Chapter 4
Testing the Spirits
1
Beloved, vvv do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits [to see] whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Ἀγαπητοί μὴ πιστεύετε παντὶ πνεύματι ἀλλὰ δοκιμάζετε τὰ πνεύματα εἰ ἐστιν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὅτι πολλοὶ ψευδοπροφῆται ἐξεληλύθασιν εἰς τὸν κόσμον Agapētoi mē pisteuete panti pneumati alla dokimazete ta pneumata ei estin ek tou Theou hoti polloi pseudoprophētai exelēlythasin eis ton kosmon — NA/TR · 1
2
By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses [that] Jesus Christ has come in [the] flesh is from God,
Ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκετε τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ πᾶν πνεῦμα ὃ ὁμολογεῖ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐληλυθότα ἐν σαρκὶ ἐστιν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ En toutō ginōskete to Pneuma tou Theou pan pneuma ho homologei Iēsoun Christon elēlythota en sarki estin ek tou Theou — NA/TR · 2
3
and every spirit that vvv does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the [spirit] of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and [which] is already in the world at this time.
καὶ πᾶν πνεῦμα ὃ μὴ ὁμολογεῖ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἔστιν οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ τοῦ ἀντιχρίστου ὃ ἀκηκόατε ὅτι ἔρχεται καὶ ἐστὶν ἤδη ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ νῦν kai pan pneuma ho mē homologei ton Iēsoun estin ouk ek tou Theou kai touto estin to tou antichristou ho akēkoate hoti erchetai kai estin ēdē en tō kosmō nyn — NA/TR · 3
4
You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who [is] in you than he who [is] in the world.
Ὑμεῖς τεκνία ἐστε ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ νενικήκατε αὐτούς ὅτι μείζων ἐστὶν ὁ ἐν ὑμῖν ἢ ὁ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ Hymeis teknia este ek tou Theou kai nenikēkate autous hoti meizōn estin ho en hymin ē ho en tō kosmō — NA/TR · 4
5
They are of the world. That is why… they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them.
αὐτοὶ εἰσίν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου διὰ τοῦτο λαλοῦσιν τοῦ κόσμου ἐκ καὶ ὁ κόσμος ἀκούει αὐτῶν autoi eisin ek tou kosmou dia touto lalousin tou kosmou ek kai ho kosmos akouei autōn — NA/TR · 5
6
We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God vvv does not listen to us. That is how… we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.
ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ γινώσκων τὸν Θεὸν ἀκούει ἡμῶν ὃς ἔστιν οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἀκούει ἡμῶν ἐκ τούτου γινώσκομεν τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς πλάνης hēmeis esmen ek tou Theou ho ginōskōn ton Theon akouei hēmōn hos estin ouk ek tou Theou ouk akouei hēmōn ek toutou ginōskomen to pneuma tēs alētheias kai to pneuma tēs planēs — NA/TR · 6
Love Comes from God
7
Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
Ἀγαπητοί ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη ἐστιν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἀγαπῶν γεγέννηται ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ γινώσκει τὸν Θεόν Agapētoi agapōmen allēlous hoti hē agapē estin ek tou Theou kai pas ho agapōn gegennētai ek tou Theou kai ginōskei ton Theon — NA/TR · 7
8
Whoever vvv does not love vvv does not know God, because God is love.
ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν οὐκ ἔγνω τὸν Θεόν ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἐστίν ἀγάπη ho mē agapōn ouk egnō ton Theon hoti ho Theos estin agapē — NA/TR · 8
9
This is how… God’s love was revealed among us -: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.
Ἐν τούτῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ ἀγάπη ἐφανερώθη ἐν ἡμῖν ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἀπέσταλκεν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ τὸν Υἱὸν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἵνα ζήσωμεν δι’ αὐτοῦ En toutō tou Theou hē agapē ephanerōthē en hēmin hoti ho Theos apestalken autou ton monogenē ton Huion eis ton kosmon hina zēsōmen di’ autou — NA/TR · 9
10
- [And] love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son [as the] atoning sacrifice for our sins.
ἡ ἀγάπη ἐστὶν ἐν τούτῳ οὐχ ὅτι ἡμεῖς ἠγαπήκαμεν τὸν Θεόν ἀλλ’ ὅτι αὐτὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοῦ τὸν Υἱὸν ἱλασμὸν περὶ ἡμῶν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν hē agapē estin en toutō ouch hoti hēmeis ēgapēkamen ton Theon all’ hoti autos ēgapēsen hēmas kai apesteilen autou ton Huion hilasmon peri hēmōn tōn hamartiōn — NA/TR · 10
11
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Ἀγαπητοί εἰ ὁ Θεὸς οὕτως ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς ἡμεῖς καὶ ὀφείλομεν ἀγαπᾶν ἀλλήλους Agapētoi ei ho Theos houtōs ēgapēsen hēmas hēmeis kai opheilomen agapan allēlous — NA/TR · 11
12
No one has ever seen… God; [but] if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us.
