< 1 John 4 >
1 Dear ones, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Dearly beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits if they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 By this the Spirit of God is known: every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ as having come in flesh is of God,
By this is the spirit of God known. Every spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God:
3 and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus Christ as having come in flesh is not of God; indeed, this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming—actually, it is already in the world right now.
And every spirit that dissolveth Jesus, is not of God: and this is Antichrist, of whom you have heard that he cometh, and he is now already in the world.
4 Dear children, you are of God and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than the one in the world.
You are of God, little children, and have overcome him. Because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5 They are of the world; that is why they speak of the world, and the world listens to them.
They are of the world: therefore of the world they speak, and the world heareth them.
6 We are of God: he who knows God listens to us; he who is not of God does not listen to us—by this we know the Spirit of the Truth and the spirit of the deception.
We are of God. He that knoweth God, heareth us. He that is not of God, heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
7 Dear ones, we must love one another, because the love is of God and everyone who loves has been begotten by God and knows God.
Dearly beloved, let us love one another, for charity is of God. And every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
He that loveth not, knoweth not God: for God is charity.
9 God's love was made real within us by this: God sent His only begotten Son into the world in order that we might live through Him.
By this hath the charity of God appeared towards us, because God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we may live by him.
10 In this is the love, not that we loved God but that He loved us—He even sent His Son as the propitiation for our sins.
In this is charity: not as though we had loved God, but because he hath first loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins.
11 Dear ones, since God loved us in this way we are obligated to love one another, really.
My dearest, if God hath so loved us; we also ought to love one another.
12 No one has ever looked at God. If we love one another, God remains in us and His love is being perfected in us.
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abideth in us, and his charity is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we remain in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
In this we know that we abide in him, and he in us: because he hath given us of his spirit.
14 Yes, we have observed and do testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.
And we have seen, and do testify, that the Father hath sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God.
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him, and he in God.
16 Yes, we have come to know and believe the love that God has in us. God is love, and he who abides in the love abides in God, and God in him.
And we have known, and have believed the charity, which God hath to us. God is charity: and he that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him.
17 The love is perfected with us for this: that we may have confidence in the Day of judgment, since just as He is so are we in this world.
In this is the charity of God perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment: because as he is, we also are in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; rather perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment; so he who fears has not been perfected in love.
Fear is not in charity: but perfect charity casteth out fear, because fear hath pain. And he that feareth, is not perfected in charity.
19 We love Him because He first loved us.
Let us therefore love God, because God first hath loved us.
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” while hating his brother, he is a liar. Well, how can he love God whom he has not seen, while not loving his brother whom he has seen?
If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother; he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God, whom he seeth not?
21 Indeed, this commandment we have from Him: he who loves God must love his brother also.
And this commandment we have from God, that he, who loveth God, love also his brother.