II John 1:6
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And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the very commandment you have heard from the beginning, that you must walk in love.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
"Love is the fulfilling of the law" (Rom 13:10), and the fulfilling of the law is the sure test of love. This is the commandment--Greek, "The commandment is this," namely, love, in which all God's other commandments are summed up.
Open source ↗The apostle here salutes an honourable matron and her children (Jo2 1:1-3). Recommends to them faith and love (Jo2 1:5, Jo2 1:6). Warns them of deceivers (Jo2 1:7), and to take heed to themselves (Jo2 1:8). Teaches how to treat those who bring not the doctrine of Christ (Jo2 1:10, Jo2 1:11). And, referring other things to personal discourse, concludes the epistle (Jo2 1:12, Jo2 1:13).
Open source ↗Cross-references
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For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome,
If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.
As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father.
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him:
You are My friends if you do what I command you.
Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”
And now I urge you, dear lady—not as a new commandment to you, but one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.
And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him.