Lectionary Calendar
Friday, August 1st, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible
THE MESSAGE
1 John 3:18
My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.
Jump to:Bible Study Tools • Parallel Bible Verse • Bible Contextual Overview • Bible Cross-References • Gill's Bible Notes • Clarke's Bible Notes • Barnes' Bible Notes
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- BridgewayEncyclopedias:
- InternationalDevotionals:
- DailyParallel Translations
Christian Standard Bible®
Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth.
Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth.
King James Version (1611)
My little children, let vs not loue in word, neither in tongue, but indeede and in trueth.
My little children, let vs not loue in word, neither in tongue, but indeede and in trueth.
King James Version
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
English Standard Version
Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
New American Standard Bible
Little children, let's not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
Little children, let's not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
New Century Version
My children, we should love people not only with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring.
My children, we should love people not only with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
Berean Standard Bible
Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.
Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.
Contemporary English Version
Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it.
Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it.
Complete Jewish Bible
Children, let us love not with words and talk, but with actions and in reality!
Children, let us love not with words and talk, but with actions and in reality!
Darby Translation
Children, let us not love with word, nor with tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Children, let us not love with word, nor with tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Easy-to-Read Version
My children, our love should not be only words and talk. No, our love must be real. We must show our love by the things we do.
My children, our love should not be only words and talk. No, our love must be real. We must show our love by the things we do.
Geneva Bible (1587)
My litle children, let vs not loue in worde, neither in tongue onely, but in deede and in trueth.
My litle children, let vs not loue in worde, neither in tongue onely, but in deede and in trueth.
George Lamsa Translation
My children, let us not love one another in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
My children, let us not love one another in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Good News Translation
My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.
My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.
Lexham English Bible
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
Literal Translation
My little children, let us not love in word, or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
My little children, let us not love in word, or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Amplified Bible
Little children (believers, dear ones), let us not love [merely in theory] with word or with tongue [giving lip service to compassion], but in action and in truth [in practice and in sincerity, because practical acts of love are more than words].
Little children (believers, dear ones), let us not love [merely in theory] with word or with tongue [giving lip service to compassion], but in action and in truth [in practice and in sincerity, because practical acts of love are more than words].
American Standard Version
My little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth.
My little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth.
Bible in Basic English
My little children, do not let our love be in word and in tongue, but let it be in act and in good faith.
My little children, do not let our love be in word and in tongue, but let it be in act and in good faith.
Hebrew Names Version
My little children, let's not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.
My little children, let's not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.
International Standard Version
Little children, we must stop loving in word and in tongue, but instead lovelove">[fn] in actionwork">[fn] and in truth.Ezekiel 33:31; Romans 12:9; Ephesians 4:15; James 2:15; 1 Peter 1:22;">[xr]
Little children, we must stop loving in word and in tongue, but instead lovelove">[fn] in actionwork">[fn] and in truth.Ezekiel 33:31; Romans 12:9; Ephesians 4:15; James 2:15; 1 Peter 1:22;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
My sons, let us not love one another in words and in tongue, but in works and in truth.
My sons, let us not love one another in words and in tongue, but in works and in truth.
Murdock Translation
My children, let us not love one another in words and in tongue, but in acts and in truth.
My children, let us not love one another in words and in tongue, but in acts and in truth.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
My babes, let vs not loue in worde, neither in tongue: but in deede and in veritie.
My babes, let vs not loue in worde, neither in tongue: but in deede and in veritie.
English Revised Version
[My] little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth.
[My] little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth.
World English Bible
My little children, let's not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.
My little children, let's not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
My beloved children, let us love not in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
My beloved children, let us love not in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Weymouth's New Testament
Dear children, let us not love in words only nor with the lips, but in deed and in truth.
Dear children, let us not love in words only nor with the lips, but in deed and in truth.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Mi litle sones, loue we not in word, nethir in tunge, but in werk and treuthe.
Mi litle sones, loue we not in word, nethir in tunge, but in werk and treuthe.
Update Bible Version
[My] Little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth.
