2 John 1:6

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. 'Love is the fulfilling of the law,' and the fulfilling of the law is the test of love. THIS IS THE COMMANDMENT - namely, love, in which all other commandments are summed up....

4-6 It is good to be trained to early religion; and children may be beloved for their parents' sake. It gave great joy to the apostle to see children treading in their parents' steps, and likely in their turn to support the gospel. May God bless such families more and more, and raise up many to copy their example. How pleasing the contrast to numbers who spread irreligion, infidelity, and vice, among their children! Our walk is true, our converse right, when according to the word of God. This commandment of mutual Christian love, may be said to be a new one, in respect of its being declared by the Lord Christ; yet, as to the matter, it is old. And this is love to our own souls, that we obey the Divine commands. The foresight of the decay of this love, as well as of other apostacies, or fallings away, might engage the apostle to urge this duty, and this command, frequently and earnestly....

Verse 2 John 1:6. _AND THIS IS LOVE_] That is, our love is shown and proved by our walking according to the commandments of God; for love is the principle of obedience....

AND THIS IS LOVE, THAT WE WALK AFTER HIS COMMANDMENTS - This is the proper expression or evidence of love to God. See the notes at John 14:15, John 14:21. THIS IS THE COMMANDMENT - That is, this is his great and special commandment; the one by which his disciples are to be especially characterized, and by which they are to be distinguished in the world. See the notes at John 13:34....

AND THIS IS LOVE, THAT WE WALK AFTER HIS COMMANDMENTS,.... By observing them as a rule of conversation, in so doing love is shown to God; and such may expect the fresh discoveries of the love of God to, them; 1 John 5:3; THIS IS THE COMMANDMENT, THAT AS YE HAVE HEARD FROM THE BEGINNING, YE SHOULD WALK IN IT; that is, this is the will of God, that his people should walk in the truth of the Gospel, and abide by it, as they heard and received it at their first conversion, from the mouths of the apostles, or other faithful ministers of the word; a reason for which, is given in 2 John 1:7....

THE SECOND EPISTLE The Second Epistle is addressed by the elder unto the elect lady and her children. The word elder has the same meaning as it has in 1 Peter 5:1. Some take it that the elect lady means an assembly, and her children the members of the assembly. But this is a very strained application. The word “Kyria” (lady) excludes this meaning, besides other reasons which we do not follow here. She was a Christian woman of note generally known and beloved, having children, whom the apostle had found walking in the truth. She had also a sister with children, who seems to have been in the same place where the apostle was, probably in Ephesus. This is indicated by the last verse of the Epistle, “The children of thy elect sister greet thee.” The keynote of this message to the elect lady, unknown by name, is the word “truth.” The apostle lets them know that he loves them, as well as

EXHORTATION AND WARNING. The commandment of love given by Christ to His Church from the beginning must be faithfully observed. Loyalty to Christ meant that His followers must beware of the false teachers, the embodiment of Antichrist, who denied the reality of His Incarnation. Ground already won for the faith might be lost. Those who, under the lure of advanced thought, sought to beguile others from Christ's teaching, were not Christians, and must receive neither countenance nor hospitality. 2 JOHN 1:4. In some way, possibly through a visit from some travelling evangelists belonging to the church addressed, John had ascertained the fidelity to the truth which many of its members exhibited. 2 John 1:5 f. 1 John 2:7

THE ELECT LADY (2 John 1:1-3)...

HAVE. Omit. In this verse is the Figure of speech _Antimetabole,_ "walk... commandments commandment... walk"....

Exhortation to Love and Obedience 5. _And now_ As in 1 John 2:28 (see note there), this introduces a practical exhortation depending on what precedes. -It is my joy at the Christian life of some of thy children, and my anxiety about the others, that move me to exhort thee". _I beseech thee_ S. John uses the same verb (ἐρωτᾷν) as that used of making request about -sin unto death" (1 John 5:16). It perhaps indicates that he begs as an equal or superior rather than as an inferior. In both passages the Vulgate rightly has _rogo_, not _peto_. In classical Greek the verb = _interrogo_, -I ask a question", a meaning which it frequently has in N. T. S. Paul uses it very seldom, and always in the sense of -I request": his usual word is παρακαλῶ, which S. John never employs. a