2 John 1:6 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The Context of 2 John 1:6
Second John is a brief letter written to an "elect lady and her children," warning against deceivers who deny that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. Before that warning, John urges his readers to love one another. Verse 6 explains what that love means, walking in God's commandments, linking love and obedience as the safeguard of a community surrounded by false teaching.
What Does 2 John 1:6 Mean?
John defines love in plain terms: it is walking after God's commandments. Love is a way of life that runs deeper than feeling, a steady "walk" that follows what God has commanded. The two are bound together so closely that the commandment can be summed up as love itself, and love is proven by obedience. There is no rivalry here between loving and obeying; one is the living form of the other.
The phrase "as ye have heard from the beginning" anchors this love in the original message believers received. John is reminding his readers of the foundation they already possess rather than introducing something new. To "walk in it" is to keep living out that first, enduring teaching. In a letter concerned with truth and the danger of deception, this verse gives a simple test: genuine love expresses itself in faithful obedience, and genuine obedience is the shape that love takes. The walk is continuous, a daily path rather than a single act, marking the believer's whole course of life.
2 John 1:6 in the Original Language
Greek (Koine)
Bible Verses Related to 2 John 1:6
“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.”
- 2 John 1:5
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
- John 14:15
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”
- 1 John 5:3
How to Apply 2 John 1:6 Today
Measure your love by your daily walk, looking past feeling alone. Real love takes the shape of obedience, keeping the words you first received and living them out faithfully. When love and obedience seem to pull apart, John's test reunites them: to love is to walk in God's commandments.
Frequently Asked Questions About 2 John 1:6
What does 2 John 1:6 mean?
John defines love in plain terms: it is walking after God's commandments. Love is a way of life that runs deeper than feeling, a steady "walk" that follows what God has commanded. The two are bound together so closely that the commandment can be summed up as love itself, and love is proven by obedience. There is no rivalry here between loving and obeying; one is the living form of the other.
What is the context of 2 John 1:6?
Second John is a brief letter written to an "elect lady and her children," warning against deceivers who deny that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. Before that warning, John urges his readers to love one another. Verse 6 explains what that love means, walking in God's commandments, linking love and obedience as the safeguard of a community surrounded by false teaching.
How can I apply 2 John 1:6 today?
Measure your love by your daily walk, looking past feeling alone. Real love takes the shape of obedience, keeping the words you first received and living them out faithfully. When love and obedience seem to pull apart, John's test reunites them: to love is to walk in God's commandments.