[My] Little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth.
Webster's Bible Translation
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
New English Translation
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth.
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth.
New King James Version
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
New Living Translation
Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.
Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.
New Life Bible
My children, let us not love with words or in talk only. Let us love by what we do and in truth.
My children, let us not love with words or in talk only. Let us love by what we do and in truth.
New Revised Standard
Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.
Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Dear children! Let us not be loving in word, nor yet with the tongue, but in deed and truth.
Dear children! Let us not be loving in word, nor yet with the tongue, but in deed and truth.
Douay-Rheims Bible
My little children, let us not love in word nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
My little children, let us not love in word nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Revised Standard Version
Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.
Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
My babes let vs not love in worde nether in tonge: but with dede and in veritie:
My babes let vs not love in worde nether in tonge: but with dede and in veritie:
Young's Literal Translation
My little children, may we not love in word nor in tongue, but in word and in truth!
My little children, may we not love in word nor in tongue, but in word and in truth!
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
My litle children, let vs not loue with worde nether with tonge, but with ye dede, and with the trueth.
My litle children, let vs not loue with worde nether with tonge, but with ye dede, and with the trueth.
Mace New Testament (1729)
my dear children, let not our love be only in the language of our lips, but in the real effects of the heart.
my dear children, let not our love be only in the language of our lips, but in the real effects of the heart.
Simplified Cowboy Version
A cowboy's love isn't all talk and no walk. Our love is true and can be seen in everything we do.
A cowboy's love isn't all talk and no walk. Our love is true and can be seen in everything we do.
Contextual Overview
14The way we know we've been transferred from death to life is that we love our brothers and sisters. Anyone who doesn't love is as good as dead. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know very well that eternal life and murder don't go together. 16This is how we've come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God's love? It disappears. And you made it disappear. 18My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
My: 1 John 2:1
let: Exodus 33:21, Matthew 25:41-45, Romans 12:9, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Galatians 5:13, Galatians 6:1, Galatians 6:2, Ephesians 4:1-3, Ephesians 4:15, 1 Thessalonians 1:3, James 2:15, James 2:16, 1 Peter 1:22
Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 10:19 - General Judges 19:20 - let all thy wants Ruth 2:16 - General 2 Chronicles 28:15 - clothed Job 31:19 - General Proverbs 3:9 - General Proverbs 19:7 - yet Isaiah 32:17 - quietness Isaiah 58:7 - to deal Ezekiel 33:31 - for with Luke 7:5 - and Luke 7:47 - she Luke 10:27 - and thy John 14:21 - that hath John 19:27 - took Acts 9:39 - and showing Acts 16:34 - when Romans 15:18 - by word 1 Corinthians 5:8 - but 2 Corinthians 6:6 - love 2 Corinthians 6:13 - I speak Philippians 4:8 - are true Colossians 3:17 - in word 2 Thessalonians 2:17 - in Hebrews 6:10 - work Hebrews 10:24 - love James 3:17 - hypocrisy 1 Peter 3:8 - love as brethren 1 John 4:21 - General 2 John 1:1 - whom 3 John 1:1 - whom
Cross-References
Genesis 3:14
God told the serpent: "Because you've done this, you're cursed, cursed beyond all cattle and wild animals, Cursed to slink on your belly and eat dirt all your life. I'm declaring war between you and the Woman, between your offspring and hers. He'll wound your head, you'll wound his heel."
God told the serpent: "Because you've done this, you're cursed, cursed beyond all cattle and wild animals, Cursed to slink on your belly and eat dirt all your life. I'm declaring war between you and the Woman, between your offspring and hers. He'll wound your head, you'll wound his heel."
Job 1:21
Naked I came from my mother's womb, naked I'll return to the womb of the earth. God gives, God takes. God's name be ever blessed.
Naked I came from my mother's womb, naked I'll return to the womb of the earth. God gives, God takes. God's name be ever blessed.
