{I wrote somewhat unto the church} (egrapsa ti t(8869)
ekkl(8873)i(8369)). A few MSS. add an to indicate that he had not
written (conclusion of second-class condition), clearly spurious.
Not epistolary aorist nor a reference to II John as Findlay
holds, but an allusion to a brief letter of commendation ( Ac
18:27  2Co 3:1  Col 4:10 ) sent along with the brethren in verses
 5-7  or to some other itinerant brethren. Westcott wrongly
thinks that 	i is never used of anything important in the N.T.
( Ac 8:9  Ga 6:3 ), and hence that this lost letter was
unimportant. It may have been brief and a mere introduction.
Diotrephes (Dios and 	reph(935c), nourished by Zeus). This
ambitious leader and sympathiser with the Gnostics would probably
prevent the letter referred to being read to the church, whether
it was II John condemning the Gnostics or another letter
commending Demetrius and John's missionaries. Hence he sends
Gaius this personal letter warning against Diotrephes. {Who
loveth to have the preeminence among them} (ho philopr(9374)eu(936e)
aut(936e)). Present active articular participle of a late verb, so
far found only here and in ecclesiastical writers (the example
cited by Blass being an error, Deissmann, _Light_ etc., p. 76),
from philopr(9374)os, fond of being first (Plutarch), and made like
philopone(935c) (papyri), to be fond of toil. This ambition of
Diotrephes does not prove that he was a bishop over elders, as
was true in the second century (as Ignatius shows). He may have
been an elder (bishop) or deacon, but clearly desired to rule the
whole church. Some forty years ago I wrote an article on
Diotrephes for a denominational paper. The editor told me that
twenty-five deacons stopped the paper to show their resentment
against being personally attacked in the paper. {Receiveth us
not} (ouk epidechetai h(886d)(8373)). Present active indicative of this
old compound, in N.T. only here and verse  10 . Diotrephes
refused to accept John's authority or those who sided with him,
John's missionaries or delegates (cf.  Mt 10:40 ).