1 John 4
Contemporary English Version
God Is Love
4 Dear friends, don't believe everyone who claims to have the Spirit of God. Test them all to find out if they really do come from God. Many false prophets have already gone out into the world, 2 and you can know which ones come from God. His Spirit says that Jesus Christ had a truly human body. 3 But when someone doesn't say this about Jesus, you know this person has a spirit that doesn't come from God and is the enemy of Christ. You knew this enemy was coming into the world and now is already here.
4 Children, you belong to God, and you have defeated these enemies. God's Spirit[a] is in you and is more powerful than the one who is in the world. 5 These enemies belong to this world, and the world listens to them, because they speak its language. 6 We belong to God, and everyone who knows God will listen to us. But the people who don't know God won't listen to us. This is how we can tell the Spirit that speaks the truth from the one that tells lies.
7 My dear friends, we must love each other. Love comes from God, and when we love each other, it shows we have been given new life. We are now God's children, and we know him. 8 God is love, and anyone who doesn't love others has never known him. 9 God showed his love for us when he sent his only Son into the world to give us life. 10 Real love isn't our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we must love each other.
12 (A) No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is truly in our hearts.
13 God has given us his Spirit. This is how we know we are one with him, just as he is one with us. 14 God sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. We saw his Son and are now telling others about him. 15 God stays one with everyone who openly says Jesus is the Son of God. This is how we stay one with God 16 and are sure God loves us.
God is love. If we keep on loving others, we will stay one in our hearts with God, and he will stay one with us. 17 If we truly love others and live as Christ did in this world, we won't be worried about the day of judgment. 18 A real love for others will chase those worries away. The thought of being punished is what makes us afraid. It shows we have not really learned to love.
19 We love because God loved us first. 20 But if we say we love God and don't love each other, we are liars. We cannot see God. So how can we love God, if we don't love the people we can see? 21 The commandment that God has given us is: “Love God and love each other!”
Footnotes
- 4.4 God's Spirit: The Greek text has “he” and may refer to the Spirit or to God or to Jesus.
约翰一书 4
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
怎樣認出 神的靈
4 親愛的，不要每個靈都信，總要試驗那些靈是否出於 神，因為有許多假先知已經來到世上了。 2 你們可以這樣認出 神的靈：凡是承認耶穌基督是成了肉身來的，那靈就是出於 神。 3 凡是不承認耶穌基督是成了肉身來的，那靈就不是出於 神，而是敵基督者的靈；你們聽過他要來，現在他已經在世上了。 4 孩子們，你們是屬於 神的，並且已經勝過他們，因為那在你們裡面的比那在世上的更大。 5 他們是屬於世界的，因此講論屬世的事，世界也就聽從他們。 6 我們是屬於 神的，認識 神的就聽從我們，不屬於 神的就不聽從我們。這樣，我們就可以辨別真理的靈和謬妄的靈了。
神是愛
7 親愛的，我們應當彼此相愛，因為愛是從 神那裡來的。凡是愛人的，都是從 神生的，並且認識 神。 8 不愛人的，就不認識 神，因為 神就是愛。 9 神差遣他的獨生子到世上來，要使我們藉著他而活； 神的愛就在我們中間顯明了。 10 不是我們愛 神，而是 神愛我們，差遣他的兒子為我們的罪作了贖罪祭，這就是愛了。 11 親愛的， 神既然這樣愛我們，我們也應當彼此相愛。 12 從來沒有人見過 神，我們若彼此相愛， 神就住在我們裡面，他的愛也在我們裡面得到成全了。
13 神把他的靈賜給我們，我們就知道我們是住在他裡面，他也住在我們裡面。 14 父差遣子作世人的救主，這是我們見過的，並且現在作見證。 15 凡承認耶穌是 神的兒子的， 神就住在他裡面，他也住在 神裡面。 16 神對我們的愛，我們已經明白了，而且相信了。
神就是愛；住在愛裡面的，就住在 神裡面， 神也住在他裡面。 17 這樣，愛在我們裡面就得到成全，使我們在審判的日子，可以坦然無懼。因為他怎樣，我們在這世上也怎樣。 18 愛裡沒有懼怕，完全的愛可以把懼怕驅除，因為懼怕含有刑罰，懼怕的人在愛裡還沒有完全。 19 我們愛，因為 神先愛我們。 20 人若說“我愛 神”，卻恨他的弟兄，就是說謊的。不愛看得見的弟兄，就不能愛看不見的 神。 21 愛 神的，也應當愛弟兄，這就是我們從 神領受的命令。
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.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
