John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 3. Grace be with you, mercy [and] peace , etc.] This form of salutation, or wish and prayer for the blessings mentioned, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ , is the same used by other apostles; (see 1 Timothy 1:2 Jude 1:2) and (see Gill on Romans 1:7). Only it is added here with respect to Christ, that he is the Son of the Father in truth and love ; which is mentioned by the apostle to confirm the deity of Christ, which is plainly implied in wishing for the above things equally from him, as from the Father; and to oppose and confront some heretics of those times, who denied the true and proper sonship of Christ; and therefore he calls him, the Son of the Father, the only begotten of the Father; and that in truth, or truly and properly, and not in a figurative and metaphorical sense, as magistrates are called the sons of God, and children of the most High, by reason of their office; but so is not Christ, he is God's own Son, in a true, proper, and natural sense: and he is so in love; he is his well beloved Son, his dear Son, the Son of his love; as he cannot otherwise be; since he is not only the image of him, but of the same nature, and has the same perfections with him.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-3 - Religion turns compliments into real expressions of respect and love And old disciple is honourable; an old apostle and leader of disciple is more so. The letter is to a noble Christian matron, and he children; it is well that the gospel should get among such: some nobl persons are called. Families are to be encouraged and directed in their love and duties at home. Those who love truth and piety in themselves should love it in others; and the Christians loved this lady, not for her rank, but for her holiness. And where religion truly dwells, it will abide for ever. From the Divine Persons of the Godhead, the apostle craves grace, Divine favour, and good-will, the spring of all good things. It is grace indeed that any spiritual blessing should be given to sinful mortals. Mercy, free pardon, and forgiveness; for thos already rich in grace, need continual forgiveness. Peace, quietness of spirit, and a clear conscience, in assured reconciliation with God together with all outward prosperity that is really for good: these ar desired in truth and love.
Greek Textus Receptus
εσται 2071 5704 V-FXI-3S μεθ 3326 PREP {VAR1: ημων 2257 P-1GP } {VAR2: υμων 5216 P-2GP } χαρις 5485 N-NSF ελεος 1656 N-NSM ειρηνη 1515 N-NSF παρα 3844 PREP θεου 2316 N-GSM πατρος 3962 N-GSM και 2532 CONJ παρα 3844 PREP κυριου 2962 N-GSM ιησου 2424 N-GSM χριστου 5547 N-GSM του 3588 T-GSM υιου 5207 N-GSM του 3588 T-GSM πατρος 3962 N-GSM εν 1722 PREP αληθεια 225 N-DSF και 2532 CONJ αγαπη 26 N-DSF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
3. Grace be with you, mercy and peace (estai meq hmwn cariv eleov eirhnh). The verb is in the future tense: shall be. In the Pauline Epistles the salutations contain no verb. In 1 and 2 Peter and Jude, plhqunqeih be multiplied, is used. Grace (cariv) is of rare occurrence in John's writings (John i. 14, 16, 17; Apoc. i. 4; xxii. 21); and the kindred carizomai to favor, be kind, forgive, and carisma gift, are not found at all. See on Luke i. 30. Mercy (eleov), only here in John. See on Luke i. 50. The pre-Christian definitions of the word include the element of grief experienced on account of the unworthy suffering of another. So Aristotle. The Latin misericordia (miser "wretched," cor "the heart") carries the same idea. So Cicero defines it, the sorrow arising from the wretchedness of another suffering wrongfully. Strictly speaking, the word as applied to God, cannot include either of these elements, since grief cannot be ascribed to Him, and suffering is the legitimate result of sin. The sentiment in God assumes the character of pitying love. Mercy is kindness and goodwill toward the miserable and afflicted, joined with a desire to relieve them. Trench observes: "In the Divine mind, and in the order of our salvation as conceived therein, the mercy precedes the grace. God so loved the world with a pitying love (herein was the mercy), that He gave His only-begotten Son (herein the grace), that the world through Him might be saved. But in the order of the manifestation of God's purposes of salvation, the grace must go before the mercy and make way for it. It is true that the same persons are the subjects of both, being at once the guilty and the miserable; yet the righteousness of God, which it is quite as necessary should be maintained as His love, demands that the guilt should be done away before the misery can be assuaged; only the forgiven may be blessed. He must pardon before He can heal.... From this it follows that in each of the apostolic salutations where these words occur, grace precedes mercy" ("Synonyms of the New Testament").With you. The best texts read with us.
From God - from Jesus Christ (para Qeou - para Ihsou Cristou). Note the repeated preposition, bringing out the twofold relation to the Father and Son. In the Pauline salutations ajpo from, is invariably used with God, and never repeated with Jesus Christ. On the use of para from, see on John vi. 46; 1 John i. 5.
God the Father. The more common expression is "God our Father."
The Son of the Father. The phrase occurs nowhere else. Compare John i. 18; 1 John ii. 22, 23; 1 John i. 3.
In truth and in love. The combination is not found elsewhere. The words indicate the contents of the whole Epistle.
