Testing the Spirits
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.
Love Comes from God
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.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
Testing the Spirits
1 Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and 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. 4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We 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.
Love Comes from God
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God, and knows God. 8 He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love. 9 By 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. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we remain in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world.
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God. 16 We 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. 17 In 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. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If 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? 21 This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother.
Testing the Spirits
1 Beloved, 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. 2 By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus a 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.
4 You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them. 6 We 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 b of truth and the spirit of deception.
Love Comes from God
7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
9 This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only c Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. 10 And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice d for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we remain in Him, and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.
15 If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And 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. 17 In 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.
18 There 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. 19 We love e because He first loved us.
20 If 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. 21 And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.
Footnotes:
3 a BYZ and TR that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
6 b Or spirit
9 c Or only begotten or unique
10 d Or as a propitiation
19 e BYZ and TR We love Him
Testing the Spirits
1Beloved, every spirit believe not, but prove the spirits, if of God they are, because many false prophets have gone forth to the world; 2in this know ye the Spirit of God; every spirit that doth confess Jesus Christ in the flesh having come, of God it is, 3and every spirit that doth not confess Jesus Christ in the flesh having come, of God it is not; and this is that of the antichrist, which ye heard that it doth come, and now in the world it is already. 4Ye -- of God ye are, little children, and ye have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world. 5They -- of the world they are; because of this from the world they speak, and the world doth hear them; 6we -- of God we are; he who is knowing God doth hear us; he who is not of God, doth not hear us; from this we know the spirit of the truth, and the spirit of the error.
Love Comes from God
7Beloved, may we love one another, because the love is of God, and every one who is loving, of God he hath been begotten, and doth know God; 8he who is not loving did not know God, because God is love. 9In this was manifested the love of God in us, because His Son -- the only begotten -- hath God sent to the world, that we may live through him; 10in this is the love, not that we loved God, but that He did love us, and did send His Son a propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if thus did God love us, we also ought one another to love; 12God no one hath ever seen; if we may love one another, God in us doth remain, and His love is having been perfected in us; 13in this we know that in Him we do remain, and He in us, because of His Spirit He hath given us. 14And we -- we have seen and do testify, that the Father hath sent the Son -- Saviour of the world;
15whoever may confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God in him doth remain, and he in God; 16and we -- we have known and believed the love, that God hath in us; God is love, and he who is remaining in the love, in God he doth remain, and God in him. 17In this made perfect hath been the love with us, that boldness we may have in the day of the judgment, because even as He is, we -- we also are in this world; 18fear is not in the love, but the perfect love doth cast out the fear, because the fear hath punishment, and he who is fearing hath not been made perfect in the love; 19we -- we love him, because He -- He first loved us; 20if any one may say -- 'I love God,' and his brother he may hate, a liar he is; for he who is not loving his brother whom he hath seen, God -- whom he hath not seen -- how is he able to love? 21and this is the command we have from Him, that he who is loving God, may also love his brother.
The Favor of God paraphrase
Test the Spirits
¹ Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
⁴ You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. ⁵ They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶ We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
God Is Love
⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
¹¹ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.
¹³ This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. ¹⁶ And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
Love Made Complete
¹⁷ This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
¹⁹ We love because He first loved us. ²⁰ Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. ²¹ And He has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
Footnotes:
1.“Test the spirits” (verse 1) refers to discerning whether a message or teaching truly comes from God. This emphasizes that not all spiritual experiences are from God and calls for careful evaluation based on the truth of Christ’s incarnation.
2.“Acknowledge that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh” (verse 2) is a critical test for recognizing truth. This refers to affirming the reality of Jesus’ incarnation—His full humanity and divinity—which was denied by early heretical groups like the Gnostics.
3.“The one who is in you is greater” (verse 4) assures believers of the Holy Spirit’s power over evil. Despite the presence of antichrists or false prophets, God’s Spirit within believers is stronger than any worldly power.
4.“God is love” (verse 8) encapsulates the essence of God’s character. Love is not merely one of God’s attributes; it is central to who He is. Therefore, love must define the lives of those who are in relationship with Him.
5.“Atoning sacrifice” (verse 10) refers to Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, which reconciles humanity to God. This concept, also known as propitiation, highlights that Jesus bore the punishment for sin, satisfying God’s justice and expressing His love.
6.“No one has ever seen God” (verse 12) points to the invisible nature of God. However, when believers love one another, they make the unseen God’s presence visible through their actions.
7.“Perfect love drives out fear” (verse 18) speaks to the transformative power of love. When we understand and live in God’s love, we are freed from the fear of judgment and punishment, allowing us to live confidently in His grace.
