3 John 1:10

If I come (ean elqw). Condition of third class with ean and second aorist active subjunctive of ercomai. He hopes to come (verse Matthew 14 ), as he had said in 2 John 1:12 (one argument for identifying II John with the letter in 3 John 1:9 ). I will bring to remembrance (upomnhsw). Future active indicative of upomimnhskw, old compound ( John 14:26 ; 2 Peter 1:12 ). The aged apostle is not afraid of Diotrephes and here defies him. Which he doeth (a poiei). Present active indicative, "which he keeps on doing." Prating against us (pluarwn hma). Present active participle of old verb (from pluaro, babbling 1 Timothy 5:13 ), to accuse idly and so falsely, here only in N.T. with accusative hma (us). With wicked words (logoi ponhroi). Instrumental case. Not simply foolish chatter, but malevolent words. Not content (mh arkoumeno). Present passive participle of arkew with usual negative mh. For this verb in this sense see 1 Timothy 6:8 ; Hebrews 13:5 , only there epi is absent. John knows that the conduct of Diotrephes will not stand the light. See Paul's threats of exposure ( 1 Corinthians 4:21 ; 2 Corinthians 10:11 ; 2 Corinthians 13:1-3 ). And John is the apostle of love all the same. He himself (auto). That was bad enough. Them that would (tou boulomenou). "Those willing or wishing or receive the brethren" from John. He forbiddeth (kwluei). "He hinders." Present active indicative of kwluw and means either actual success in one case (punctiliar use of the present indicative) or repetition in several instances (linear action) or conative action attempted, but not successful as in Matthew 3:14 (this same verb) and John 10:32 . Casteth them out of the church (ek th ekklhsia ekballei). Here again ekballei can be understood in various ways, like kwluei. This verb occurs in John 2:15 for casting out of the temple the profaners of it and for casting the blind man out of the synagogue ( John 9:34 ). If this ancient "church-boss" did not succeed in expelling John's adherents from the church, he certainly tried to do it.