Add parallel Print Page Options

Dear friends agapētos, do pisteuō not believe pisteuō every pas spirit pneuma, but alla test dokimazō the ho spirits pneuma to find out whether ei they are eimi from ek · ho God theos, because hoti many polys false prophets pseudoprophētēs have gone out exerchomai into eis the ho world kosmos. This is how en you can recognize ginōskō the ho Spirit pneuma of ho God theos: every pas spirit pneuma that hos confesses homologeō that Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos has come erchomai in en the flesh sarx is eimi from ek · ho God theos, but kai every pas spirit pneuma that hos does not confess homologeō · ho Jesus Iēsous is eimi not ou from ek · ho God theos. · kai This houtos is eimi the ho spirit of the ho Antichrist antichristos, which hos you heard akouō was coming erchomai, and kai now nyn is eimi already ēdē in en the ho world kosmos. Little children teknion, you hymeis have been born eimi of ek · ho God theos and kai have overcome nikaō them autos, because hoti the ho one who is in en you hymeis is eimi greater megas than ē the ho one who is in en the ho world kosmos. They autos are eimi of ek the ho world kosmos; therefore dia houtos they speak laleō from ek the ho world’ s kosmos perspective and kai the ho world kosmos listens to akouō them autos. We hēmeis are eimi from ek · ho God theos. The ho person who knows ginōskō · ho God theos listens akouō to us hēmeis, but whoever hos is eimi not ou from ek · ho God theos does not ou listen akouō to us hēmeis. By ek this houtos we know ginōskō the ho Spirit pneuma of ho truth alētheia and kai the ho spirit pneuma of ho error planē.

Dear friends agapētos, let us love agapaō one another allēlōn, because hoti · ho love agapē is eimi from ek · ho God theos, and kai everyone pas who ho loves agapaō has been born gennaō of ek · ho God theos and kai knows ginōskō · ho God theos. The ho person who does not love agapaō does not ou know ginōskō · ho God theos, because hoti · ho God theos is eimi love agapē. By en this houtos the ho love agapē of ho God theos is revealed phaneroō to en us hēmeis: that hoti God theos has sent apostellō · ho his autos one and only monogenēs Son hyios · ho · ho into eis the ho world kosmos so that hina we might live zaō through dia him autos. 10 In en this houtos is eimi · ho love agapē, not ou that hoti we hēmeis have loved agapaō · ho God theos but alla that hoti he autos loved agapaō us hēmeis and kai sent apostellō · ho his autos Son hyios as a propitiation hilasmos for peri · ho our hēmeis sins hamartia. 11 Dear friends agapētos, if ei God theos loved agapaō us hēmeis like that houtōs, · ho we hēmeis also kai ought opheilō to love agapaō one another allēlōn. 12 No one oudeis has ever pōpote seen theaomai God theos. If ean we love agapaō one another allēlōn, · ho God theos abides menō in en us hēmeis, and kai · ho his autos love agapē has eimi achieved its goal teleioō in en us hēmeis.

13 By en this houtos we know ginōskō that hoti we abide menō in en God autos and kai he autos in en us hēmeis: because hoti he has given didōmi us hēmeis of ek · ho his autos Spirit pneuma. 14 And kai we hēmeis have seen theaomai and kai testify martyreō that hoti the ho Father patēr has sent apostellō his ho Son hyios as the Savior sōtēr of the ho world kosmos. 15 If ean anyone hos confesses homologeō that hoti Jesus Iēsous is eimi the ho Son hyios of ho God theos, · ho God theos abides menō in en him autos and kai he autos in en · ho God theos. 16 And kai we hēmeis have come to know ginōskō and kai to trust pisteuō the ho love agapē that hos God theos has echō · ho for en us hēmeis. · ho God theos is eimi love agapē, and kai the ho one who abides menō in en · ho love agapē abides menō in en · ho God theos, and kai · ho God theos abides menō in en him autos. 17 By en this houtos, love agapē is fully realized teleioō · ho among meta us hēmeis, so that hina we may have echō confidence parrēsia in en the ho day hēmera of ho judgment krisis; because hoti just as kathōs he ekeinos is eimi, so also kai are eimi we hēmeis in en · ho this houtos world kosmos. 18 There is eimi no ou fear phobos in en · ho love agapē, but alla · ho perfect teleios love agapē drives ballō out exō · ho fear phobos because hoti · ho fear phobos has to do with echō punishment kolasis. So de the ho one who fears phobeomai has not ou been perfected teleioō in en · ho love agapē. 19 We hēmeis love agapaō because hoti he autos first prōtos loved agapaō us hēmeis. 20 If ean someone tis says legō, “ I love agapaō · ho God theos,” yet kai hates miseō · ho his autos brother adelphos, he is eimi a liar pseustēs; for gar the ho one who does not love agapaō · ho his autos brother adelphos whom hos he has seen horaō, cannot ou love agapaō · ho God theos whom hos he has not ou seen horaō. 21 And kai the ho commandment entolē we have echō from apo him autos is this houtos: the ho one who loves agapaō · ho God theos must also kai love agapaō · ho his autos brother adelphos.

Discerning False Prophets

Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet[a] acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.

But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.

Loving One Another

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other[b] because he loved us first.

20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer,[c] that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.[d]

Footnotes

  1. 4:2 Greek If a spirit; similarly in 4:3.
  2. 4:19 Greek We love. Other manuscripts read We love God; still others read We love him.
  3. 4:20 Greek hates his brother.
  4. 4:21 Greek The one who loves God must also love his brother.