1 John 3:18

1 John 3:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
• New International Version (NIV)Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
• New King James Version (NKJV)My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

Context of 1 John 3:18

16By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth. 19And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence: 20Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things.

1 John 3:18 word by word

Τεκνία μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν λόγῳ μηδὲ τῇ γλώσσῃ ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ.Read the interlinear

• Little childrenτεκνίονteknion · childrenG5040
• let us loveἀγαπάωagapaō · to loveG25
• notμήmē · notG3361
• in wordλόγοςlogos · wordG3056
• ·μηδέmēde · norG3366
• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• speechγλῶσσαglōssa · tongueG1100
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• actionἔργονergon · workG2041
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• truthἀλήθειαalētheia · truthG225

Cross-references for 1 John 3:18

• 1 John 2:1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
• Exodus 33:21The LORD continued, “There is a place near Me where you are to stand upon a rock,
• Matthew 25:41Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
• Romans 12:9Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.
• 1 Corinthians 13:4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
• Galatians 5:13For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.
• Galatians 6:1Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
• Ephesians 4:1As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:
• 1 Thessalonians 1:3and continually recalling before our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
• James 2:15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
• 1 Peter 1:22Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.

Commentaries on 1 John 3:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18My little children - , My beloved children, let us not love in word - in merely allowing the general doctrine of love to God and man to be just and right; Neither in tongue - In making professions of love, and of a charitable and humane disposition, and resting there; but in deed - by humane and merciful acts; And in truth - Feeling the disposition of which we speak. There is a good saying in Yalcut Rubeni, fol. 145, 4, on this point: "If love consisted…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue - By mere profession; by merely sayinG that we love each other. See 1 Peter 1:22. But in deed and in truth - In such acts as shall show that our professed love is sincere and real. Let us do the deed of love, whether anything is said about it or not. See the notes at Matthew 6:3.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-21Verses 16-21 Here is the condescension, the miracle, the mystery of Divine love, that God would redeem the church with his own blood. Surely we should love those whom God has loved, and so loved. The Holy Spirit, grieved at selfishness, will leave the selfish heart without comfort, and full of darkness and terror. By what can it be known that a man has a true sense of the love of Christ for perishing sinners, or that the love of God has been planted in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-18Christ’s example shows that real love requires self-sacrifice. We follow his example when we care deeply about the needs of other people. This means giving our time, effort, prayers, and possessions to help them. In some cases, it may even mean giving our lives to meet their needs.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. When the venerable John could no longer walk to the meetings of the Church but was borne thither by his disciples, he always uttered the same address to the Church; he reminded them of that one commandment which he had received from Christ Himself, as comprising all the rest, and forming the distinction of the new covenant, "My little children, love one another." When the brethren present, wearied of hearing the same thing so often, asked why he…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 3:18

• Commandments
• Kindness
• Liberality
• Love
• Poor
• Righteous
• Righteousness
• Sincerity

In the dictionaries

• Appear
• Assure
• Condemn
• Pleasing
• Sin
• Word
• Ethics
• Johannine Theology
• John, the Epistles of
• Ten Commandments, the

Commentaries on 1 John 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings