Verse Lens · Concise explanation
2 John 1:5 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 5. 5And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The Elder asks the lady and the addressed group to keep the long-received command to love one another.
Joy that some of the children are walking in truth
This verse is one part of that explanation in 2 John 1:4–6. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- 2 John 1:4–6
Read verses 4–6 together. Verse 4 commends walking in truth, verse 5 renews mutual love, and verse 6 shows the commanded shape of that love.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The request turns observed faithfulness into a continuing community obligation before the warning about deceivers.
Read 2 John 1:4–6 together
Why these verses belong together: Joy over walking in truth leads directly to the received love command and its definition through commanded walking.
Verse 4. 4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
Verse 5. 5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
Verse 6. 6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
What Remains True
Mutual love is foundational Christian obedience, not an optional response invented after conflict begins.
How It Can Shape Life
- In a contested situation, renew the actual command to love one another before creating extra rules the text does not give.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read 2 John 1:4–6 — Walk in Truth by Loving One AnotherSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
Where care is needed
'From the beginning' may emphasize Jesus' command, the recipients' first instruction, or the foundational message shared by both.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: The pinned KJV wording, paragraph boundaries, and supplied-word markup for 2 John 1:4–6.
Exact location: eBible/CrossWire eng-kjv2006 USFM, 2JN.usfm, 2 John 1:4–6; archive and normalized-corpus SHA-256 values are recorded in the shared library policy.
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: The critically edited Greek wording and sentence relationships for 2 John 1:4–6.
Exact location: Faithlife SBLGNT repository, data/sblgnt/text/2John.txt, 2 John 1:4–6.
Open the 2 John Greek text file ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible: 2 John 1 — translator, study, and textual notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press / Bible.org, NET Second Edition web notes
Supports: Translation choices, textual variants, grammatical relationships, and identified interpretive alternatives used in this unit.
Exact location: NET Bible, 2 John 1, translator, study, and textual notes 9–21 attached to 2 John 1:4–6.
Open source ↗