NOTES for Jo3 1:1-14
Although John’s letter is personally addressed to one particular individual, by means of concrete examples given for the instruction of the whole community it presents problems important to the whole Church, and is therefore rightly called a catholic epistle. Gaius is commended for his faithfulness to the truth, manifested in a very concrete way by welcoming traveling brothers. This might seem a private circumstance, but it proves to be a matter of principle because not all brothers are capable of showing brotherly love.
The matter is not limited to Diotrephes, who loves to be first. The actions of this particular man expose an enormous problem: disagreements and strife among the brothers are growing, and ambitious self-interest is becoming mixed with unavoidable differences of opinion. It even seems strange: the early Church is being persecuted, so it would seem impossible to use church connections to build a career. Yet human vanity is so powerful that even under the difficult conditions of persecution, the passion for asserting oneself at the expense of others still operates. It is so strong that it takes the form of an urge to crush those who entered the Church earlier, including one of the first apostles.
Persecution by false brothers is a reality that has poisoned Christian life many times. But let us not be troubled: sooner or later the truth triumphs. The efforts of Diotrephes also proved futile, and we remember him only because his name was mentioned by that very apostle whom Diotrephes refused to welcome but whom the Church will always acknowledge.