2 John 3 3Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.
The next part of a typical letter of that era was a greeting. Most of Paul’s letters include grace and peace; however, 1 and 2 Timothy include mercy. Each word is significant in Christian theology and echoes some important aspect of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Grace (charis) is God’s gift to humanity of eternal salvation and sustaining hope in this lifetime. All grace comes through Jesus, through whom creation came into existence (John 1:3) and is sustained (Colossians 1:16). We can participate in this grace in its fullness through faith in the revelation of God brought by Jesus.
Mercy (eleos) is the experience of grace that we do not deserve because of our sin and rejection of God. Mercy is the result of grace because God is love and comes to us with the offer of forgiveness and new life. We do not deserve God’s love and forgiveness. If we continue to walk in disobedience and reject his grace, we will not experience God’s mercy. Mercy is God’s response to the repentant and sincere heart.
Peace (eirēnē) is the human experience of right relationship with God and creation. Peace is more than an absence of conflict, though that is part of it. In the tradition of the Old Testament’s concept of shalom, peace involves well-being in all of life. It describes the life of purpose, clarity, and relationships governed by love. Peace with God resources peaceful relationships with other people. The greatest peace comes in the word order John gives here. Grace initiates the wholeness expressed in
The word order of the Greek text begins with the assurance that these qualities will be with us. This greeting is not a wish but a certainty because of the source found in Father and Son. The Father sent the Son to earth to reveal God’s love and compassion (John 1:14, 18). The Old Testament describes God as “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” (Exodus 34:6-7). These qualities were experienced remotely and corporately. Jesus brought this hope to individuals, to everyone who believes. He lived out these qualities before people in tangible acts and taught powerful words that illustrated them. The identity of Jesus as the Father’s Son clarified Jesus’ position and combatted any growing heresy about him. The description preserved God’s unity as one and provided a solid foundation for the doctrine of salvation through Jesus.
The greeting concludes with repeating the key words of truth and love, which are the sources of grace, mercy, and peace. Their repetition in the opening verses emphasizes their importance for the readers. The integrity and spiritual health of the recipients depended on knowing the truth and living it out in love for God and one another. Any deviation from the gospel handed down through John and other faithful witnesses would lead to spiritual sickness and broken community.