1 John 4
Darby Translation
4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, if they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby ye know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses Jesus Christ come in flesh is of God;
3 and every spirit which does not confess Jesus Christ come in flesh is not of God: and this is that [power] of the antichrist, [of] which ye have heard that it comes, and now it is already in the world.
4 *Ye* are of God, 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; for this reason they speak [as] of the world, and the world hears them.
6 *We* are of God; he that knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
7 Beloved, let us love one another; because love is of God, and every one that loves has been begotten of God, and knows God.
8 He that loves not has not known God; for God is love.
9 Herein as to us has been manifested the love of God, that God has 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 a propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God has so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12 No one has seen God at any time: if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby we know that we abide in him and he in us, that he has given to us of his Spirit.
14 And *we* have seen, and testify, that the Father has sent the Son [as] Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
16 And *we* have known and have believed the love which God has to us. God is love, and he that abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
17 Herein has love been perfected with us that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, that even as *he* is, *we* also are in this world.
18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has torment, and he that fears has not been made perfect in love.
19 *We* love because *he* has first loved us.
20 If any one say, I love God, and hate his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he that loves God love also his brother.
1 John 4
Modern English Version
Test the Spirits
4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether 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 is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and is already in the world.
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world, and therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are of God, and whoever knows God listens to us. Whoever is not of God does not listen to us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
God Is Love
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this way the love of God was revealed to us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we must also love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and His love is perfected in us.
13 We know that we live in Him, and He in us, because He has given us His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives 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. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17 In this way God’s love is perfected in us, so that we may have boldness on 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 has to do with punishment. Whoever fears is not perfect in love.
19 We love Him because He first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar. For whoever does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 We have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
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The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.