What does 2 John 1:3 mean?
Verses 1 and 2 described the letter's author and recipient. Verse 3 offers a greeting, completing the traditional three-part introduction common to letters in Greco-Roman culture. John refers to grace, mercy, and peace. Each of these qualities are found in believers, yet come from God. They also come from Jesus, who is the Son of God.The conclusion of this verse again ties love and truth together. John and other believers "love in truth" (2 John 1:1) because of the grace, mercy, and peace that come from God. John also closely links God the Father and God the Son, emphasizing their equal nature. Later, he will add details about the importance of Jesus coming "in the flesh" (2 John 1:7). Here, John simply states that Jesus is the Son of God and "Christ." His term is from the Greek Christos, meaning "Anointed One." This, in turn, is from the Hebrew term for Messiah.
Second John 1:1–3 introduces this letter, from ''the elder'' to ''the elect lady and her children.'' These are references to the disciple John, and some particular local church, respectively. As is typical in such letters, John refers to the grace of God, to Jesus Christ, and to the concepts of love and truth.
The entire book of 2 John is only 13 verses long. It is written by ''the elder,'' in this case the disciple John. In it, John commends a group of believers for holding fast to the truth of the gospel. He also warns these people to avoid those who deny aspects of the Christian faith, and who deceive people away from the truth. John uses the term ''elect lady and her children'' as a reference to this entire local church.
