<p>2:3 <em>And hereby we truly know that we truly know him: If we keep his commandments</em>- The idea is not that we are faced with scores of commandments from the Lord, and if we manage to keep them, then we are in a state of knowing or having relationship with the Father and Son. For that was exactly where the Mosaic system failed to be of use to men. Paul is at pains in Romans 1-8 to point out that law, as in <em>any</em> legal code, cannot lead to justification. We note that keeping commandments plural is paralleled in John with keeping His singular <em>logos</em> or commandment singular.&nbsp; &quot;His commandments&quot; and &quot;the singular commandment&quot; are paralleled in 2 Jn. 6. The plural commandments may be the Hebrew plural of majesty, referring to one specific commandment. And the commandment in view is to love each other, as He loved us, and as His entire <em>logos</em> of being is our example: &ldquo;And this is his commandment, That we should believe on Gk &lsquo;into&rsquo; the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment&rdquo; (1 Jn. 3:23). We believe into the Name of Jesus when we are baptized into His Name. We &ldquo;love one another&rdquo; perhaps specifically by keeping the <em>agape</em>, the love feast, the breaking of bread, with one another. If we refuse to break bread with any of our brethren, then we cannot have a good conscience. I am not saying that simply being baptized and breaking bread can save anyone. For the commandment is to love as the Lord loved us unto death, rather than merely pass bread and wine.</p><p>Understanding &quot;the commandments&quot; and the singular commandment / word as loving one another would explain why in the context of the appeals to 'keep' them, we read of receiving the love of the Father and Son. For we love our brother in receipt of His love. His love and our love are connected in that if we do not love our brother, we do not know His love. To know /be in relationship with Him requires us to keep the great commandment of loving our brother as the Lord loved us, unto death. If our self-examination reveals that we do love, then we can have a good conscience, knowing we have kept His commandments, and are thus assured of &lsquo;being there&rsquo;.</p><p>The Lord states clearly that He has left us one commandment- to love one another as He loved us (Jn. 13:34; 15:12; 1 Jn. 4:21; 5:2). The plural &quot;commandments&quot; may be a reflection of the Hebraism whereby the plural is used to emphasize the greatness and cardinal value of one singular thing, the plural of majesty. This is perhaps confirmed by Jn. 15:17: &quot;These things plural I command you: That you love one another&quot;. Love of each other was the great 'thing'. To love should not be grievous; if we are walking in the light of His endless love. Therefore &quot;This is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another&quot; (1 Jn. 3:23). The commandment to love as He loved us is only capable of understanding and fulfilment if we have believed into the Name of the Lord Jesus, and experienced that love, having God's love shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit we receive after believing into Him (Rom. 5:5).</p>