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1 John 4
New Living Translation
1 John 4
New Living Translation
Discerning False Prophets
4 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. 2 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. 3 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.
4 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. 5 Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. 6 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
7 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. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
9 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]
1 John 4
Holman Christian Standard Bible
1 John 4
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error
4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits(A) to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has[a] come in the flesh(B) is from God.(C) 3 But every spirit who does not confess Jesus[b] is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist;(D) you have heard that he is coming, and he is already in the world now.
4 You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you(E) is greater than the one who is in the world.(F) 5 They are from the world.(G) Therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us;(H) anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.(I)
Knowing God through Love
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God(J) and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way:[c] God sent(K) His One and Only Son(L) into the world so that we might live(M) through Him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us(N) and sent His Son to be the[d] propitiation(O) for our sins. 11 Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.(P) 12 No one has ever seen God.[e](Q) If we love one another, God remains in[f] us and His love is perfected in us.
13 This is how we know that we remain in Him(R) and He in us: He has given assurance to us from His Spirit.(S) 14 And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent His Son(T) as the world’s Savior. 15 Whoever confesses[g](U) that Jesus is the Son of God—God remains in him and he in God. 16 And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.
17 In this, love is perfected with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment,(V) for we are as He is in this world.(W) 18 There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear,(X) because fear involves punishment.[h] So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love.(Y) 19 We love[i] because He first loved us.(Z)
Keeping God’s Commands
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother,(AA) he is a liar.(AB) For the person who does not love his brother(AC) he has seen cannot love the God he has not seen.[j] 21 And we have this command from Him: The one who loves God must also love his brother.
Footnotes
- 1 John 4:2 Or confesses Jesus to be the Christ
- 1 John 4:3 Other mss read confess that Jesus has come in the flesh
- 1 John 4:9 Or revealed in us
- 1 John 4:10 Or a
- 1 John 4:12 Since God is an infinite being, no one can see Him in His absolute essential nature; Ex 33:18-23.
- 1 John 4:12 Or remains among
- 1 John 4:15 Or acknowledges
- 1 John 4:18 Or fear has its own punishment or torment
- 1 John 4:19 Other mss add Him
- 1 John 4:20 Other mss read has seen, how is he able to love . . . seen? (as a question)
1 John 4
English Standard Version
1 John 4
English Standard Version
Test the Spirits
4 Beloved, (A)do not believe every spirit, but (B)test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for (C)many (D)false prophets (E)have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: (F)every spirit that confesses that (G)Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit (H)that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and (I)now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for (J)he who is in you is greater than (K)he who is in the world. 5 (L)They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and (M)the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. (N)Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know (O)the Spirit of truth and (P)the spirit of error.
God Is Love
7 Beloved, (Q)let us love one another, for love is from God, and (R)whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 (S)Anyone who does not love does not know God, because (T)God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that (U)God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, (V)not that we have loved God (W)but that he loved us and sent his Son to be (X)the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 (Y)No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and (Z)his love is perfected in us.
13 (AA)By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And (AB)we have seen and testify that (AC)the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of (AD)the world. 15 (AE)Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So (AF)we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. (AG)God is love, and (AH)whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this (AI)is love perfected with us, so that (AJ)we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because (AK)as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but (AL)perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not (AM)been perfected in love. 19 (AN)We love because he first loved us. 20 (AO)If anyone says, “I love God,” and (AP)hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot[a] love God (AQ)whom he has not seen. 21 And (AR)this commandment we have from him: (AS)whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Footnotes
- 1 John 4:20 Some manuscripts how can he
1 John 4
New International Version
1 John 4
New International Version
On Denying the Incarnation
4 Dear friends,(A) do not believe every spirit,(B) but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.(C) 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh(D) is from God,(E) 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,(F) which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.(G)
4 You, dear children,(H) are from God and have overcome them,(I) because the one who is in you(J) is greater than the one who is in the world.(K) 5 They are from the world(L) 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.(M) This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth(N) and the spirit of falsehood.(O)
God’s Love and Ours
7 Dear friends, let us love one another,(P) for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God(Q) and knows God.(R) 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.(S) 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son(T) into the world that we might live through him.(U) 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us(V) and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.(W) 11 Dear friends,(X) since God so loved us,(Y) we also ought to love one another.(Z) 12 No one has ever seen God;(AA) but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.(AB)
13 This is how we know(AC) that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.(AD) 14 And we have seen and testify(AE) that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.(AF) 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,(AG) God lives in them and they in God.(AH) 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love.(AI) Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.(AJ) 17 This is how love is made complete(AK) among us so that we will have confidence(AL) on the day of judgment:(AM) In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,(AN) 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.(AO) 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister(AP) is a liar.(AQ) For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen,(AR) cannot love God, whom they have not seen.(AS) 21 And he has given us this command:(AT) Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.(AU)
Footnotes
- 1 John 4:6 Or spirit
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.