4 Nothing brings me greater happiness than to hear that my children are obeying the truth.
5 Dear friend, you have always been faithful in helping other followers of the Lord, even the ones you didn't know before.
6 They have told the church about your love. They say you were good enough to welcome them and to send them on their mission in a way that God's servants deserve.
7 When they left to tell others about the Lord, they decided not to accept help from anyone who wasn't a follower.
8 We must support people like them, so that we can take part in what they are doing to spread the truth.
9 I wrote to the church. But Diotrephes likes to be the number-one leader, and he won't pay any attention to us.
10 So if I come, I will remind him of how he has been attacking us with gossip. Not only has he been doing this, but he refuses to welcome any of the Lord's followers who come by. And when other church members want to welcome them, he puts them out of the church.