This verse expresses a blessing that functions as a greeting. Its wording differs from that of the usual formulas of greeting in four points: (1) by employing will be the writer makes the verse an assurance that grace, mercy, and peace will be given, whereas the normal wording of the formula is without a verb and expresses a wish; (2) the writer uses with us instead of “for-you,” and (3) the Father’s Son instead of “the Lord”; and (4) he adds in truth and love.

That the verse functions as a greeting will often be sufficiently clear from the context and from its position in the discourse. If not, the translator may give his readers a clue by saying here, for example, ‘I greet them (or you) with the words: Grace … will be….’ Or he may use a section heading that contains such a clue, as suggested in this Handbook.

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God …: the sentence may have to be restructured; for example, ‘we will have grace, mercy, and peace, given/shown/caused by God…,’ ‘God … will give/show us (or cause us to have) grace, mercy, and peace.’ Where grace and mercy are to be rendered by verbal or adjectival expressions, one may say something like ‘God … will favor us, will be merciful towards us, and will make us dwell in peace.’

Grace, or ‘favor,’ ‘gracious care/help,’ often occurs in formulas of greeting, at the beginning or the end of letters. In John’s writings it is found only here and in John 1.14, 16-17. The term may refer (1) to an act, namely, God’s gracious dealing with man, and (2) to a state, namely, God’s gracious attitude toward men that leads to such an act. In this context (1) seems to be emphasized.

Renderings are sometimes built on the concept “good”; for example, ‘the goodness of God’s heart,’ ‘innermost’s goodness,’ ‘what leads to good,’ ‘looking upon a person for good’; or they may be built on the concept “beauty”; for example, ‘inner-beauty.’ Some other idioms reflect the reaction of the receiver; for example, ‘that which calls for gratitude’; or they may reflect the psychological state of the giver, as in ‘big-heartedness’ or ‘going-out of the liver.’

Mercy: the Greek term is commonly used in the sense of “compassion,” “pity.” Here it refers to God’s unfailing concern for his people, his consciousness of their needs and his readiness to help them. In the Greek version of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, it usually translates the Hebrew term chesed “steadfast love” (Revised Standard Version, replacing King James Version‘s “loving-kindness”).

The word, which occurs only here in John’s writings, is common in greetings, often in the same combination as found here. The terms mercy and grace are closely synonymous. Both terms refer to the love and kindness God shows towards men, but in mercy the focus is on God’s being concerned with men, in grace on God’s free initiative.

Some idiomatic or descriptive renderings used are ‘white heart,’ ‘what arises from a tender heart,’ ‘seeing with sorrow,’ ‘regarding as miserable,’ ‘feeling love for.’; see also Mark 5.19. As shown in several of these examples, the term must often be rendered by a verb phrase meaning ‘to act-mercifully,’ ‘to be-merciful.’

Peace also occurs often in greetings. In the Septuagint it is the rendering of Hebrew shalom (basically meaning “completeness,” “well-being”). Its meaning in the New Testament is: (a) harmony between man and man (see, for example, Matt 10.34); (b) harmony between God and man, especially through man’s being reconciled with God (compare Acts 10.36; Rom 5.1; Eph 2.17); and (c) “well-being.” In the present verse the primary meaning is (c), but meaning (b) comes through, as it does also in 3 John 15, and John 14.27; compare John 16.33.

In some contexts the term “peace” has a negative connotation and refers to the absence or ending of discord and conflict, but here the meaning is decidedly positive. Some of the terms or phrases used to render this latter meaning are ‘the heart sitting down (or sitting quiet),’ ‘quiet goodness,’ ‘coolness,’ ‘completeness,’ ‘having one (that is, an undivided) heart,’ ‘a well-arranged soul,’ ‘a song in the body’ (whereas the language concerned renders “joy” as ‘a song in the stomach’), ‘strength of heart,’ ‘leaning on the liver,’ ‘making even the heart.’ For these renderings and further details, see A Translator’s Handbook on the Gospel of Mark on 9.50; A Translator’s Handbook on the Gospel of Luke on 1.79.

God the Father: this phrase is common in other New Testament Letters but occurs only here in John’s writings. Compare, however, John 6.27, where the Greek has “the Father” and “God” but does not combine the two in one phrase.

