In verses 4 through 6 John speaks concerning the walk in truth and love. Verse 4 says, “I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, even as we received commandment from the Father.” The truth concerning the Person of Christ is the basic and central element of John’s mending ministry. When he found the children of the faithful believer walking in truth, he rejoiced greatly (3 John 3-4).
In verse 4 John uses the word “walking.” As in 1 John 1:7, where John speaks of walking in the light, the word “walk” means to live, behave, and have our being. The truth concerning the Person of Christ should not only be our belief; it should also be our living.
Once again, truth here denotes the divine reality, especially concerning the Person of Christ. The Father commands us to walk in this reality, that is, in the realization of the divine fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (see Matt. 17:5), that we may honor the Son as the Father desires (John 5:23).
The Father commands us to walk in the truth, in the reality. He commands us to walk in the realization of the divine fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. If we walk in this reality, we shall honor the Son according to the Father’s desire.
In verses 5 and 6 John goes on to say, “And now I ask you, lady, not as writing a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning, that we should love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, even as you heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.” The phrase “from the beginning” is found a number of times in John’s writings. In some instances this phrase is used in the absolute sense (1 John 1:1; 3:8), but here in verses 5 and 6, as elsewhere (John 15:27; 1 John 2:7), it is used in the relative sense.
The commandment referred to in verses 5 and 6 is the commandment given by the Son that we should love one another (John 13:34). The Father commands us to walk in the truth to honor the Son, and the Son commands us to love one another to express Him.