not be simply ignored, and John would have to deal with it, or it would destroy other Christians.