As discussed in the note on 1 John 1.5, some receptor languages render “God” by an expression that already contains the word for “father.” In such cases the rendering of God and God the Father will have to be the same term. For the Father see comments on 1 John 1.2.

The Father’s Son is used here instead of “the Lord,” the title more commonly used in Christian letters. This is because one of the main themes of John’s Letters is the warning not to separate the earthly Jesus from the heavenly Son of God.

If the term for Father, used with reference to God, is clearly marked as a title, the rendering of the Father’s Son does not cause special difficulties as a rule. Where it is not thus marked, a problem may arise from the fact that the two nouns in this phrase refer to the same relationship, though viewed from different angles. Then it may be preferable to shift to such renderings as ‘God’s Son,’ or ‘his Son’ (in which the possessive pronoun points back to the preceding phrase God the Father).

In truth and love is a loosely connected prepositional phrase. It may go (1) with “us,” qualifying the way in which grace … works in the writer and the addressees, or (2) with God and Jesus Christ, indicating how they give grace … peace. Possibly both meanings were in John’s mind, but if a translator has to choose, he can perhaps best keep to interpretation (1). For “truth” and “love” compare comments on 1 John 2.21 (second occurrence) and 2.5.

It is often better to render the phrase as a full sentence; for example, ‘these will be with us in truth and love’; or better to further specify the function of the phrase, as in ‘these will be with us (as with people) who know the truth (or who are true believers, or who truly believe) and love one another.’

Quoted with permission from Haas, C., de Jonge, M. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on The Second Letter of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

I rejoiced greatly, or ‘I felt very joyful,’ ‘I had great joy’ (for the noun “joy” see comments on 1 John 1.4). The verb is in the aorist tense, referring to a specific event in the past. Some idioms used here are ‘my heart is very glad (literally smiling),’ ‘my inner-being is expanding.’

To find some of your children following the truth is more literally “that (hoti in Greek) I find some … the truth.” The relationship between ‘to rejoice’ and the situation or fact in which one rejoices is viewed in various ways by receptor languages. Some of them do as the Greek, and take the clause as stating the contents of the joy. Others use a causal construction such as ‘because I have found….’ Such a construction may require a further shift resulting in a rendering of the sentence like ‘the fact that I have found some … makes great joy.’ Still other languages take the clause as referring to accompanying circumstances: ‘when I found….’

To find is in the perfect tense, which here, however, has practically the same meaning as the preceding aorist. It occurs in the Greek with a participle that refers to the state of being or the action in which the persons in question are involved. This clause structure may have to be changed; for example, ‘to find some of your children who are (or while they are) following….’ The verb to find can usually be rendered by ‘to (come to) know,’ ‘to hear,’ ‘to perceive,’ or by verbs suggesting an actual encounter, such as ‘to see,’ ‘to meet,’ ‘to come across.’

Some of your children refers to a part of the congregation addressed. The expression implies dissension, since there is apparently another part of the congregation which does not give reason for rejoicing. This partitive function of some of is rendered in some languages by first mentioning the whole, then the part, for example, ‘your children, there are those who….’ The Greek itself uses a comparable construction here.

Following the truth or, closer to the Greek wording, “walking in truth,” means to live in the sphere of truth and to do what is in accordance with it. This has been expressed in various ways; for example, “to be guided by truth” (Goodspeed), “to live the life of truth” (Phillips), ‘to act in accordance with the truth,’ ‘to heed what is true.’ For “to walk” and “truth” compare comments on 1 John 1.6.

This rendering assumes that “to walk in truth” (without the article, here and in 3 John 3c) has the same meaning as “to walk in the truth” (with the article 3 John 4; compare also “to live according to the truth,” 1 John 1.6). A few translators, however, prefer to interpret “in truth” as an adverbial phrase, rendered ‘really,’ ‘truly’ (compare 2 John 1.1), and to take ‘walking truly’ with the following clause. This leads to a rendering of verse 4b like ‘to walk truly as we have been commanded…,’ ‘to act/behave really as we have been commanded….’ This interpretation, though possible, is not recommended.

Just as we have been commanded by the Father is in the Greek literally “just as we received commandment from the Father.” The unit “to receive commandment from” has been rendered in Revised Standard Version and some other versions by the passive form of “to command.” If idiom requires it, one may shift to the active form, “just as the Father commanded us” (Good News Translation), but where an active and a passive construction are both possible, the passive is preferable here; compare the note on “just as he has commanded us” in 1 John 3.23. Another possible rendering of the Greek is “in accordance with the commandment we received from the Father.”