οὐδεὶς τεθέαται πώποτε Θεὸν ἐὰν ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους ὁ Θεὸς μένει ἐν ἡμῖν καὶ αὐτοῦ ἡ ἀγάπη ἐστιν τετελειωμένη ἐν ἡμῖν oudeis tetheatai pōpote Theon ean agapōmen allēlous ho Theos menei en hēmin kai autou hē agapē estin teteleiōmenē en hēmin — NA/TR · 12
13
By this we know that we remain in Him, and He in us -: He has given us of His Spirit.
ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι μένομεν ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν ὅτι δέδωκεν ἡμῖν ἐκ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Πνεύματος en toutō ginōskomen hoti menomen en autō kai autos en hēmin hoti dedōken hēmin ek autou tou Pneumatos — NA/TR · 13
14
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent [His] Son [to be] [the] Savior of the world.
καὶ ἡμεῖς τεθεάμεθα καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν ὅτι ὁ Πατὴρ ἀπέσταλκεν τὸν Υἱὸν Σωτῆρα τοῦ κόσμου kai hēmeis tetheametha kai martyroumen hoti ho Patēr apestalken ton Huion Sōtēra tou kosmou — NA/TR · 14
15
If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
ἐὰν Ὃς ὁμολογήσῃ ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ Θεὸς μένει ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ean Hos homologēsē hoti Iēsous estin ho Huios tou Theou ho Theos menei en autō kai autos en tō Theō — NA/TR · 15
16
And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐγνώκαμεν καὶ πεπιστεύκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην ἣν ὁ Θεὸς ἔχει ἐν ἡμῖν Ὁ Θεὸς ἐστίν ἀγάπη καὶ ὁ μένων ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ μένει ἐν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς μένει ἐν αὐτῷ kai hēmeis egnōkamen kai pepisteukamen tēn agapēn hēn ho Theos echei en hēmin HO Theos estin agapē kai ho menōn en tē agapē menei en tō Theō kai ho Theos menei en autō — NA/TR · 16
17
In this [way], love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like Him…
Ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀγάπη τετελείωται μεθ’ ἡμῶν ἵνα ἔχωμεν παρρησίαν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως ὅτι ἐν τούτῳ τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν καθὼς ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν En toutō hē agapē teteleiōtai meth’ hēmōn hina echōmen parrēsian en tē hēmera tēs kriseōs hoti en toutō tō kosmō kai hēmeis esmen kathōs ekeinos estin — NA/TR · 17
18
There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The [one who] fears vvv has not been perfected in love.
ἔστιν οὐκ Φόβος ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἀλλ’ ἡ τελεία ἀγάπη βάλλει ἔξω τὸν φόβον ὅτι ὁ φόβος ἔχει κόλασιν δὲ ὁ φοβούμενος οὐ τετελείωται ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ estin ouk Phobos en tē agapē all’ hē teleia agapē ballei exō ton phobon hoti ho phobos echei kolasin de ho phoboumenos ou teteleiōtai en tē agapē — NA/TR · 18
19
We love because He first loved us.
Ἡμεῖς ἀγαπῶμεν ὅτι αὐτὸς πρῶτος ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς Hēmeis agapōmen hoti autos prōtos ēgapēsen hēmas — NA/TR · 19
20
If anyone says, “I love God, [but] hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who vvv does not love his brother, whom he has seen, vvv cannot love God, whom vvv he has not seen.
Ἐάν τις εἴπῃ ὅτι Ἀγαπῶ τὸν Θεόν καὶ μισῇ αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἐστίν ψεύστης γὰρ ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀδελφὸν ὃν ἑώρακεν οὐ δύναται ἀγαπᾶν τὸν Θεὸν ὃν οὐχ ἑώρακεν Ean tis eipē hoti Agapō ton Theon kai misē autou ton adelphon estin pseustēs gar ho mē agapōn autou ton adelphon hon heōraken ou dynatai agapan ton Theon hon ouch heōraken — NA/TR · 20
21
And we have this commandment from Him -: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.
καὶ ἔχομεν ταύτην τὴν ἐντολὴν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἵνα ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν Θεὸν ἀγαπᾷ αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀδελφὸν καὶ kai echomen tautēn tēn entolēn ap’ autou hina ho agapōn ton Theon agapa autou ton adelphon kai — NA/TR · 21