Font Size
1 John 4
Christian Standard Bible
1 John 4
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 see 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 that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh(B) is from God,(C) 3 but every spirit that does not confess Jesus[a] is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,(D) which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world.
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. This is how 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[b] in this way: 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 atoning sacrifice[c](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.(Q) If we love one another, God remains in[d] us and his love is made complete in us. 13 This is how we know that we remain in him(R) and he in us: He has given us of 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(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 made complete with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment,(V) because as he is, so also are we in this world.(W) 18 There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear,(X) because fear involves punishment.[e] So the one who fears is not complete in love.(Y) 19 We love[f] because he first loved us.(Z) 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet hates his brother or sister,(AA) he is a liar.(AB) For the person who does not love his brother or sister(AC) whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.[g] 21 And we have this command from him: The one who loves God must also love his brother and sister.
约翰一书 4
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
约翰一书 4
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
怎样认出 神的灵
4 亲爱的，不要每个灵都信，总要试验那些灵是否出于 神，因为有许多假先知已经来到世上了。 2 你们可以这样认出 神的灵：凡是承认耶稣基督是成了肉身来的，那灵就是出于 神。 3 凡是不承认耶稣基督是成了肉身来的，那灵就不是出于 神，而是敌基督者的灵；你们听过他要来，现在他已经在世上了。 4 孩子们，你们是属于 神的，并且已经胜过他们，因为那在你们里面的比那在世上的更大。 5 他们是属于世界的，因此讲论属世的事，世界也就听从他们。 6 我们是属于 神的，认识 神的就听从我们，不属于 神的就不听从我们。这样，我们就可以辨别真理的灵和谬妄的灵了。
神是爱
7 亲爱的，我们应当彼此相爱，因为爱是从 神那里来的。凡是爱人的，都是从 神生的，并且认识 神。 8 不爱人的，就不认识 神，因为 神就是爱。 9 神差遣他的独生子到世上来，要使我们借着他而活； 神的爱就在我们中间显明了。 10 不是我们爱 神，而是 神爱我们，差遣他的儿子为我们的罪作了赎罪祭，这就是爱了。 11 亲爱的， 神既然这样爱我们，我们也应当彼此相爱。 12 从来没有人见过 神，我们若彼此相爱， 神就住在我们里面，他的爱也在我们里面得到成全了。
13 神把他的灵赐给我们，我们就知道我们是住在他里面，他也住在我们里面。 14 父差遣子作世人的救主，这是我们见过的，并且现在作见证。 15 凡承认耶稣是 神的儿子的， 神就住在他里面，他也住在 神里面。 16 神对我们的爱，我们已经明白了，而且相信了。
神就是爱；住在爱里面的，就住在 神里面， 神也住在他里面。 17 这样，爱在我们里面就得到成全，使我们在审判的日子，可以坦然无惧。因为他怎样，我们在这世上也怎样。 18 爱里没有惧怕，完全的爱可以把惧怕驱除，因为惧怕含有刑罚，惧怕的人在爱里还没有完全。 19 我们爱，因为 神先爱我们。 20 人若说“我爱 神”，却恨他的弟兄，就是说谎的。不爱看得见的弟兄，就不能爱看不见的 神。 21 爱 神的，也应当爱弟兄，这就是我们从 神领受的命令。
1 John 4
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
1 John 4
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 4
Testing the Spirits.[a] 1 Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.(A) 2 This is how you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh belongs to God,(B) 3 and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus[b] does not belong to God. This is the spirit of the antichrist that, as you heard, is to come, but in fact is already in the world.(C) 4 You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them, for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They belong to the world; accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world, and the world listens to them.(D) 6 We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us, while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.(E)
God’s Love and Christian Life. 7 [c]Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. 8 Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.(F) 10 In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.(G) 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.(H)
13 [d]This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit. 14 Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world. 15 Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God. 16 We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.
God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. 17 In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world.(I) 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God[e] whom he has not seen.(J) 21 This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.(K)
Footnotes
- 4:1–6 Deception is possible in spiritual phenomena and may be tested by its relation to Christian doctrine (cf. 1 Cor 12:3): those who fail to acknowledge Jesus Christ in the flesh are false prophets and belong to the antichrist. Even though these false prophets are well received in the world, the Christian who belongs to God has a greater power in the truth.
- 4:3 Does not acknowledge Jesus: some ancient manuscripts add “Christ” and/or “to have come in the flesh” (cf. 1 Jn 4:2), and others read “every spirit that annuls (or severs) Jesus.”
- 4:7–12 Love as we share in it testifies to the nature of God and to his presence in our lives. One who loves shows that one is a child of God and knows God, for God’s very being is love; one without love is without God. The revelation of the nature of God’s love is found in the free gift of his Son to us, so that we may share life with God and be delivered from our sins. The love we have for one another must be of the same sort: authentic, merciful; this unique Christian love is our proof that we know God and can “see” the invisible God.
- 4:13–21 The testimony of the Spirit and that of faith join the testimony of love to confirm our knowledge of God. Our love is grounded in the confession of Jesus as the Son of God and the example of God’s love for us. Christian life is founded on the knowledge of God as love and on his continuing presence that relieves us from fear of judgment (1 Jn 4:16–18). What Christ is gives us confidence, even as we live and love in this world. Yet Christian love is not abstract but lived in the concrete manner of love for one another.
- 4:20 Cannot love God: some ancient manuscripts read “how can he love…?”
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
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Chinese New Version (Simplified) (CNVS)
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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.