The Greek text uses the aorist tense here. This is to show that the reference is to a historic event. The writer may have had in mind an occasion like the one described in John 13.34, where God’s commandment to love is given through the mouth of Jesus.

The pronoun we has inclusive force here, similar to its use in verses 5-6. For “commandment” and the force of the singular, see comments on 1 John 2.3.

Quoted with permission from Haas, C., de Jonge, M. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on The Second Letter of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

And now I beg you, lady: the words now I beg you are a common formula in letter writing, used when the writer comes to the subject matter of his letter. For And now see comments on 1 John 2.28.

I beg you implies an exhortation. This exhortative force may be expressed in the dependent clause instead of in the verb; for example, ‘And now I say to you, lady, … that we ought to love one another,’ or ‘And now, lady, … let us (or please, let us) love each other.’

The rest of verse 5 is composed of two parts, (a) not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning, and (b) that we love one another. Part (a) qualifies the preceding exhortation. Except for a few minor differences it repeats 1 John 2.7, which see. Part (b) gives the contents of the exhortation.

Since (b) is directly dependent on “I beg you,” (a) has the character of a parenthetical statement, and a rather long one at that. If this is stylistically undesirable, clause (a) may be transposed to the head of the verse (as in New English Bible and Translators’ Translation) or to its end; compare Good News Translation‘s “and so I ask you, dear Lady: let us love one another. This is no new command I write you; it is a command which we have from the beginning.” Or again, one may divide the verse into two sentences; for example, ‘Lady, I have to make a request of you. No, it is not a new commandment I am writing you, but I point to a commandment we have had from the beginning: let us love one another.’

For that we love one another, compare comments on 1 John 3.11.

Quoted with permission from Haas, C., de Jonge, M. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on The Second Letter of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

For this is love, that we follow his commandments, compare 1 John 5.3a. The first clause has also been rendered ‘love means (or consists in) this.’ The that clause states what exactly love means, or in what love consists. The term love is to be taken here in its widest range: love for God and for each other.

Follow his commandments in the Greek is literally “to walk in his commandments.” The expression refers to virtually the same thing as “to walk in truth” (verse 4). The rendering may closely resemble that of “to keep his commandments” in 1 John 2.3 (which see), or it may even be the same.

This is the commandment…, that you follow love is in the Greek literally “this is the commandment…, that in it you walk.” There is a certain parallelism between this sentence (verse 6b) and the preceding one (verse 6a), and the relationship between the two clauses in each sentence is the same. Verse 6b is ambiguous in two aspects: (1) The demonstrative this may point back to verse 6a (which in its turn explains the last clause of verse 5) or forward to the that clause of verse 6b. (2) In the Greek clause “in it you walk,” the pronoun “it” may refer to “commandment” (verse 6b) or to “love” (verse 6a).

Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and the majority of translators take this as pointing forward and interpret “in it you walk” as meaning “in love you walk”; hence, “you follow love.” Thus interpreted verse 6b is a reverse way of saying what is said in verse 6a. The statement serves to show that love and “God’s commandment” are virtually interchangeable; man can truly practice love only by doing what God has told him to do, and, conversely, what God always has told him to do is to love. This interpretation is based on, and does justice to, the parallelism existing between the two parts of verse 6.

The expression follow love, or “walk/live in love,” may have to be restructured. One may say, for example, ‘to live as people who love (God and their brothers),’ ‘to act as (or to do what) people who love (God and their brothers) ought to do.’

An objection against the interpretation of verse 6b just given is that in itself the Greek word order in the whole verse seems to suggest that “it” refers to commandment rather than to love. Some translators give a rendering along these lines; for example, “this is the command which was given you from the beginning, to be your rule of life” (New English Bible), ‘this now is the command which you received already in the very beginning, in order that you would really live in accordance with it.’ Such renderings are certainly possible and give to verse 6b a force which the verse lacks in the first-mentioned interpretation.

For as you have heard from the beginning see comments on 1 John 2.7. The clause is rather redundant after verse 5. This redundancy serves to stress the validity of the statement in which these words are embedded. The clause, again, has the character of a parenthetical statement and may better be transposed. It is often best rendered then as a full sentence at the end of the verse, ‘This is what you have heard from the beginning.’

