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Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

2 John 1:3

Grace be unto you ... - See the notes at Romans 1:7. This salutation does not differ from those commonly employed by the sacred writers, except in the emphasis which is placed on the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is “the Son of the Father.” This is much in the style of John, in all of whose writings he dwells much on the fact that the Lord Jesus is the Son of God, and on the importance of recognizing that fact in order to the possession of true religion. Compare 1 John 2:22; 1Jo 4:15; 1 John 5:1, 1 John 5:10, 1 John 5:20.

In truth and love - This phrase is not to be connected with the expression “the Son of the Father,” as if it meant that he was his Son “in truth and love,” but is rather to be connected with the “grace, mercy, and peace” referred to, as a prayer that they might be manifested to this family in promoting truth and love.

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See also 2 John 1:3 in other biblical comments:

  • A Textual Commentary On The Greek New Testament by Bruce M. Metzger

    VER. 2 JOHN 1:3 para. VIhsou/ Cristou/ {A} Before VIhsou/ the Textus Receptus, in accord with a K L P most minuscules syrh copbo arm _al,_ reads kuri,ou. Since it is more likely that copyists would ha...

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 2 John 1:3. _GRACE BE WITH YOU_] This is addressed to _her_, her _household_, and probably that part of the _Church_ which was more immediately under her care. _THE SON OF THE FATHER_] The apo...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    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 me...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    THE SALUTATION. The writer greets the elect lady and her children (see Introduction) on the ground of their fellowship with him in the truth, _i.e._ the faith held by the Church as opposed to that tau...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    The Elder to the Elect Lady and to her children, whom I love in truth (it is not only I who love you and them, but so do all who love the truth) because of the truth which abides in us and which will...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

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

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    GRACE. Only here, and three times in the Gospel, and twice in Rev., in John's writings. App-184. Compare 1 Timothy 1:2. BE. shall be. MERCY. Only here in John. GOD. App-98. FATHER. App-98. LORD....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Grace be with you, mercy, and peace_ Rather, as R. V., _Grace, mercy, and peace_ SHALL BE _with_ US. It is not so much a prayer or a blessing, as the confident assurance of a blessing; and the Apostl...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Address and Greeting 1 3. Like most of the Epistles of S. Paul, the Epistles of S. Peter, S. James, and S. Jude, and unlike the First Epistle, this letter has a definite address and greeting. In its...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    Omit Κυρίου before ἸΗΣΟΥ͂ with [867][868] against [869][870][871]. [872] omits ἜΣΤΑΙ ΜΕΘ ̓ ἩΜΩ͂Ν. [867] 5th century. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, from Alexandria, and afterwar...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    ADDRESS AND GREETING 1–3. Like most of the Epistles of S. Paul, the Epistles of S. Peter, S. James, and S. Jude, and unlike the First Epistle, this letter has a definite address and greeting. In its...

  • Charles Rose Commentaries

    ΧΆΡΙΣ (G5485) благодать (EDNT; TLNT; TDNT). ΈΛΕΟΣ (G1656) милость (_см._ 1 Timothy 1:2)....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    E. _Translation and Comments_ 1. Salutation. 2 John 1:1-3 (2 John 1:1) The old one to an elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all the ones having come to know...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. GRACE BE WITH YOU. So B, Vulgate; but 'Aleph (') has 'us' for yo...

  • Commentary on the Minor Epistles by Caton

    VERSE 3. GRACE BE WITH YOU, MERCY, AND PEACE. This verse contains a benediction which is common in all apostolic writings....

  • Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch

    1 It is a striking fact that John never appeals to his apostleship in his epistles. In this short note, as well as in the next one, he is simply an elder. This accords with the private character of th...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    WITH YOU] The better text reads 'with us.' Cp. “Westcott and Hort....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    HOW TO LIVE IN THE TRUTH 2 JOHN _IAN MACKERVOY_ ABOUT THIS LETTER 1. WRITER At the start of the letter, the writer calls himself the ‘*elder’. There are three ways that we can use the word ‘*eld...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    A man so well-known to his correspondent that he only calls himself “the old man,” or, “the elder,” writes to a mother, whose name is possibly Kyria, and to her children. Her sister’s children are in...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    ἔσται μεθʼ ἡμῶν, not a wish (1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:2) but a confident assurance. χάρις the well-spring in the heart of God; ἔλεος, its outpourings; εἰρήνη, its blessed effect. They are evangelical bl...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    The Address. “The Elder to elect Kyria and her children, whom I love in Truth, and not I alone but also all that have got to know the Truth, because of the Truth that abideth in us; and with us it sha...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    WALKING IN TRUTH 2 John 1:1 This exquisite letter, a model of old-world correspondence, was probably written when the Apostle was the guest of the nephews of the lady addressed. The Epistle revolves...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    "TO THE ELECT LADY AND HER CHILDREN" John is thought of as the author of 2 John. This is because of the testimony of ancient authorities as well as the fact that this letter is so similar in style an...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Grace be with you, mercy, [and] peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in (c) truth and love. (c) With true knowledge which always has love united with it...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. John very properly calls himself an Elder; for at the time he wrote...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    The Second and Third Epistles of John insist on the truth. The Second warns the faithful against the reception of those who do not teach the doctrine of Christ, especially the truth respecting the Per...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    GRACE BE WITH YOU, MERCY [AND] PEACE,.... This form of salutation, or wish and prayer for the blessings mentioned, FROM GOD THE FATHER, AND FROM THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, is the same used by other apost...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Grace be with you, mercy, _and_ peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. Ver. 3. _Grace be with you, &c._] This blessing belongs not only...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Grace be with you_, &c. See on Romans 1:7. Grace takes away the guilt and power of sin, and renews our fallen nature; mercy relieves our misery; peace implies our abiding in grace and mercy. It inclu...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    GRACE BE WITH YOU, MERCY, AND PEACE FROM GOD THE FATHER AND FROM THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF THE FATHER, IN TRUTH AND LOVE. The address shows the affectionate regard which the aged apostle bore...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Address and salutation:...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-3 Religion turns compliments into real expressions of respect and love. And old disciple is honourable; an old apostle and leader of disciples is more so. The letter is to a noble Christian matron,...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    Such salutations see explained where they have formerly occurred....

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    2 John 1:3 Grace G5485 mercy G1656 peace G1515 be G2071 (G5704) with G3326 you G5216 from G3844 God...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘Grace, mercy, peace shall be with us, from God the Father, and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.' The permanent nature of their true faith results from God's grace, mercy a...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    2 John 1:3. GRACE, MERCY, PEACE, SHALL BE WITH US FROM GOD THE FATHER, AND FROM JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF THE FATHER, IN TRUTH AND LOVE. This is the old invocation, with which the other apostles have m...

  • Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

    SHALL BE WITH US (εστα μεθ' ημων). He picks up the words before in reverse order. Future indicative here, not a wish with the optative (ειε) as we have in 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:2. The salutation is...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    2 John 1:3 Grace, Mercy, and Peace. We have here a very unusual form of the apostolic salutation. "Grace, mercy, and peace" are put together in this fashion only in Paul's two epistles to Timothy and...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Truth and love inseparable in the Christian life. Doctrine the test of reality. CHARACTERS: God, Christ, John, elect lady, anti-christ. CONCLUSION: The test of our love to God is universal...

  • The Bible Study New Testament

    MAY GOD. This is John's word of blessing, from both God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. MAY THEY BE OURS. See 1 John 2:24....

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Grace be with you, mercy, peace._ GRACE, MERCY, AND PEACE Grace in Scripture comprehends all the senses that it bears, separately and apart, in our common dialects. When you say of a royal person, “...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    2 JOHN—NOTE ON 2 JOHN 1:1 Greeting: The Elder’s Love. Love frames the opening section, appearing in vv. 2 John 1:1 and...

  • The Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide

    PREFACE TO THE SECOND AND THIRD EPISTLE OF S. JOHN.. SEVERAL ancient writers have entertained doubts respecting the Second and Third Epistles of S. John, supposing them to have been written by John t...

  • The Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide

    _Grace, mercy, and peace be with you._ Concerning this salutation I have spoken in the beginning of St. Paul's Epistles to Titus, the Romans, and Corinthians. He adds _mercy_ (or, as the Syriac _trans...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Tonight, we want to look at 2 John and 3 John and the book of Jude, all short little one-chapter epistles. The epistles of 2 John and 3 John were of course, written by the apostle John. A situation ex...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 John 2:23; 1 John 2:24; 1 John 4:10; 1 Timothy 1:14; 1 Timothy 1:2;...

  • Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament (4 Volume Set)

    Grace be with you, mercy and peace [ε σ τ α ι μ ε θ η μ ω ν χ α ρ ι ς ε λ ε ο ς ε ι ρ η ν η]. The verb is in the future tense : shall be. In the Pauline Epistles the salutations contain no verb. In 1...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Grace takes away guilt; mercy, misery: peace implies the abiding in grace and mercy. It includes the testimony of God's Spirit, both that we are his children, and that all our ways are acceptable to h...

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