3 John 1:10
“Therefore if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words. Not content with this, neither does he himself receive the brothers, and those who would, he forbids and throws out of the assembly.”
What does 3 John 1:10 mean?
John is writing about someone in the church who's behaving badly, spreading false accusations and trying to control who gets included in the community. This person isn't just creating drama themselves—they're actively blocking others from participating and even forcing people out who want to be involved. It's a snapshot of how one person's need for power can poison a whole community and shut doors that should be open. What makes this especially serious is that John connects all these behaviors together: the lying, the rejection, the gatekeeping. They're not separate problems but symptoms of the same underlying issue—someone using their influence to divide rather than welcome. If you've ever been in a group where one person's need to control things made everyone else feel unwelcome or unsafe, you recognize this dynamic immediately.