Quoted with permission from Haas, C., de Jonge, M. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on The Second Letter of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Verses 7-9 give the reason for the preceding exhortation: only by keeping the command to love will the Christians be able to hold their own against the false teachers, whose denial of the Incarnation implies that they did not practice the love Jesus preached.

Many deceivers have gone out into the world: this clause closely resembles 1 John 4.1c (which see), except for two differences: for deceivers the other verse has “false prophets”; instead of the aorist tense of the Greek verb the other verse uses the perfect tense. If the latter difference is intentional, it is to indicate that here the process is viewed simply as a past act, but in 1 John 4.1 as a past act with results continuing in the present.

Deceivers: the Greek word used here is an agent noun referring to persons who are habitually deceiving people. It differs from “those who would deceive” (1 John 2.26, which see) in that it does not express an attempt. For “the world” see comments on 1 John 2.15, meaning (2).

Men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh is an appositional phrase going with deceivers but may better be rendered as a full sentence; for example, ‘They (are men who) will not acknowledge the coming….’ What is stated in this clause forms the negative counterpart of what is said in 1 John 4.2b, which see.

Men who will not acknowledge: the Greek uses a present tense form. Therefore one can better say “men who do not acknowledge” (New English Bible, compare also Good News Translation, Translators’ Translation). For the verb see comments on “to confess” in 1 John 2.23.

The coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh can be restated as ‘that Jesus Christ comes in the flesh.’ The Greek uses a participle of the present tense, which characterizes the phrase as a fixed formula stating the fact of the Incarnation. The receptor language may require a past tense form; for example, ‘that Jesus Christ came (or has come) in the flesh.’

To take the verb form as a reference to Christ’s continuous coming gives no satisfactory sense. To take it as having future force and the clause as referring to Jesus’ second advent is grammatically possible but is highly improbable in this context.

Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist: this clause gives a similar view on the relationship between the false teachers and the antichrist as found in 1 John 4.3, but it is phrased differently.

Such a one is, in the Greek literally “this-one,” is pointing backward to men who will …. It may have to be adjusted in order to bring out the meaning more clearly or to ease the shift from the plural (men) to the singular; for example, ‘whoever is like these persons is,’ ‘it is in a person resembling these men that we see.’ Or one may say “that is the mark of,” following Goodspeed, who shifts from the persons to the situation those persons are in.

The deceiver and the antichrist forms the predicate of the sentence. The two nouns refer to one and the same person, and they are closely connected. The definite articles serve to indicate that the designations were well known to the readers. The nouns tend to function as titles, the second probably still more so than the first.

Where the terms might be misunderstood as referring to different persons, it may be better to omit the connective; for example, ‘the Deceiver, the Antichrist’ (compare Bible de Jérusalem). Semantically speaking the first term qualifies the second. To bring this out one may change the word order; compare “the Antichrist, the archdeceiver” (New English Bible), or, where necessary, shift to a relative clause, ‘the antichrist who is a deceiver (or is always deceiving).’ For “antichrist” see comments on 1 John 2.18.

Quoted with permission from Haas, C., de Jonge, M. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on The Second Letter of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Look to yourselves, or “watch yourselves” (Good News Translation), ‘take care,’ ‘be on your guard,’ ‘walk with thought.’ This and similar expressions are often used in warnings in connection with the Last Hour; compare a passage like Mark 13.5.

That you may not lose what …: this dependent clause is in some cases better rendered as a coordinated sentence; for example, ‘look to yourselves; if you don’t do so (or if not, or otherwise), you will lose what…,’ ‘be on your guard; don’t lose what….’

To lose is used here with reference to good things they had obtained and has the sense of ‘to find missing,’ ‘to suffer the loss of’; or more actively, ‘to destroy.’ In some cases a shift to an intransitive construction is preferable, as in ‘take care that what … may not disappear (or be without results, or be in vain).’

What you have worked for, preferably “what you have accomplished,” ‘the work you have done,’ referring to work done by the readers in the congregation and in mission.

There is a variant reading of the Greek text, in which the verb is in the first person plural instead of in the second person. It is not easy to decide between the two. If the first person is accepted as the original reading (as done among others by Nestle, New English Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, Luther 1984), it should be taken as referring to John and his helpers and, therefore, having exclusive force.

