1 John 3:18

Bible in Basic English (1941)

My little children, do not let our love be in word and in tongue, but let it be in act and in good faith.

📖 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 deceit. Be haters of what is evil; keep your minds fixed on what is good.
• Jas 2:15-16 : 15 If a brother or a sister is without clothing and in need of the day's food, 16 And one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warm and full of food; but you do not give them the things of which their bodies have need, what profit is there in this?
• Matt 25:41-45 : 41 Then will he say to those on the left, Go from me, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire which is ready for the Evil One and his angels: 42 For I was in need of food, and you gave it not to me; I was in need of drink, and you gave it not to me: 43 I was wandering, and you took me not in; without clothing, and you gave me no clothing; ill, and in prison, and you came not to me. 44 Then will they make answer, saying, Lord, when did we see you in need of food or drink, or wandering, or without clothing, or ill, or in prison, and did not take care of you? 45 Then will he make answer to them, saying, Truly I say to you, Because you did it not to the least of these, you did it not to me.
• Ezek 33:31 : 31 And they come to you as my people come, and are seated before you as my people, hearing your words but doing them not: for deceit is in their mouth and their heart goes after profit for themselves.
• 1 Cor 13:4-7 : 4 Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride; 5 Love's ways are ever fair, it takes no thought for itself; it is not quickly made angry, it takes no account of evil; 6 It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, but has joy in what is true; 7 Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things.
• Gal 5:13 : 13 Because you, brothers, were marked out to be free; only do not make use of your free condition to give the flesh its chance, but through love be servants one to another.
• Gal 6:1-2 : 1 Brothers, if a man is taken in any wrongdoing, you who are of the Spirit will put such a one right in a spirit of love; keeping watch on yourself, for fear that you yourself may be tested. 2 Take on yourselves one another's troubles, and so keep the law of Christ.
• Eph 4:1-3 : 1 I then, the prisoner in the Lord, make this request from my heart, that you will see that your behaviour is a credit to the position which God's purpose has given you, 2 With all gentle and quiet behaviour, taking whatever comes, putting up with one another in love; 3 Taking care to keep the harmony of the Spirit in the yoke of peace.
• Eph 4:15 : 15 But saying true words in love, may come to full growth in him, who is the head, even Christ;
• 1 Pet 1:22 : 22 And as you have made your souls clean, being ruled by what is true, and loving one another without deceit, see that your love is warm and from the heart:
• 1 John 2:1 : 1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may be without sin. And if any man is a sinner, we have a friend and helper with the Father, Jesus Christ, the upright one:
• 2 John 1:1-3 John 1:15 : 1 I, a ruler in the church, send word to the noble sister who is of God's selection, and to her children, for whom I have true love; and not only I, but all who have knowledge of what is true; 2 Because of this true knowledge which is in us, and will be with us for ever: 3 May grace, mercy, and peace be with us from God the Father, and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in all true love. 4 It gave me great joy to see some of your children walking in the true way, even as we were ordered to do by the Father. 5 And now, my sister, I make a request to you, not sending you a new law, but the law which we had from the first, that we have love for one another. 6 And love is the keeping of his laws. This is the law which was given to you from the first, so that you might keep it. 7 Because a number of false teachers have gone out into the world, who do not give witness that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. Such a one is a false teacher and Antichrist. 8 Keep watch over yourselves, so that you do not make our work of no effect, but may get your full reward. 9 Anyone who goes on and does not keep to the teaching of Christ, has not God: he who keeps to the teaching has the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you not having this teaching, do not take him into your house or give him words of love: 11 For he who gives him words of love has a part in his evil works. 12 Having much to say to you, it is not my purpose to put it all down with paper and ink: but I am hoping to come to you, and to have talk with you face to face, so that your joy may be full. 13 The children of your noble sister, who is of God's selection, send you their love. 1 I, a ruler in the church, send word to the well loved Gaius, for whom I have true love. 2 My loved one, it is my prayer that you may do well in all things, and be healthy in body, even as your soul does well. 3 For it gave me great joy when some of the brothers came and gave witness that you had the true faith and were walking in the true way. 4 I have no greater joy than to have news that my children are walking in the true way. 5 My loved one, you are doing a good work in being kind to those brothers who come from other places; 6 Who have given witness to the church of your love for them: and you will do well to send them on their way well cared for, as is right for servants of God: 7 For they went out for love of the Name, taking nothing from the Gentiles. 8 So it is right for us to take in such men as guests, so that we may take our part in the work of the true faith. 9 I sent a letter to the church, but Diotrephes, whose desire is ever to have the first place among them, will not have us there. 10 So if I come, I will keep in mind the things he does, talking against us with evil words: and as if this was not enough, he does not take the brothers into his house, and those who are ready to take them in, he keeps from doing so, putting them out of the church if they do. 11 My loved one, do not be copying what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God: he who does evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius has the approval of all men and of what is true: and we give the same witness, and you are certain that our witness is true. 13 I had much to say to you, but it is not my purpose to put it all down with ink and pen: 14 But I am hoping to see you in a short time, and to have talk with you face to face. 15 May you have peace. Your friends here send you their love. Give my love to our friends by name.