1 John 3:7
in 1 John 3Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
My little children, let no man lead you astray: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous:
KJV
Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
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This verse in 1 John 3
Commentary
11 notes on this verseNone of these things is hid from you, if ye perfectly possess that faith and love towards Christ Jesus which are the beginning and the end of life. For the beginning is faith, and the end is love. Now these two, being inseparably connected together, are of God, while all other things which are requisite for a holy life follow after them. No man [truly] making a profession of faith sinneth; nor does he that possesses love hate any one.
This site's exposition
let no one deceive you
on 1 John 3:7-8
The warning let no one deceive you answers teachers who held that right belief could stand apart from right living. Practice shows parentage: The one who practices sin is of the devil. The Son came to destroy the works of the devil, the conflict first announced at Genesis 3:15.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Let no one deceive you by saying that there is nothing wrong with sin. The devil has sinned all along because there is no truth in him. He is the ultimate deceiver.
"Little children, let no man seduce you. He that doeth righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous." What, on hearing that we are "righteous as He is righteous," are we to think ourselves equal with God? Ye must know what means that "as:" thus he said a while ago, "Purifieth himself even as He is pure." Then is our purity like and equal to the purity of God, and our righteousness to God's righteousness? Who can say this? But the word "as," is not always wont to be used in the sense of equality. As, for example, if, having seen this large church, a person should wish to build a smaller church, but with the same relative dimensions: as, for example, if this be one measure in width and two measures in length, he too should build his church one measure in width and two measures in length: in that case one sees that he has built it "as" this is built. But this church has, say, a hundred cubits in length, the other thirty: it is at once "as" this, and yet unequal. Ye see that this "as" is not always referred to parity and equality. For example, see what a difference there is between the face of a man and its image from a mirror: there is a face in the image, a face in the body: the image exists in imitation, the body in reality. And what do we say? Why, "as" there are eyes here, so also there; "as" ears here, so ears also there. The thing is different, but the "as" is said of the resemblance. Well then, we also have in us the image of God; but not that which the Son equal with the Father hath: yet except we also, according to our measure, were "as" He, we should in no respect be said to be like Him. "He purifieth us," then, "even as He is pure:" but He is pure from eternity, we pure by faith. We are "righteous even as He is righteous;" but He is so in His immutable perpetuity, we righteous by believing on One we do not see, that so we may one day see Him. […]
Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. But he proceeds more firmly with these words, saying: "let no one deceive you." For it cannot be otherwise than this: He who does righteousness knows the Righteous …
The Medieval Church2 voices
Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, etc. And above: He purifies himself, it says, just as He is pure. Not that our righteousness or holiness can be equal to the divine, since it is written: There is none holy …
Having said that the Son of God appeared and that He appeared in order to, having committed no sin of His own, take away, that is, destroy our sin, he adds: "everyone who sins has not seen Him." If you, he says, when He appeared, …
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Let no one deceive you - Let none persuade you that any man is righteous but he that uniformly practices righteousness; he alone is righteous, after the example of his Lord.
Little children, let no man deceive you,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Little children - Notes at 1Jn 2:1. Let no man deceive you - That is, in the matter under consideration; to wit, by persuading you that a man may live in sinful practices, and yet be a true child of God. From this it is clear that the apostle supposed there were some who would attempt to do this, and it was to counteract their arts that he made these positive statements in regard to the nature of true religion.
Let no man deceive you - Either by asserting that “you cannot be saved from sin in this life,” or “that sin will do you no harm and cannot alter your state, if you are adopted into the family of God; for sin cannot annul this adoption.” Hear God, ye deceivers! He that doeth righteousness is righteous, according to his state, nature, and the extent of his moral powers. Even as he is righteous - Allowing for the disparity that must necessarily exist between that which is bounded, and that which is without limits. As God, in the infinitude of his nature, is righteous; so they, being filled with him, are in their limited nature righteous.
The words behind it
14 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Τεκνία, | teknia | little children, | G5040 → | 8 times |
| μηδεὶς | medeis | no one | G3367 → | |
| πλανάτω | planato | should lead astray | G4105 → | 39 times |
| ὑμᾶς· | humas | you; | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ὁ | ho | who | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ποιῶν | poion | are practicing | G4160 → | 569 times |
| τὴν | ten | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δικαιοσύνην | dikaiosunen | righteousness | G1343 → | 92 times |
| δίκαιός | dikaios | righteous | G1342 → | 79 times |
| ἐστιν | estin | is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| καθὼς | kathos | even as | G2531 → | 182 times |
| ἐκεῖνος | ekeinos | He | G1565 → | 260 times |
| δίκαιός | dikaios | righteous | G1342 → | 79 times |
| ἐστιν. | estin | is. | G1510 → | 2333 times |
Τεκνία,little children,
tekniaG5040 →8 times
μηδεὶςno one
medeisG3367 →
πλανάτωshould lead astray
planatoG4105 →39 times
ὑμᾶς·you;
humasG4771 →2973 times
ὁwho
hoG3588 →19766 times
ποιῶνare practicing
poionG4160 →569 times
τὴν<the>
tenG3588 →19766 times
δικαιοσύνηνrighteousness
dikaiosunenG1343 →92 times
δίκαιόςrighteous
dikaiosG1342 →79 times
ἐστινis
estinG1510 →2333 times
καθὼςeven as
kathosG2531 →182 times
ἐκεῖνοςHe
ekeinosG1565 →260 times
δίκαιόςrighteous
dikaiosG1342 →79 times
ἐστιν.is.
estinG1510 →2333 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 John 3:3And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- 1 John 2:6
Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.
- 2 Peter 3:14
Therefore, beloved, as you anticipate these things, make every effort to be found at peace—spotless and blameless in His sight.
- Matthew 5:48
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
- Hebrews 12:14
Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
- 2 Corinthians 7:1
Through
1 John 2:29If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.
it leads to
- John 3:3–5
Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
- John 3:3–5
Through
Romans 2:13For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.
it leads to
- James 1:22–25
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
- James 2:21–25
Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
- James 1:22–25
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
About 1 John
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Ten Homilies on 1 John 4; Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; Hilary of Arles, INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN; Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Oecumenius, Commentary on 1 John and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 John.