Similar variant readings are given for the preceding verb, “to lose,” and the following verb, “to win,” but the chances that the first person is the original reading are less in these two cases than in the phrase under discussion.

But (that you) may win a full reward: this and the preceding clause form an antithetical pair, which states virtually the same thing, first in a negative, next in a positive construction. If the preceding clause has been restructured, it is preferable for the present one to follow the same structure.

To win a full reward, or to ‘obtain/receive/be-given a full reward,’ is a standing Jewish expression (compare, for example, Ruth 2.12 in the Greek version of the Old Testament). In the New Testament this and similar expressions are used in connection with eschatological expectations; compare Matt 5.12; Mark 9.41; 1 Cor 3.8, 14; Rev 11.18; 22.12.

A full reward, or ‘your full/whole/complete reward’: the adjective is sometimes better rendered as an adverbial qualification; for example, ‘win your reward in full (or completely, or without anything lacking).’ The noun indicates what one receives because of the work one has done. Here it probably refers to the eternal life the believers receive from God because they obey his commandments and follow Jesus.

Some versions can render reward simply by the common term for “wages,” such as, ‘your-work-its-price.’ In others one can better use renderings like ‘all God promised to grant you,’ ‘all (the benefit) which God wants to give you,’ ‘all that which God has prepared for you.’

Quoted with permission from Haas, C., de Jonge, M. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on The Second Letter of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This verse contrasts the false and the true teachers.

Any one who goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ: the two verbs are closely connected, the second explaining the first.

Goes ahead is used here in the unfavorable sense of ‘goes too far,’ ‘goes farther than one should.’ In some languages the meaning is better expressed in this context by a verb for ‘to go aside,’ or ‘to add.’

For abide in see comments on 1 John 2.10.

The doctrine of Christ should preferably be rendered as “the teaching of Christ.” This may mean “what Christ teaches” or “what is taught about Christ.” The former is preferable here; compare John 7.16-17. The reference is to what Christ told his followers about the will of God and the true way of life. For “to teach” and for “Christ” see comments on 1 John 2.27 and 22.

Several of the points just mentioned are illustrated in such renderings of the clause as ‘any one who goes so far that he does not observe what Christ taught,’ ‘any one who goes beyond the teaching of Christ by not keeping within it,’ ‘any one who does not keep to the teaching that is Christ’s, but goes aside from it (or adds to it).’

To have both the Father and the Son, or ‘to have the Father as well as the Son’: for the rendering of the verb in this context see 1 John 2.23. For the Father and the Son, see comments on 1 John 1.3 and 2.22.

Quoted with permission from Haas, C., de Jonge, M. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on The Second Letter of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Verses 10 and 11 state what the members of the congregation have to do when a person coming to teach them proves to belong to the false teachers being discussed.

If (in the Greek followed by an indicative of the present tense) expresses an assumption that is considered a real case; hence ‘When,’ ‘At the moment that.’

Does not bring this doctrine, or ‘does not come with this teaching,’ ‘does not teach thus,’ ‘does not teach (or tell) you what Christ taught.’

Do not receive him into the house, or ‘do not accept him as a guest in your house/home.’ Living together in the house implies intimate fellowship and contact. It is undesirable to have such contact with the false teachers.

(Do not) give him any greeting is probably meant as a climax; hence ‘do not even greet him.’ The reference is to a greeting when one meets a person. It is, again, the fellowship and association implied in greeting that should be avoided, as the next verse shows.

“To give a greeting”: the Greek literally means “to tell to rejoice/be-glad,” which is a common expression for “to greet.” The same expression occurs in verse 11.

The concept of greeting is rendered in some languages by ‘to call to,’ ‘to speak kindly to.’ In other languages the rendering is a reference to the gesture one makes when meeting a person; for example, ‘to snap fingers,’ ‘to rub noses.’ Or it is built on the formula spoken on such an occasion; for example, ‘to say, “Peace to you,” ’ ‘to say, “Are you still alive?” ’ For further details on “greeting” see A Translator’s Handbook on the Gospel of Luke on 1.28 (“hail”), and for more on “to greet” see A Translator’s Handbook on the Gospel of Mark on 9.15; A Translator’s Handbook on the Gospel of Luke on 1.29.

Quoted with permission from Haas, C., de Jonge, M. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on The Second Letter of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .