1 John — Chapter 4
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1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time.
4You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
5They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them.
6We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.
7Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
9This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.
10And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us.
13By this we know that we remain in Him, and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit.
14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.
15If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
16And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
17In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like Him.
18There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love.
19We love because He first loved us.
20If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
21And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.
1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
7Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19We love him, because he first loved us.
20If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is the [spirit] of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh; and now it is in the world already.
4Ye are of God, [my] little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.
5They are of the world: therefore speak they [as] of the world, and the world heareth them.
6We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he who is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
7Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God.
8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9Herein was the love of God manifested in us, that God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him.
10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins.
11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12No man hath beheld God at any time: if we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us:
13hereby we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father hath sent the Son [to be] the Saviour of the world.
15Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him, and he in God.
16And we know and have believed the love which God hath in us. God is love; and he that abideth in love abideth in God, and God abideth in him.
17Herein is love made perfect with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, even so are we in this world.
18There is no fear in love: but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath punishment; and he that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19We love, because he first loved us.
20If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, cannot love God whom he hath not seen.
21And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.
1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses Jesus as the Christ who has come in the flesh is from God,
3but every spirit that refuses to confess Jesus, that spirit is not from God, and this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now is already in the world.
4You are from God, little children, and have conquered them because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
5They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world’s perspective and the world listens to them.
6We are from God; the person who knows God listens to us, but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.
7Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God.
8The person who does not love does not know God because God is love.
9By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him.
10In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
11Dear friends, if God so loved us, then we also ought to love one another.
12No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God resides in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13By this we know that we reside in God and he in us: in that he has given us of his Spirit.
14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
15If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides in him and he in God.
16And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has in us. God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him.
17By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as Jesus is, so also are we in this world.
18There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love.
19We love because he loved us first.
20If anyone says “I love God” and yet hates his fellow Christian, he is a liar because the one who does not love his fellow Christian whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
21And the commandment we have from him is this: that the one who loves God should love his fellow Christian too.
1Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
3and every spirit who doesn’t confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. Now it is in the world already.
4You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.
5They are of the world. Therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears them.
6We are of God. He who knows God listens to us. He who is not of God doesn’t listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God.
8He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love.
9By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
11Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.
12No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us.
13By this we know that we remain in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
14We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world.
15Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God.
16We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.
17In this love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so are we in this world.
18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.
19We love him, because he first loved us.
20If a man says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
21This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother.
Summary
John urges believers to test the spirits rather than believe every claim, since many false prophets are at work in the world; the key test is whether a spirit confesses that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, and believers can trust that the Spirit within them is greater than the world's spirit (vv. 1-6). He then declares that love comes from God and that God himself is love, shown supremely in sending his Son so believers might live through him and have their sins atoned for (vv. 7-10). Because God loved first, believers are to love one another; when they do, God's love is made complete in them and drives out fear of judgment (vv. 11-18). John closes by insisting that love for God and love for one's brother are inseparable — anyone who claims to love God while hating a brother is a liar (vv. 19-21).
Authorship & Background
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik covers testing spirits, God as love, love's definition, perfect love casting out fear, and the inseparability of loving God and loving brothers.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of 1 John -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- Testing the Spirits (v.1) — John calls believers to test every spiritual message rather than believe it automatically. Do you actually measure what you hear against Scripture, or accept it just because it sounds spiritual?
- Greater Is He Who Is in You (v.4) — John reassures believers that the Spirit within them is greater than any opposing force in the world. Do you live out of that confidence, or out of fear of what's against you?
- God Is Love Itself (v.8) — John doesn't just say God is loving but that God is love — it's his very nature. How does that truth shape the way you interpret his discipline, his silence, or the suffering he allows?
- Perfect Love Casting Out Fear (v.18) — John says fully realized love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. Where does fear of judgment or rejection still have a grip on you that God's love hasn't yet displaced?
- Loving Because He First Loved Us (v.19) — Our love for God is only ever a response to his love for us first. Is your love for God and others actually flowing from that reality, or running dry?