1 John 3:18
New International Version
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

New Living Translation
Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

English Standard Version
Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Berean Standard Bible
Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.

Berean Literal Bible
Little children, we should love not in word, nor in tongue, but in action and in truth.

King James Bible
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

New King James Version
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

New American Standard Bible
Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

NASB 1995
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

NASB 1977
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

Legacy Standard Bible
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

Amplified Bible
Little children (believers, dear ones), let us not love [merely in theory] with word or with tongue [giving lip service to compassion], but in action and in truth [in practice and in sincerity, because practical acts of love are more than words].

Christian Standard Bible
Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.

American Standard Version
My little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Children, let us not love one another with words and with speech, but in deeds and in truth.

Contemporary English Version
Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it.

Douay-Rheims Bible
My little children, let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed, and in truth.

English Revised Version
My little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Dear children, we must show love through actions that are sincere, not through empty words.

Good News Translation
My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.

International Standard Version
Little children, we must stop expressing love merely by our words and manner of speech; we must love also in action and in truth.

Literal Standard Version
My little children, may we not love in word nor in tongue, but in work and in truth!

Majority Standard Bible
My little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.

New American Bible
Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.

NET Bible
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth.

New Revised Standard Version
Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.

New Heart English Bible
Little children, let us not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.

Webster's Bible Translation
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

Weymouth New Testament
Dear children, let us not love in words only nor with the lips, but in deed and in truth.

World English Bible
My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.

Young's Literal Translation
My little children, may we not love in word nor in tongue, but in work and in truth!

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Love One Another
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? 18Little 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:…

Cross References
Ezekiel 33:31
So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest gain.

John 17:19
For them I sanctify Myself, so that they too may be sanctified by the truth.

1 John 2:1
My 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.

1 John 3:7
Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.

2 John 1:1
The elder, To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth--and not I alone, but also all who know the truth--

3 John 1:1
The elder, To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth:


Treasury of Scripture

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

My.

1 John 2:1
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

let.

Exodus 33:21
And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:

Matthew 25:41-45
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: …

Romans 12:9
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

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1 John 3
1. He declares the singular love of God toward us, in making us his sons;
3. who therefore ought obediently to keep his commandments;
11. as also to love one another as brothers.














Verses 18-24. - As in chapter 1 John 2:28, St. John bursts out into personal exhortation (comp. verse 13; chapter 1 John 4:1, 7), based upon the preceding statements. He then restates the motive in a new form both positively and negatively. Verse 18. - Little children (τεκνία, the μου being spurious). This address, as in 1 John 2:28, introduces the summing up of the section. It may be doubted whether the absence of ἐν with the first pair λόγῳ μηδὲ τῇ γλώσσῃ and its presence with the second ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ indicates any marked difference, as if λόγῳ expressed the instrument, and ἐν ἔργῳ the element or sphere. This introduces a false antithesis, like "Do not dig with a stick, but dig in the earth." (For the Hebraic ἐν to express the instrument, comp. Revelation 13:10.) "Nor yet with the tongue" is not a tautological addition. One may love in word only, and yet the affectionate words may be quite sincere; and this is a common case. People say kind things which they mean at the moment, but afterwards they do not take the trouble to act kindly. But to love with the tongue only is far worse. This is to say kind things which one does not mean, and which one knows to be unreal. Deeds are needed to complete the kind word; truth is needed to correct the insincere tongue.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Little children,
Τεκνία (Teknia)
Noun - Vocative Neuter Plural
Strong's 5040: A little child. Diminutive of teknon; an infant, i.e. darlings.

let us love
ἀγαπῶμεν (agapōmen)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 25: To love, wish well to, take pleasure in, long for; denotes the love of reason, esteem. Perhaps from agan; to love.

not
μὴ (mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

in word
λόγῳ (logō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3056: From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.

[and]
μηδὲ (mēde)
Conjunction
Strong's 3366: And not, not even, neither�nor. From me and de; but not, not even; in a continued negation, nor.

speech,
γλώσσῃ (glōssē)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1100: The tongue; by implication, a language.

but
ἀλλὰ (alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

action
ἔργῳ (ergō)
Noun - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2041: From a primary ergo; toil; by implication, an act.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

truth.
ἀληθείᾳ (alētheia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 225: From alethes; truth.


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NT Letters: 1 John 3:18 My little children let's not love (1J iJ 1Jn i jn 1 jo)
1 John 3:17
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