To his dear friend Gaius, whom he sincerely loves, From the Officer of the Church.

I wrote a few lines to the Church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, declines to recognize us.

Therefore, when I come, I shall not forget his conduct in ridiculing us with his wicked tongue. Not content with that, he not only declines to recognize our Brothers himself, but actually prevents those who would, and expels them from the Church.

Dear friend, take what is good for your example, not what is bad. The man who does what is good is from God; the man who does what is bad has never seen God.