Psalms 90:3
So don't return us to mud, saying, "Back to where you came from!" Patience! You've got all the time in the world—whether a thousand years or a day, it's all the same to you. Are we no more to you than a wispy dream, no more than a blade of grass That springs up gloriously with the rising sun and is cut down without a second thought? Your anger is far and away too much for us; we're at the end of our rope. You keep track of all our sins; every misdeed since we were children is entered in your books. All we can remember is that frown on your face. Is that all we're ever going to get? We live for seventy years or so (with luck we might make it to eighty), And what do we have to show for it? Trouble. Toil and trouble and a marker in the graveyard. Who can make sense of such rage, such anger against the very ones who fear you?
So don't return us to mud, saying, "Back to where you came from!" Patience! You've got all the time in the world—whether a thousand years or a day, it's all the same to you. Are we no more to you than a wispy dream, no more than a blade of grass That springs up gloriously with the rising sun and is cut down without a second thought? Your anger is far and away too much for us; we're at the end of our rope. You keep track of all our sins; every misdeed since we were children is entered in your books. All we can remember is that frown on your face. Is that all we're ever going to get? We live for seventy years or so (with luck we might make it to eighty), And what do we have to show for it? Trouble. Toil and trouble and a marker in the graveyard. Who can make sense of such rage, such anger against the very ones who fear you?
Proverbs 22:5
The perverse travel a dangerous road, potholed and mud-slick; if you know what's good for you, stay clear of it.
The perverse travel a dangerous road, potholed and mud-slick; if you know what's good for you, stay clear of it.
Isaiah 7:23
But that's not the end of it. This country that used to be covered with fine vineyards—thousands of them, worth millions!—will revert to a weed patch. Weeds and thornbushes everywhere! Good for nothing except, perhaps, hunting rabbits. Cattle and sheep will forage as best they can in the fields of weeds—but there won't be a trace of all those fertile and well-tended gardens and fields.
But that's not the end of it. This country that used to be covered with fine vineyards—thousands of them, worth millions!—will revert to a weed patch. Weeds and thornbushes everywhere! Good for nothing except, perhaps, hunting rabbits. Cattle and sheep will forage as best they can in the fields of weeds—but there won't be a trace of all those fertile and well-tended gardens and fields.
Jeremiah 4:3
Here's another Message from God to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: "Plow your unplowed fields, but then don't plant weeds in the soil! Yes, circumcise your lives for God's sake. Plow your unplowed hearts, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem. Prevent fire—the fire of my anger— for once it starts it can't be put out. Your wicked ways are fuel for the fire.
Here's another Message from God to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: "Plow your unplowed fields, but then don't plant weeds in the soil! Yes, circumcise your lives for God's sake. Plow your unplowed hearts, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem. Prevent fire—the fire of my anger— for once it starts it can't be put out. Your wicked ways are fuel for the fire.
Matthew 13:7
A Harvest Story At about that same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories. "What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams. "Are you listening to this? Really listening?" The disciples came up and asked, "Why do you tell stories?" He replied, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they're blue in the face and not get it. I don't want Isaiah's forecast repeated all over again: Your ears are open but you don't hear a thing. Your eyes are awake but you don't see a thing. The people are blockheads! They stick their fingers in their ears so they won't have to listen; They screw their eyes shut so they won't have to look, so they won't have to deal with me face-to-face and let me heal them. "But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance. "Study this story of the farmer planting seed. When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn't take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person's heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road. "The seed cast in the gravel—this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. "The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it. "The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams." He told another story. "God's kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn. When the first green shoots appeared and the grain began to form, the thistles showed up, too. "The farmhands came to the farmer and said, ‘Master, that was clean seed you planted, wasn't it? Where did these thistles come from?' "He answered, ‘Some enemy did this.' "The farmhands asked, ‘Should we weed out the thistles?' "He said, ‘No, if you weed the thistles, you'll pull up the wheat, too. Let them grow together until harvest time. Then I'll instruct the harvesters to pull up the thistles and tie them in bundles for the fire, then gather the wheat and put it in the barn.'" Another story. "God's kingdom is like a pine nut that a farmer plants. It is quite small as seeds go, but in the course of years it grows into