2 John 1:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.

NIV: And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

NASB: 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 are to walk in it.

CSB: This is love: that we walk according to his commands. This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: that you walk in love.

NLT: Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.

KJV: And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

NKJV: This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.

This verse defines the kind of love John speaks of. Here, it means obeying God's commandments. Love is not merely an emotion, but requires actions based on truth. Here, the exact Greek word is agape, translated as "love," specifically meaning a selfless focus on other people. John's use of it here certainly includes emotional aspects, but is much more specific than most modern definitions of love. The primary example of this kind of love is Jesus, who showed it through His life and actions. It includes loving one another as well as walking in obedience to God's truth.

John re-emphasizes that this command is one the reader should already be familiar with. He repeats that loving one another is not optional; it is a command. Because it is a fundamental command connected to Jesus Himself, believers are to "walk in it" or obey it. Attempting to love, apart from God's truth, is not legitimate, according to this letter.

Second John 1:4–6 summarizes the theme of this letter: true Christian love. John is pleased to hear that “some” of the members of this church are walking in truth. This implies that some are not, and in later verses, John will warn about following false teachers. Here, John reminds the reader that showing love is the first and primary commandment given to a Christian believer.

The entire book of 2 John is only 13 verses long. It is written by ''the elder,'' in this case the disciple John. In it, John commends a group of believers for holding fast to the truth of the gospel. He also warns these people to avoid those who deny aspects of the Christian faith, and who deceive people away from the truth. John uses the term ''elect lady and her children'' as a reference to this entire local church.

As a short letter, 2 John doesn’t develop any one topic too deeply. John is pleased to see that some believers are sticking to the truth, but this implies that others are not. He is concerned over the influence of false teachers, using strong terms to reject their teachings. John’s reference to ''the elect lady and her children'' is probably a reference to an entire local church and its members.

Second John is one of the disciple John’s letters. The others are 1 John and 3 John. He is also the author of the gospel of John and the book of Revelation. Letters such as this help us understand John’s guidance of early churches. As the last surviving disciple, John’s words would have carried great weight in the Christian community.

Accessed 4/29/2024 5:48:46 AM