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.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now I beg you, dear lady, not as though I wrote to you a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
- BSB And now I urge you, dear lady—not as a new commandment to you, but one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.
- NKJV And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another.
- NASB Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.
- NLT I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
John urges the lady to love one another, reminding her this is not a new command but one held from the beginning. Mutual love is a foundational, original mark of the Christian community.
Overview
Echoing Jesus' own teaching (John 13:34), John frames love as a command Christians have possessed since they first received the gospel. He gently presses the duty of love while making clear he is recalling them to familiar ground, not imposing something novel. This love among believers flows directly from Christ's love for them and is the visible evidence of belonging to him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- 1 Jn 3:11For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
- John 13:34–35A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
- John 15:12This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
- 1 Th 4:9But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
- 1 Jn 3:23And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
- 1 Jn 4:20If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
- 1 Jn 3:14–18We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
- 1 Pet 4:8And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
- 1 Jn 2:7–8Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
- Heb 13:1Let brotherly love continue.
- 1 Pet 1:22–23Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
- 2 Pet 1:7And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
- 1 Jn 4:7–12Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
- Eph 5:2And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
- Gal 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
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Christ at the center
To walk in truth and love is to abide in 'the teaching of Christ'; whoever has the Son has both the Father and life.
How 2 John 1:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.