The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

3 John 1:9, 12, “9 I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes,

who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say….

12 Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and

from the truth itself…”

How do you want to be remembered? Almost one-third of the

Apostle John’s third letter concerns two men. Diotrephes is evil;

Demetrius is good. Diotrephes literally means “cherished by Zeus,”

and is mentioned only once in Scripture. Demetrius’ name comes

from “Demeter,” the Greek goddess of agriculture. He was a silver-

smith and is mentioned three times in the New Testament.

All of that is to say that both men were originally godless. Diotrephes

probably was never saved, because he was an opponent of the

Apostle John and said and did things that were ungodly. Demetrius

was just the opposite. Like all of us, he was originally not a believer,

but came to know Jesus as his Savior and LORD. ~ The big question

is: how do you want to be remembered? John tells us all how we

ought to live when he says in verse 11, “Beloved, do not imitate

what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God;

the one who does evil has not seen God.”

Nana and I want to be remembered as like Demetrius. Pray for us

that we will be. May God bless you to be a good example, too.

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas