2 John 1:6

καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγάπη, ἵνα περιπατῶμεν κατὰ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ· αὕτη ἡ ἐντολή ἐστιν, καθὼς ἠκούσατε ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς, ἵνα ἐν αὐτῇ περιπατῆτε.

Translation:

⁶ And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you walk in it.

Commentary:

Greek

ἐστὶν is the first verb in this verse. It is present active indicative 3^rd person singular. The elder brings to light what true love is by saying “…this is love…”, and then continues by explaining both what love is and how to show it.

περιπατῶμεν is the next verb used and expresses the idea of an action taking place. This word carries the meaning of “walking” which implies the aspect of doing. There is work involved on our part when it comes to expressing real genuine love. This verb is present active subjunctive 1^st person plural.

ἐστιν is used a second time in this verse. The elder is pointing back to what he stated in both verses four and five. Verse four tells us that we were given this command from the Father and verse five informs us that these believers, like us, are not commanded anything new. Rather, this command has always been present.

ἠκούσατε is aorist active indicative 2^nd person plural. What the elder is doing is telling these people that they have heard this command from the beginning. Not only has it always been around, but this has also been an emphasized concept to these believers ever since the message first came to them.

περιπατῆτε is the final verb and is present active subjunctive 2^nd person plural.

English

How can we as Christians love people in the very best way? The answer that is given here in the Bible is that the only way to truly love someone is to obey God and His commandments. It is interesting to note that the road to true love is paved by obedience to God’s laws. This can cause some tension for many because our culture, even the Church, has greatly misunderstood both love and obedience.

In terms of love, even Christians place more emphasis upon the way one feels. Don’t get me wrong, true love does involve passionate feelings, but feelings alone should not, and cannot, be the basis or foundation of one’s love for another. Love is a choice – conscious and willful – to commit oneself to another person and to stick it out through the good, the bad, and the ugly. Yet, often, even in our churched atmosphere, we only allow the other person to hurt us so much before we leave. Then, after we have finally found an excuse to divorce, we attempt to justify both our actions and reactions through our often misguided, misinterpreted and misapplied use of Scripture.

Why is true love so misunderstood in our day and age? The answer is because Christian obedience to God’s laws is widely misconstrued today in the church. If someone even mentions the words “obedience” or “submission” they are immediately told to tread cautiously so that they do not become a legalist. Legalism is the idea of placing one’s own personal [that’s the key word] convictions upon other people and looking down on them when they do not follow your way of life and conduct.

However, obeying God’s laws and submitting to the truth of His Word is not a matter of personal opinions and convictions. The New Testament is filled with God-given commands that He places upon you and your life. Jesus Christ demands your obedience and allegiance to follow Him. One person on Google found over a thousand commands for Christians to obey in the New Testament. If you are interested, then just type in “commands in the New Testament”. This seems to contradict the notion that Jesus is fine with however we live our lives and does not expect us to change.

The fact is, you and I cannot fully love each other, or anyone else for that matter, if we are not obedient to God. God’s laws matter. Why? Because they are life-giving. God’s laws are what keep marriages together through the tough times. His standard is meant to guide and direct our lives so that we can better love the people around us. Just obey Him and true love will be the inevitable outflow.

2 John 1:5

καὶ νῦν ἐρωτῶ σε, κυρία, οὐχ ὡς ἐντολὴν γράφων σοι καινὴν ἀλλ᾽ ἣν εἴχομεν ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς, ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους.

Translation:

⁵ And now I ask you, lady, not as writing to you a new commandment, but one which we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.

Commentary:

Who is the Lady?

There is some debate upon the identity of the lady which is the recipient of this letter. One reason for argument’s sake is because the personal pronoun the elder uses for her, σε, is singular. The reason this has the tendency to stir up confusion is because in other places throughout the New Testament the apostles would use plural pronouns [as is fitting] when referring to multiple individuals [cf. 1 John 2:7]. This is seen more clearly in Greek than in English.

One could argue that this lady is one singular church which is the mindset that I have thus far strongly upheld. However, I cannot completely dismiss the possibility of this being an actual woman that the elder is communicating with. Support for this position could be seen in the fact that 3 John is another example of the elder writing to a single individual [i.e. Gaius]. Nevertheless, I am still inclined to see this lady as a church since the elder chooses to use both singular and plural pronouns when referring to her throughout the whole letter and due to what is written in the very last verse of the book:

“The children of your elect sister greet you.”

What Commandment is the Elder Talking About?

In Matthew 22:36-40 we are told about a time when a lawyer asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was in the Law. What the elder is doing by bringing this up is reminding the lady [or church] that this is not a new command. We are to love God and also one another. That command had always been the emphasis of both the Law and the Prophets [i.e. the Old Testament].

Also, we must remember that the elder is directing our attention back to what he had just stated in verse four about walking in the truth. This is the point that the elder is making: that walking in the truth is displayed both in and throughout the way we love one another. But how do we practically love one another? That answer is found in verse six which I will comment on in the coming days. Stay tuned.

*Continue on with 2 John 1:6

2 John 1:4

Ἐχάρην λίαν ὅτι εὕρηκα ἐκ τῶν τέκνων σου περιπατοῦντας ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, καθὼς ἐντολὴν ἐλάβομεν παρὰ τοῦ πατρός.

Translation:

⁴ I rejoiced greatly that I found children from you walking in truth, just as we received commandment from the Father.

Commentary:

To walk in the truth [i.e. talking the talk as well as walking the walk] is a command for those who claim the name of Christ. What is truth? How do we find it? While we all have varying opinions, which tend to change on a whim, God’s Word is the only source for objective truth. Why? The answer is because He alone has the ultimate authority to define reality. Basically, it does not matter what we think. He is the Boss, so what He says goes!

Ἐχάρην is 1^st person singular aorist passive indicative and it means “to rejoice”. εὕρηκα is 1^st person singular perfect active indicative and means “to find” [this is where we get our word “EUREKA!”]. περιπατοῦντας is an accusative masculine present active participle which means “walking”. The final verb of the sentence is ἐλάβομεν which is 1^st person plural aorist active indicative meaning “to receive”.

λίαν is the adverb which adds further emphasis upon its antecedent Ἐχάρην [the first word of the verse is the verb that λίαν modifies]. Thus, his rejoicing was GREAT!

Clearer English:

As you may already be aware, translations from one language to another are not technically an exact science. I do not mean to say that it is impossible [far be it from that], but there is an art to obtaining both a clear and accurate translation. Therefore, though I translated the verse above in a more word for word manner, the following translation is more meaning based:

⁴ I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father.

*Continue on with 2 John 1:5

2 John 1:3

ἔσται μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν χάρις ἔλεος εἰρήνη παρὰ θεοῦ πατρὸς καὶ παρὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ ἀγάπῃ.

Translation:

³ Grace, mercy and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, in truth and love.

Commentary:

ἔσται is the 3^rd person singular future middle indicative verb of εἰμί meaning “I am”. It is interesting to note that the verb constitutes three different characteristics or attributes of God yet is written in the singular form. This is intriguing because any numerical value above the number one is generally represented as being plural [i.e. singular vs. plural]. However, this may reveal that, for believers in Christ, we are not receiving God or His truth in bits and pieces, but rather in one lump sum.

Therefore, these are not three separate gifts having no relation to each other but are representative of the whole package. John is encapsulating what will forever remain in our possession [i.e. God’s truth]. I was explaining this to my wife and she reminded me of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). The fruit of the Spirit is comprised of nine characteristics [at least, nine that are listed] and yet it is still one singular fruit. Paul’s illustration of the “fruit” in Galatians is likened to John’s use of the Greek verb here in this passage.

There are three prepositional phrases listed in this verse. The first is ἔσται μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν χάρις ἔλεος εἰρήνη. The reality and effects of this truth will [future tense] forever remain with us as believers in Christ. The second prepositional phrase is παρὰ θεοῦ πατρὸς καὶ παρὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ πατρὸς which is be discussed further in the next two paragraphs. The third is ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ ἀγάπῃ which tells us these gifts are not only truly ours, but they have also been given to us out of God’s extravagant love.

χάρις ἔλεος εἰρήνη are three nouns which, when translated, mean “grace, mercy and peace”. παρὰ is the preposition “from” which reveals both the ownership and source of the three nouns. They are from both God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. παρὰ θεοῦ πατρὸς καὶ παρὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ πατρὸς is the prepositional phrase which includes two of the three members of the Trinity.

How often do we tend to view God in parts? I feel that many times we see the Father as the strict Judge and the Son standing between us and Him shielding us from the Father’s wrath. Is this correct theology? Well, to be honest, no. This verse is showing us that both the Father and His Son are on our side. Grace, mercy and peace are given to us from the fullness of the Godhead. This is good news for us who are in Christ.

*Continue on with 2 John 1:4

2 John 1:2

διὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν τὴν μένουσαν ἐν ἡμῖν καὶ μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν ἔσται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.

Translation:

² on account of the truth which remains in us and will be with us into the age.

