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1 John 4
International Standard Version

Test What People Say

4 Dear friends, stop believing[a] every spirit. Instead, 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 can recognize God’s Spirit: Every spirit who acknowledges that Jesus the Messiah[b] has become human—and remains so—is from God. 3 But every spirit who does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist. You have heard that he is coming, and now he is already in the world. 4 Little children, you belong to God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 These people belong to the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective,[c] and the world listens to them. 6 We belong to God. The person who knows God listens to us. Whoever does not belong to God does not listen to us. This is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.

God’s Love Lives in Us

7 Dear friends, let us continuously love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God. 8 The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent his uniquely existing Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we have loved[d] God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, if this is the way God loved us, we must also love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 This is how we know that we abide in him and he in us: he has given us his Spirit.

14 We have seen for ourselves and can testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 God abides in the one who acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, and he abides in God. 16 We have come to know and rely on[e] the love that God has for us. God is love, and the person who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 This is how love has been perfected among us: we will have confidence on the day of judgment because, during our time in this world, we are just like him. 18 There is no fear where love exists.[f] Rather, perfect love banishes fear, for fear involves punishment, and the person who lives in fear has not been perfected in love.

19 We love[g] because God[h] first loved us. 20 Whoever says, “I love God,” but hates his brother is a liar. The one who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love the God whom he has not seen. 21 And this is the commandment that we have from him: the person who loves God must also love his brother.

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 4:1 Or do not believe
  2. 1 John 4:2 Or Christ
  3. 1 John 4:5 Lit. from the world
  4. 1 John 4:10 Other mss. read we loved
  5. 1 John 4:16 Lit. believe in
  6. 1 John 4:18 Lit. in love
  7. 1 John 4:19 Other mss. read love him; still other mss. read love God
  8. 1 John 4:19 Lit. he
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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. 1 John 4:6 Or spirit
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