Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 2 John 1:4

"I rejoice greatly that I have found [certain] of thy children walking in truth, even as we received commandment from the Father." — 2 John 1:4 (ASV)

The author continues to follow the custom of his time by expressing his pleasure in writing to his readers. Like other Christian writers, John relates this note of “joy” to their spiritual state, for they are faithful to the truth.

The force of “some” in v.4 is disputed. Some think that the elder had met only some members of the community, and it is to them he refers here. It seems more likely, however, that news of the church had been brought to the elder and that part of this news was that the church had suffered division as a consequence of the work of the heretics. But John rejoices that some of the children remained true to the faith that he had delivered to them and that he had just referred to in v.2. The next clause—“just as the Father commanded us”—seems to relate to “the truth” they heard “from the beginning” (v.5). The commandment received from the Father is explained in v.5 as the commandment of love and in v.7 as belief in the Son (cf. 1Jn 3:23).