Commentary:

διὰ, when followed by a word in the accusative case, tends to have the meaning of either “on account of” or “because of”. τὴν ἀλήθειαν refers to “the truth” as was previously discussed in verse one. Again, this truth that John is speaking of is not the subject or the action of the sentence, but the reason for the action – the logic behind the verb. Thus, verse two begins with saying “on account of the truth” or “because of the truth”.

τὴν μένουσαν is the first of two verbs presented within this verse. It is an accusative singular feminine present active participle meaning “to remain”. Since the verb is preceded by the article “τὴν”, we know that it is acting adjectivally. Therefore, the verb is aided by the addition of the key word “which”. Thus, the translation reads, “…which remains….”

Where, or with whom, does this truth currently remain? The answer is, “ἐν ἡμῖν”, which, when translated, means, “in us”. This truth is in us [i.e. believers in Christ]. We are the partakers of the truth, and it is this truth, which unites us in love for one another. However, this truth is not just a current possession that we have right now. John continues his thought by stating, “καὶ μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν ἔσται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.” What the apostle is saying is that “…this truth will be with us forever.”

Two interesting things happened to “μεθ᾽”. First, since the next word begins with a vowel, it dropped its own final vowel in order to make room for a smoother glide into the following pronoun “ἡμῶν”. The apostrophe at the end shows the reader that an elision has taken place. Second, the “τ” on the end transformed into a “θ” since the following pronoun’s frontal vowel contains a rough breathing mark. The reason this happens in the Greek text is to help with pronunciation.

Both of the pronouns: “ἡμῖν” and “ἡμῶν” are written in the 1^st person plural form indicating personal ownership [i.e. this is for us or this is ours]. ἔσται is the second and final verb in the verse. It is written as the 3^rd person singular future middle indicative of the verb “εἰμί”, which means, “I am”.

“εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα” literally reads, “into the age” or “into eternity”. However, a better way of translating this phrase for our context would simply be to sum it up in the word “forever”. This would meet both the desire to remain faithful to the text and also to clearly state the intended meaning of the passage. The truth that we share in Christ and the expression of love which naturally flows from it will govern our lives for the rest of eternity. In the same way that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Rom. 8:38-39), the same is equally foundational to the Christian faith that nothing will separate us from the truth of God.

*Continue on with 2 John 1:3

2 John 1:1

Ὁ πρεσβύτερος ἐκλεκτῇ κυρίᾳ καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτῆς, οὓς ἐγὼ ἀγαπῶ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ μόνος ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἐγνωκότες τὴν ἀλήθειαν,

Translation:

1 The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I myself love in truth, and not I alone but also all who know the truth,

Characters:

1.      The elder – John the Apostle.

2.      The chosen lady – A local church.

3.      Her children – Members of the church.

4.      All who know the truth – All Christians.

Commentary:

Ὁ πρεσβύτερος is in the nominative case which indicates that the elder is the subject of the sentence. He is the one:

1.      Writing the letter.

2.      Expressing his feelings.

3.      Offering Encouragement.

There is no stated verb in the first clause. The first piece of this verse is merely offering an introduction. Further, every clause in this verse is dependent upon the whole.

οὓς is a relative pronoun meaning “whom” and introduces a relative clause [οὓς ἐγὼ ἀγαπῶ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ]. οὓς modifies the noun “lady” and is in itself accusative plural. Whom does the elder love? The elder loves both the lady and her children. The pronoun is accusative which shows that it is the object/recipient of the elder’s love. It is plural because the lady [i.e. the local church] consists of many members.

ἀγαπῶ is the first verb in the sentence meaning “love”. However, the 1^st person singular case ending (ῶ) shows us that the subject is held within the verb. Thus, ἀγαπῶ means “I love”. Yet, ἐγὼ ἀγαπῶ also means “I love” since ἐγὼ is the 1^st person singular personal pronoun. Therefore, since the subject is expressed on the inside and outside of the verbal form, I am drawn to translate it as “I myself love” in order to add emphasis to the elder’s statement.

The elder continues by saying “καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ μόνος ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἐγνωκότες τὴν ἀλήθειαν”.

οὐκ adds the negation. What the elder is saying is that “…it is not only I who love you, but also all who know the truth.” This is where ἀλλὰ comes into play which means “but” here in this context. The elder encourages either this lady or these believers [depending upon which interpretation you lean toward] with the fact that there is a universal love that all of us Christians share in the truth and have for one another. This love is neither sourced in the elder nor is it his expression alone, but it is a common Christian love that is sourced in and expressed through the truth which is something that all believers share in Christ.

*Continue on with 2 John 1:2