2 John 1:3 kjv

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.

2 John 1:3 nkjv

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

2 John 1:3 niv

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

2 John 1:3 esv

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

2 John 1:3 nlt

Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ ? the Son of the Father ? will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.

2 John 1 verses

2 John 1 3 Meaning

Grace, mercy, and peace are divine blessings originating from God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, that are continuously bestowed upon believers. These blessings are profoundly experienced and upheld within a life that adheres to divine truth and practices Christ-like love. This verse serves as both a hopeful greeting and a foundational affirmation for the church.

2 John 1 3 Context

Second John is a short letter written by "the Elder" (believed to be the Apostle John) to "the elect lady and her children," likely symbolizing a local church and its members, or possibly a literal Christian family. The primary purpose of the letter is to warn against false teachers, referred to as "deceivers" and "antichrists" (v. 7), who denied the full humanity and deity of Jesus Christ. These individuals claimed Jesus did not come "in the flesh" (a form of Docetism/Gnosticism), thereby undermining the atonement. The letter urges believers to "walk in truth" and "love one another," but also warns against extending hospitality to those who propagate such deceptive doctrines. Verse 3 serves as a customary salutation, but its specific components – "grace, mercy, and peace," the explicit mention of "the Son of the Father," and "in truth and love" – are highly relevant to the challenges and theological emphasis of the Johannine community, affirming sound doctrine and correct practice against pervasive heresy.

2 John 1 3 Word analysis

• Grace (Greek: charis, χάρις): Unmerited favor from God, the benevolent disposition towards humanity leading to acts of divine blessing. It signifies God's loving-kindness and willingness to provide salvation and strength. It is foundational to the Christian experience.

• Mercy (Greek: eleos, ἔλεος): Compassion and pity for those in need, especially the helpless. It describes God's active response to human suffering and plight, delivering from sin and its consequences. Its inclusion here by John, in contrast to Paul's more common "grace and peace," highlights a particular emphasis on God's sustaining compassion, perhaps relevant to the believers' vulnerability to false teaching.

• Peace (Greek: eirene, εἰρήνη): Wholeness, well-being, tranquility. It is the spiritual wholeness and reconciliation with God and with others, encompassing inner calm and divine harmony. Derived from the Hebrew shalom, it points to the restoration of right relationships.

• Will be with us (Greek: estai meth' hēmon, ἔσται μεθ' ἡμῶν): The future tense indicates an assurance or promise, implying a continuous, abiding presence of these blessings, not just a momentary wish. "With us" signifies a shared experience among the community of believers, reinforcing fellowship.

• From God the Father (Greek: apo Theou Patros, ἀπὸ Θεοῦ Πατρός): Identifies the ultimate divine source of these profound blessings. It emphasizes God's paternal relationship with believers, signifying His sovereign authority and loving provision.

• And from Jesus Christ (Greek: kai apo Iēsou Christou, καὶ ἀπὸ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ): Ascribes co-origin of these blessings to Jesus Christ, unequivocally affirming His divine nature and mediatorial role alongside God the Father. This reinforces His essential divinity and authority.

• The Son of the Father (Greek: tou Huiou tou Patros, τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Πατρός): A crucial theological statement affirming Jesus's identity, pre-existence, and divine relationship with God. In the face of denials of Christ's true sonship or physical incarnation, this phrase forcefully counters such heresies, emphasizing Christ's essential oneness with God.

• In truth (Greek: en alētheia, ἐν ἀληθείᾳ): Specifies the condition or sphere in which these blessings are experienced. "Truth" refers to divine revelation, sound doctrine, the Person of Christ, and righteous living consistent with the Gospel. It implies a firm adherence to correct teaching concerning Christ.

• And love (Greek: kai agapē, καὶ ἀγάπῃ): Specifies the other condition or sphere. Agapē is God's unconditional, self-sacrificing love. For believers, it means both loving God and loving one another. This phrase connects the blessings of God with living out His divine character.

• Grace, mercy, and peace: These three core blessings are distinct yet inseparable, forming a comprehensive summary of God's favor and provision for His people. Grace is the foundation of salvation, mercy is His compassion in our weaknesses, and peace is the result of restored relationship and inner well-being.

• From God the Father and from Jesus Christ: Explicitly states the unified, Trinitarian source of these blessings. Both are necessary and act in perfect harmony to bestow these spiritual gifts.

• The Son of the Father, in truth and love: This specific cluster of phrases targets the central polemical issues of the letter. The "Son of the Father" directly refutes Gnostic/Docetic teachings that deny Christ's true Sonship and incarnation. "In truth and love" then describes the genuine sphere of Christian existence: right doctrine and right practice are the conditions for abiding in and receiving these blessings. True Christian love cannot be divorced from true doctrine.

2 John 1 3 Bonus section

The precise wording "will be with us" (future tense, yet also with a continuous implication) suggests an ongoing reality rather than just a future hope, meaning these blessings are presently available and assured to the community that upholds truth and love. This particular phrasing distinguishes it from other common apostolic greetings which often use an optative mood, implying a wish. Here, John's usage points to a certainty of God's intention and provision for those who remain faithful to Him.

2 John 1 3 Commentary

The greeting in 2 John 1:3 is more than a simple wish; it is a profound declaration and an intentional theological statement. John's addition of "mercy" to the traditional Pauline "grace and peace" signifies a heightened awareness of the believer's ongoing need for God's active compassion, especially in an era of theological conflict and deception. This unique triplet of blessings flows sovereignly "from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father," underscoring the co-equal and unified divine source of salvation and sustained spiritual life. The emphatic identification of Jesus as "the Son of the Father" is critical in John's context, serving as a powerful reaffirmation against heretics who denied Christ's genuine Sonship or His full humanity. The receipt and experience of these blessings are not automatic but are realized "in truth and love." This means that genuine divine favor and peace flourish in the life of a believer who consistently walks in conformity to divine revelation (truth) concerning Christ and the Gospel, and who demonstrates self-sacrificing love towards others within that true doctrine. The verse thus sets the stage for John's warnings and exhortations, implying that deviations from truth corrupt one's ability to truly experience God's grace, mercy, and peace, and undermine authentic Christian love.