1 John 4

1 Beloved, 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.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit. Instead, test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

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,

By this you will know the Spirit of God—every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

3 and every spirit that 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.

and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now is already in the world.

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.

You are from God, dear children, and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

5 They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them.

They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them.

6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.

We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us. He who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and everyone who loves is born from God and knows God.

8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

The person who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

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.

Because of this the love of God was revealed among us, that God has sent his only Son into the world so that we would live because of him.

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.

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and that he sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also should love one another.

12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us.

No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is perfected in us.

13 By this we know that we remain in Him, and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit.

By this we know that we remain in him and he in us, because he has given us some of his Spirit.

14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.

Also, we have seen and have borne witness that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

15 If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God.

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.

Also, we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in this love remains in God, and God remains in him.

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.

Because of this, this love has been made perfect among us, so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because as he is, just so are we in this world.

18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love.

There is no fear in love. Instead, perfect love throws out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. But the one who fears has not been made perfect in love.

19 We love because He first loved us.

We love because God first loved us.

20 If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

If anyone says, “I love God” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For the one who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

21 And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.

Also, this is the commandment we have from him: Whoever loves God must also love his own brother.