A correspondent asks: “What should be done if an assembly has an ‘elder’ who is obviously unfit for the work, errant, and stubborn? I cannot find any Scripture that provides guidance in such a case.”
A somewhat similar situation appears in John’s third letter, and he knew how to deal with the offending individual. We may say, “But John was an apostle, and no one has that kind of authority today.” This is true, but there is still helpful instruction for us in the passage. For one thing, the accusations against Diotrophes were very clear. It was not that he was merely considered difficult or stubborn by some; rather, his wicked deeds are specified. In the same way, we need to be able to point to serious unscriptural conduct before saying an elder is unfit.
We must be careful here. Sometimes a brother may be labeled as “stubborn” because he stands for the truth while others urge compromise. For instance, I know of a preacher who was told that he was “unloving.” Apparently his fault lay in teaching that Scripture provides clear instructions and examples of how a local church should function. It appeared that those who branded him ungracious did so not because he was guilty of any misconduct or genuine unkindness toward other believers, but because they thought his teaching might offend some who preferred a more accommodating approach.
But let us assume that the man spoken of in the question above is being accurately described, and his ungodly deeds are apparent. What can be done? It may be that the assembly in question is weak, especially in the area of leadership. No one is strong enough to deal with this erring “elder,” and, given his nature, confrontation would result in a fight and perhaps a split. Should the little flock call on the elders from another fellowship for help? At first glance this may seem like a sensible solution, but we know of no scripture that would support such an approach, and, in fact, it would likely only spread the problem.
If there is unanimity among the other brothers in the assembly, they might ask this present-day Diotrephes to step aside. But they may not have enough confidence and boldness to do so. What now? Let those who seek the Lord’s glory (and not merely a human solution) go straight to the Head of the church in persistent prayer. They may discover, as they do so, that the Lord has actually allowed this situation to develop because of the failure of the assembly as a whole to cleave closely to Him. To hastily try to exorcise Mr. Diotrephes may be to sidestep an even more serious issue. If the principle of “this thing is from Me” applies (see 2 Chr. 10-11), the assembly may need to learn a humbling lesson and repent of its failure.
Our Lord is more interested in the preservation and progress of the assembly than we are. If only two or three spiritually-minded brethren agree together and seek the Lord’s face in prayer, we may be confident that the Lord will deal with the offender, changing his attitude or removing him in some way (Mt. 18:19f). This path requires patience as well as faith, and as human beings we often find these resources in short supply; but trusting the Lord to act in the interests of His church is much better than trying to force a Diotrephes out with the arm of flesh. Furthermore, it would surely please the Lord if we began by praying for the offender, rather than against him. After all, he is a still a member of the body of Christ.