2 John 1:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It is truly a most joyful thing to find a man walking without stumbling in the course of faith in Christ, according to His commandment. What commandment is this? It is the one of which Christ says in the Gospel: "He who loves Me will keep My commandments" (Jn 14:23).

Here he calls Christ Father, because He is also the father of those sons who, according to the divine economy, were given Him by the Father, as it is written: "Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me" (Is 8:18).

The saints rejoice to see the work of truth.

Indeed, it is very joyful to see a man walking steadfastly in the path of Christ's faith, following His commandment. What commandment is this? The one of which Christ says in the Gospel: "If anyone loves Me, let him keep My commandments" (Jn 14:15). The Apostle here calls Christ Father, since He is Father of those entrusted to Him as His children by the Father.

"I found some of your children walking in truth." This does not mean that only some of the lady's children walked in truth, for such a remark would resemble a success report. Nor does it likely mean that not all her children had been converted to Christianity, since in the greeting the Apostle speaks generally of the lady's children. Rather, it may indicate that the Apostle had personally met only some of the lady's children.

To walk in truth does not mean only to be a Christian enlightened by evangelical truth. It means to walk before God and to progress in fulfilling His commandments, as Enoch and Noah, Abraham and Isaac, Moses and Samuel, David and Hezekiah (4 Kgs 20:3), Zechariah and Elizabeth (Lk 1:6), and all the other righteous walked in truth and pleased God.

"I rejoiced greatly," and so forth. With an expression of great joy, no doubt together with thanksgiving to God, the Apostle begins his Epistle, as the Apostle Paul often does (Rom 1:8 and following; Eph 1:3 and following; Col 1:3 and following). The Apostle rejoices that he found some of the children of the lady to whom he writes walking in truth.

Explaining what gave him occasion to write the Epistle, namely his meeting, perhaps in Ephesus among their relatives, with some of the children of the pious lady to whom he writes, the Apostle praises their walking in truth. This means not only their faithfulness to Christ, but also their striving for perfection in Christian life.

According to the explanation of blessed Theophylact, walking in truth is mentioned in order to indicate progress, "for the farther one advances, the greater habit of good he acquires." He points to the Father's commandment to walk in truth in the words of Jesus Christ: "He who loves Me will keep My word" (Jn 14:23). For Jesus Christ said: "My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me" (Jn 7:16).