Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.
Parallel translations
- WEB My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.
- KJV My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
- NKJV My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
- NASB Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
- NLT Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
We are to love not merely in words but in deed and truth. Genuine love expresses itself in action.
Overview
John exhorts his readers to a love that is real and active, not confined to speech. True love shows itself in concrete deeds and sincere truth. This summarizes the preceding call to practical compassion and prepares for the assurance that such genuine love brings to the conscience.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Jas 2:15–16Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
- Rom 12:9Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.
- 1 Pet 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.
- 1 Cor 13:4–7Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
- Gal 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.
- Gal 6:1–2Brothers, 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.
- Eph 4:1–3As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:
- Matt 25:41–45Then 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.
- Eph 4:15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.
- 1 Th 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.
- 1 Jn 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.
- 2 Jn 1:1–15The 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—
- Ezek 33:31So 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.
- Exod 33:21The LORD continued, “There is a place near Me where you are to stand upon a rock,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Jesus is the Word of life made manifest, the propitiation for our sins, the Son in whom is eternal life — 'that you may know that you have eternal life.'
How 1 John 3:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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