a huge pine tree, and eagles build nests in it." Another story. "God's kingdom is like yeast that a woman works into the dough for dozens of loaves of barley bread—and waits while the dough rises." All Jesus did that day was tell stories—a long storytelling afternoon. His storytelling fulfilled the prophecy: I will open my mouth and tell stories; I will bring out into the open things hidden since the world's first day. Jesus dismissed the congregation and went into the house. His disciples came in and said, "Explain to us that story of the thistles in the field." So he explained. "The farmer who sows the pure seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the pure seeds are subjects of the kingdom, the thistles are subjects of the Devil, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, the curtain of history. The harvest hands are angels. "The picture of thistles pulled up and burned is a scene from the final act. The Son of Man will send his angels, weed out the thistles from his kingdom, pitch them in the trash, and be done with them. They are going to complain to high heaven, but nobody is going to listen. At the same time, ripe, holy lives will mature and adorn the kingdom of their Father. "Are you listening to this? Really listening? "God's kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field. "Or, God's kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for excellent pearls. Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it. "Or, God's kingdom is like a fishnet cast into the sea, catching all kinds of fish. When it is full, it is hauled onto the beach. The good fish are picked out and put in a tub; those unfit to eat are thrown away. That's how it will be when the curtain comes down on history. The angels will come and cull the bad fish and throw them in the garbage. There will be a lot of desperate complaining, but it won't do any good." Jesus asked, "Are you starting to get a handle on all this?" They answered, "Yes." He said, "Then you see how every student well-trained in God's kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it." When Jesus finished telling these stories, he left there, returned to his hometown, and gave a lecture in the meetinghouse. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. "We had no idea he was this good!" they said. "How did he get so wise, get such ability?" But in the next breath they were cutting him down: "We've known him since he was a kid; he's the carpenter's son. We know his mother, Mary. We know his brothers James and Joseph, Simon and Judas. All his sisters live here. Who does he think he is?" They got their noses all out of joint. But Jesus said, "A prophet is taken for granted in his hometown and his family." He didn't do many miracles there because of their hostile indifference.
A Harvest Story At about that same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories. "What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams. "Are you listening to this? Really listening?" The disciples came up and asked, "Why do you tell stories?" He replied, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they're blue in the face and not get it. I don't want Isaiah's forecast repeated all over again: Your ears are open but you don't hear a thing. Your eyes are awake but you don't see a thing. The people are blockheads! They stick their fingers in their ears so they won't have to listen; They screw their eyes shut so they won't have to look, so they won't have to deal with me face-to-face and let me heal them. "But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance. "Study this story of the farmer planting seed. When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn't take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person's heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road. "The seed cast in the gravel—this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. "The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it. "The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams." He told another story. "God's kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn. When the first green shoots appeared and the grain began to form, the thistles showed up, too. "The farmhands came to the farmer and said, ‘Master, that was clean seed you planted, wasn't it? Where did these thistles come from?' "He answered, ‘Some enemy did this.' "The farmhands asked, ‘Should we weed out the thistles?' "He said, ‘No, if you weed the thistles, you'll pull up the wheat, too. Let them grow together until harvest time. Then I'll instruct the harvesters to pull up the thistles and tie them in bundles for the fire, then gather the wheat and put it in the barn.'" Another story. "God's kingdom is like a pine nut that a farmer plants. It is quite small as seeds go, but in the course of years it grows into a huge pine tree, and eagles build nests in it." Another story. "God's kingdom is like yeast that a woman works into the dough for dozens of loaves of barley bread—and waits while the dough rises." All Jesus did that day was tell stories—a long storytelling afternoon. His storytelling fulfilled the prophecy: I will open my mouth and tell stories; I will bring out into the open things hidden since the world's first day. Jesus dismissed the congregation and went into the house. His disciples came in and said, "Explain to us that story of the thistles in the field." So he explained. "The farmer who sows the pure seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the pure seeds are subjects of the kingdom, the thistles are subjects of the Devil, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, the curtain of history. The harvest hands are angels. "The picture of thistles pulled up and burned is a scene from the final act. The Son of Man will send his angels, weed out the thistles from his kingdom, pitch them in the trash, and be done with them. They are going to complain to high heaven, but nobody is going to listen. At the same time, ripe, holy lives will mature and adorn the kingdom of their Father. "Are you listening to this? Really listening? "God's kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field. "Or, God's kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for excellent pearls. Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it. "Or, God's kingdom is like a fishnet cast into the sea, catching all kinds of fish. When it is full, it is hauled onto the beach. The good fish are picked out and put in a tub; those unfit to eat are thrown away. That's how it will be when the curtain comes down on history. The angels will come and cull the bad fish and throw them in the garbage. There will be a lot of desperate complaining, but it won't do any good." Jesus asked, "Are you starting to get a handle on all this?" They answered, "Yes." He said, "Then you see how every student well-trained in God's kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it." When Jesus finished telling these stories, he left there, returned to his hometown, and gave a lecture in the meetinghouse. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. "We had no idea he was this good!" they said. "How did he get so wise, get such ability?" But in the next breath they were cutting him down: "We've known him since he was a kid; he's the carpenter's son. We know his mother, Mary. We know his brothers James and Joseph, Simon and Judas. All his sisters live here. Who does he think he is?" They got their noses all out of joint. But Jesus said, "A prophet is taken for granted in his hometown and his family." He didn't do many miracles there because of their hostile indifference.
Romans 14:2
For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ's table, wouldn't it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn't eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God's welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.
For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ's table, wouldn't it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn't eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God's welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue,.... Which though it holds good of love to God, and to Jesus Christ, yet here is to be understood of love to the brethren, as the context shows; and so the Syriac version reads, "let us not love one another in word", c. that is, without the heart, or with a double heart speaking one thing with the lip, and designing another thing in the heart; speaking peaceably with the mouth, and with the heart laying wait; or we should not love in this manner "only"; and so the Arabic version of De Dieu adds. It is very lawful, and right to express our love to one another, and to all men in words, to give good words, and use courteous language, and speak in a kind, tender, and affectionate manner, and especially to persons in distress; but this should not be all, it will be of no avail to say to such, be warmed and filled, and give them nothing but these good words, nothing to warm and fill them with; see James 2:15;
but in deed and in truth; for true love is a laborious and operative grace, hence we read of the work and labour of love; it shows itself by the saints serving one another, in spirituals; as by bearing one another's burdens, forbearing with, and forgiving one another, praying for each other, and building up one another on their most holy faith; exhorting each other to the duties of religion, and not suffering sins upon one another, but admonish in love, and restore with meekness; and in temporals, distributing to the necessities of the saints, ministering: to them of their worldly substance, and supplying their daily wants: and this is loving "in deed", or "in work"; this is actual love, love in fact, and what is apparent and evident: and it is "in truth", when it is in reality, and not in show only; and when it is cordially and heartily done, with cheerfulness, and without grudging.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue - By mere profession; by merely sayinG that we love each other. See 1 Peter 1:22.
But in deed and in truth - In such acts as shall show that our professed love is sincere and real. Let us do the deed of love, whether anything is said about it or not. See the notes at Matthew 6:3.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 18. My little children — τεκνιαμου, My beloved children, let us not love in word-in merely allowing the general doctrine of love to God and man to be just and right;
Neither in tongue — In making professions of love, and of a charitable and humane disposition, and resting there; but in deed- by humane and merciful acts;
And in truth. — Feeling the disposition of which we speak. There is a good saying in Yalcut Rubeni, fol. 145, 4, on this point: "If love consisted in word only, then love ceaseth as soon as the word is pronounced. Such was the love between Balak and Balaam. But if love consisteth not in word, it cannot be dissolved; such was the love of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the rest of the patriarchs which were before them."
