1 John 3:18

American Standard Version (1901)

[ My] Little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Τεκνία μου, μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν λόγῳ, μηδὲ γλώσσῃ· ἀλλʼ ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ.

Transliteration

Teknia of me, not agapōmen logō, nor glōssē; but ergō and alētheia.

Grammar Details

• *Teknia*: vocative, neuter, plural - little children
• *agapōmen*: present active subjunctive, 1st plural - let us love
• *logō*: dative, masculine, singular - with word
• *glōssē*: dative, feminine, singular - with tongue
• *ergō*: dative, neuter, singular - with deed
• *alētheia*: dative, feminine, singular - with truth

Word Meanings

• *Teknia*: little children/dear children
• *agapōmen*: let us love/cherish
• *logō*: word/speech/statement
• *glōssē*: tongue/language
• *ergō*: deed/action/work
• *alētheia*: truth/reality

Referenced Verses

• Rom 12:9 : 9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
• Jas 2:15-16 : 15 If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food, 16 and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit?
• Matt 25:41-45 : 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me.
• Ezek 33:31 : 31 And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but do them not; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their gain.
• 1 Cor 13:4-7 : 4 Love suffereth long, [and] is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; 6 rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; 7 beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
• Gal 5:13 : 13 For ye, brethren, were called for freedom; only [use] not your freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through love be servants one to another.
• Gal 6:1-2 : 1 Brethren, even if a man be overtaken in any trespass, ye who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
• Eph 4:1-3 : 1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called, 2 with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
• Eph 4:15 : 15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, [even] Christ;
• 1 Pet 1:22 : 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently:
• 1 John 2:1 : 1 My little children, these things write I unto you that ye may not sin. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
• 2 John 1:1- : 1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not I only, but also all they that know the truth; 2 for the truth's sake which abideth in us, and it shall be with us for ever: 3 Grace, mercy, peace shall be with us, from God the Father, and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 4 I rejoice greatly that I have found [certain] of thy children walking in truth, even as we received commandment from the Father. 5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote to thee a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we should walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, even as ye heard from the beginning, that ye should walk in it. 7 For many deceivers are gone forth into the world, [even] they that confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that ye lose not the things which we have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward. 9 Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son. 10 If any one cometh unto you, and bringeth not this teaching, receive him not into [your] house, and give him no greeting: 11 for he that giveth him greeting partaketh in his evil works. 12 Having many things to write unto you, I would not [write them] with paper and ink: but I hope to come unto you, and to speak face to face, that your joy may be made full. 13 The children of thine elect sister salute thee. 1 The elder unto Gaius the beloved, whom I love in truth. 2 Beloved, I pray that in all things thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 For I rejoiced greatly, when brethren came and bare witness unto thy truth, even as thou walkest in truth. 4 Greater joy have I none than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. 5 Beloved, thou doest a faithful work in whatsoever thou doest toward them that are brethren and strangers withal; 6 who bare witness to thy love before the church: whom thou wilt do well to set forward on their journey worthily of God: 7 because that for the sake of the Name they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. 8 We therefore ought to welcome such, that we may be fellow-workers for the truth. 9 I wrote somewhat unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. 10 Therefore, if I come, I will bring to remembrance his works which he doeth, prating against us with wicked words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and them that would he forbiddeth and casteth [them] out of the church. 11 Beloved, imitate not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: he that doeth evil hath not seen God. 12 Demetrius hath the witness of all [men], and of the truth itself: yea, we also bear witness: and thou knowest that our witness is true. 13 I had many things to write unto thee, but I am unwilling to write [them] to thee with ink and pen: 14 but I hope shortly to see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace [be] unto thee. The friends salute thee. Salute the friends by name.