1 John 4
King James Version
4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And 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.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6 We 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.
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In 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.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And 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.
17 Herein 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.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If 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?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Ivanova 1 4
Biblija: suvremeni hrvatski prijevod
Lažni učitelji
4 Dragi moji prijatelji, mnogo se lažnih proroka pojavilo u svijetu. Nemojte vjerovati svakom tko tvrdi da ima Božjeg Duha! Provjeravajte duhove kako biste vidjeli jesu li od Boga! 2 Ovako možete prepoznati Božjega Duha kod ljudi: svaki duh koji priznaje da je Isus Krist došao u tijelu, od Boga je. 3 Svaki duh koji ne priznaje Isusa takvim, nije od Boga. To je duh Kristovog Neprijatelja[a]. Za njega ste čuli da dolazi i već je sada u svijetu.
4 Djeco, vi pripadate Bogu i vi ste ih pobijedili, jer je Onaj koji je u vama veći od onoga koji je svijetu. 5 Oni pripadaju svijetu i govore što dolazi od svijeta, a svijet ih sluša. 6 Mi pripadamo Bogu. Tko poznaje Boga, sluša nas. Tko ne pripada Bogu, ne sluša nas. Tako razlikujemo duha istine od duha zablude.
Bog je ljubav
7 Dragi moji prijatelji, volimo jedni druge jer ljubav dolazi od Boga. Tko god voli, Božje je dijete[b] i poznaje Boga. 8 Tko ne voli, nije upoznao Boga jer Bog je ljubav. 9 Bog nam je ovako pokazao svoju ljubav: poslao je svoga jedinog Sina na svijet da živimo po njemu. 10 U ovome se sastoji ljubav: nismo mi voljeli Boga, nego je on volio nas i poslao svoga Sina da bude žrtva koja uklanja naše grijehe[c].
11 Dragi moji prijatelji, ako je Bog tako volio nas, onda i mi moramo voljeti jedni druge. 12 Nitko nikada nije vidio Boga, ali ako volimo jedni druge, Bog živi u nama i njegova ljubav u nama postaje savršena.
13 Po ovome znamo da živimo u Bogu i da Bog živi u nama: Bog nam je dao svoga Duha. 14 Mi smo vidjeli da je Otac poslao svoga Sina da bude Spasitelj svijeta i o tome sada svjedočimo. 15 Tko priznaje da je Isus Božji Sin, u njemu živi Bog i on živi u Bogu. 16 A mi smo upoznali ljubav kojom nas Bog voli i vjerujemo u nju. Bog je ljubav. Tko živi u ljubavi, živi u Bogu i Bog živi u njemu.
17 Na ovaj je način Božja ljubav postala savršena u nama jer već sad možemo imati pouzdanje za Sudnji dan. To je zato što smo poput Krista u ovom svijetu. 18 U ljubavi nema straha jer savršena ljubav izgoni strah. Onaj tko se boji, ima strah od kazne, što znači da nije usavršen u ljubavi.
19 Mi volimo jer je Bog prvi volio nas. 20 Ako tko tvrdi da voli Boga, a mrzi svoga brata ili sestru, lažljivac je. Tko ne voli svoga brata ili sestru, koje vidi, ne može voljeti ni Boga kojega ne vidi. 21 Ovu zapovijed imamo od njega: tko voli Boga, mora voljeti i svoju braću i sestre.
1 John 4
New King James Version
Love for God and One Another
4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but (A)test the spirits, whether they are of God; because (B)many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: (C)Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess [a]that Jesus [b]Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than (D)he who is in the world. 5 (E)They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and (F)the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. (G)By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Knowing God Through Love(H)
7 (I)Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who (J)loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 (K)In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten (L)Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, (M)not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son (N)to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, (O)if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Seeing God Through Love
12 (P)No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 (Q)By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And (R)we have seen and testify that (S)the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 (T)Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and (U)he who abides in love abides in God, and God (V)in him.
The Consummation of Love
17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that (W)we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 (X)We love [c]Him because He first loved us.
Obedience by Faith
20 (Y)If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, [d]how can he love God (Z)whom he has not seen? 21 And (AA)this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
Footnotes
- 1 John 4:3 NU omits that
- 1 John 4:3 NU omits Christ has come in the flesh
- 1 John 4:19 NU omits Him
- 1 John 4:20 NU he cannot
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
Biblija: suvremeni hrvatski prijevod (SHP) © 2019 Bible League International
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
