2 John 1:3
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →A blessing of grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, given in truth and love.
What Does 2 John 1:3 Mean?
Following the custom of ancient letters, the elder pronounces a blessing over his readers. He names three gifts — grace, mercy, and peace — and traces them to their source: 'God the Father' and 'the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father.' Father and Son are named together as the one fountain of every good thing the believer receives.
Unlike a mere wish, this is a confident declaration that these gifts truly come. Grace is God's undeserved kindness, mercy His tenderness toward the struggling, and peace the wholeness that follows. They arrive 'in truth and love' — the same two threads woven through the whole letter. The reader is reminded that what we most need is not earned but given, flowing from the Father through the Son.
In the Original Language
charis (χάρις), 'grace' — favor freely given, a gift that cannot be earned and is never owed.