1 John 3:18
The James Method Verse Mapping
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1 John 3:18 (NIV, 1984 version):
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
Here’s the concept map I created for these verses:
Here is an image of my verse map for 1 John 3:18. I will also type out what I have written for easier reading.
Keep in mind that a lot of my writing is shorthand or bullet points rather than complete thoughts or sentences due to limited space in the journal. That shorthand is reflected in the content I have typed out.
1 John 3:18 (NIV 1984)
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
Translations (key differences bolded)
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.
ASV: My little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth.
RSV: Little children, let us not love in word or speech 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!
NLT: Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.
ESV: Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
NET: Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth.
NASB20: Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
Context
Author: John
Date: Between 85-90 AD, from Ephesus
Audience: Gentile Christians, all believers everywhere
Purpose: Continuing to describe how to love each other
Key Words
I’m studying Greek, so I’ve included the Greek terms for each key word.
Children
Greek: τεκνιον (teknion)
Definition: a term teachers use to kindly address their disciples
Love
Greek: αγαπαω (agapao)
Definition: to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly
Words
Greek: λογος (logos)
Definition: a word that embodies a conception or idea, the act of speaking, what someone has said, doctrine, teaching, may also refer to thinking and reasoning
Tongue
Greek: γλωσσα (glossa)
Definition: speech, talk, the tongue as an organ of speech, the language ore dialect of a people
Actions
Greek: εργον (ergon)
Definition: deeds, something accomplished by hand, business, employment, something that requires work
Truth
Greek: αληθεια (aletheia)
Definition: what is true, what is true pertaining to God and religious truth, truth as personal excellence
Cross References
1 John 3:1: See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
We are children of God because of his love.
Matthew 25:31-45: 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then 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. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
We will be judged by our actions toward the least of these.
1 Corinthians 13: If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Love is shown by action - patience, humility, etc.
Ephesians 4:15: Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
We should speak the truth in love to help our fellow believers grow.
1 Thessalonians 1:3: We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our actions should flow out of faith and love.
1 Peter 1:22: Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.
If we obey the truth, we will have love for one another.
James 2:17: In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Faith without action is dead.
View of God
God is the source of truth. He has called us to be his children because of his great love for us.
View of Man/Self
As humans, it’s easy to say the right thing but often hard to do the right thing. As Christians, our actions should follow what we say, and what we say should be truth and should be formed by love.
Reflection and Application
So many things are easier to say than to do. As Christians, our speech should be backed up by what we do. Our actions should flow out of what we believe about who Jesus is and who we are because of what he has done for us. If we understand that, then our actions will flow from love and gratitude, and we will see others through his eyes. This will transform the way we think and act.
Prayer
Lord, we might look at this verse and come to the conclusion that only our actions matter, and our words don’t. But Lord, our love for you and for others should be shown both in what we say and in what we do. Help my words to be consistent with your truth, and help my actions to follow my words. And that includes not only spoken words but also my thoughts.