The Meaning of 1 John 3:18 Explained

1 John 3:18

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

YLT: My little children, may we not love in word nor in tongue, but in word and in truth!

Darby: Children, let us not love with word, nor with tongue, but in deed and in truth.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does 1 John 3:18 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The evidence of genuine love is not verbal professions but vital performances, deeds rather than words (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:1; James 2:15-16).
"The major concern of this passage is to encourage obedient and active love from all those who claimed allegiance to the Johannine church." [1]

Context Summary

1 John 3:13-24 - Loving In Deed And In Truth
Love to the brethren is a sign that we have been born into the family. We may not like them all, yet we can love them. If we love, we live; and if we live in the deepest sense, we shall love; that is, we shall put others first, and our care for them will be tinged with the crimson of sacrifice. Love is not measured by the expressions of the lip or the emotion of the heart, but by the extent to which we will do or suffer.
The believer dares not affirm too much about himself, he is so unworthy and fickle; but God understands us and imputes to us what we would be. Mark in 1 John 3:22 the double condition of prevailing prayer. It is also clear from 1 John 3:23 that men can believe, if they will. God is prepared to impart to those who are wishful all that He commands. Augustine prayed thus: "Give what thou commandest, and command what thou wilt." [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

Greek Commentary for 1 John 3:18

In word, neither with the tongue [λογωι μηδε τηι γλωσσηι]
Either instrumental or locative makes sense. What John means is “not merely by word or by the tongue.” He does not condemn kind words which are comforting and cheering, but warm words should be accompanied by warm deeds to make real “in deed and in truth” Here is a case where actions do speak louder than mere words. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 John 3:18

Galatians 4:19 My little children [τεκνία μου]
Only here in Paul, but often in John. See John 13:33; 1 John 2:1, 1 John 2:12, 1 John 2:28; 1 John 3:7, 1 John 3:18, etc. See on Galatians 3:26. [source]
James 5:19 From the truth [απο της αλητειας]
For truth see James 1:18; James 3:14; John 8:32; 1 John 1:6; 1 John 3:18. It was easy then, and is now, to be led astray from Christ, who is the Truth.And one convert him (και επιστρεπσηι τις αυτον — kai epistrepsēi tis auton). Continuation of the third-class condition with the first aorist active subjunctive of επιστρεπω — epistrephō old verb, to turn (transitive here as in Luke 1:16., but intransitive often as Acts 9:35). [source]
1 John 2:1 My little children [τεκνία μου]
Τεκνίον , little child, diminutive of τέκνον childoccurs in John 8:33; 1 John 2:12, 1 John 2:28; 1 John 3:7, 1 John 3:18; 1 John 4:4; 1 John 5:21. This particular phrase is found only here (best texts omit my in 1 John 3:18). Used as a term of affection, or possibly with reference to the writer's advanced age. Compare Christ's word, παιδία children(John 21:5) which John also uses (1 John 2:13, 1 John 2:18). In the familiar story of John and the young convert who became a robber, it is related that the aged apostle repaired to the robber's haunt, and that the young man, on seeing him, took to flight. John, forgetful of his age, ran after him, crying: “O my son why dost thou fly from me thy father? Thou, an armed man, - I, an old, defenseless one! Have pity upon me! My son, do not fear! There is still hope of life for thee. I wish myself to take the burden of all before Christ. If it is necessary, I will die for thee, as Christ died for us. Stop! Believe! It is Christ who sends me.” [source]
1 John 2:1 My little children [τεκνια μου]
Tender tone with this diminutive of τεκνον — teknon (child), again in 1 John 2:12; 1 John 3:18, but παιδια — paidia in 1 John 2:14. John is now an old man and regards his readers as his little children. That attitude is illustrated in the story of his visit to the robber to win him to Christ. [source]

What do the individual words in 1 John 3:18 mean?

Little children not we should love in word nor in tongue but in action and in truth
Τεκνία μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν λόγῳ μηδὲ τῇ γλώσσῃ ἀλλὰ ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ

Τεκνία  Little  children 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Neuter Plural
Root: τεκνίον  
Sense: a little child.
ἀγαπῶμεν  we  should  love 
Parse: Verb, Present Subjunctive Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: ἀγαπάω  
Sense: of persons.
λόγῳ  in  word 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: λόγος  
Sense: of speech.
μηδὲ  nor 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: μηδέ  
Sense: and not, but not, nor, not.
γλώσσῃ  tongue 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: γλῶσσα  
Sense: the tongue, a member of the body, an organ of speech. 2 a tongue.
ἔργῳ  action 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: ἔργον  
Sense: business, employment, that which any one is occupied.
ἀληθείᾳ  in  truth 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: ἀλήθεια  
Sense: objectively.