1 John 3:18 (ASV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

1 John 3:16 Hereby know we love, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

1 John 3:17 But whoso hath the world`s goods, and beholdeth his brother in need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how doth the love of God abide in him?

1 John 3:18 [My] Little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth.

1 John 3:19 Hereby shall we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before him:

1 John 3:20 because if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "little", "children", "love", "word", "neither", "tongue", "deed", and "truth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "little" and "children", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "But whoso hath the world s goods..." into verse 19's "Hereby shall we know that we are...", so "little" and "children" belong inside that flow. In 1 John context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "little" and "children" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.