1 John 4
1 Dearely beloued, beleeue not euery spirit, but trie the spirits whether they are of God: for many false prophets are gone out into this worlde.
Dear friends, do not trust every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 Hereby shall ye know the Spirit of God, Euery spirit which confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God.
This is the way to recognize the Spirit of God: those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as come in the flesh have God’s Spirit,
3 And euery spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God: but this is the spirit of Antichrist, of whome ye haue heard, how that he should come, and nowe already he is in this world.
while a spirit that doesn’t acknowledge Jesus isn’t from God. Instead it is the spirit of the antichrist; you have heard that it was coming, and it is now already in the world!
4 Litle children, ye are of God, and haue ouercome them: for greater is he that is in you, then he that is in this world.
You, my children, come from God, and you have successfully resisted such people as these, because he who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
5 They are of this worlde, therefore speake they of this world, and this world heareth them.
Those people belong to the world and therefore they speak as the world speaks, and the world listens to them.
6 We are of God, he that knoweth God, heareth vs: he that is not of God, heareth vs not. Heereby knowe wee the spirit of trueth, and the spirit of errour.
We come from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; the person who does not come from God does not listen to us. This is how we distinguish the spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.
7 Beloued, let vs loue one another: for loue commeth of God, and euery one that loueth, is borne of God, and knoweth God.
Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God and everyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.
8 Hee that loueth not, knoweth not God: for God is loue.
Those who do not love know nothing of God, for God is love.
9 Herein was that loue of God made manifest amongst vs, because God sent that his onely begotten sonne into this world, that we might liue through him.
This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
10 Herein is that loue, not that we loued God, but that he loued vs, and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes.
This is what love is: it is not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
11 Beloued, if God so loued vs, we ought also to loue one another.
Dear friends, since God loved us in this way, we should love one another.
12 No man hath seene God at any time. If we loue one another, God dwelleth in vs, and his loue is perfect in vs.
No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love reaches perfection within us.
13 Hereby know we, that we dwell in him, and he in vs: because he hath giuen vs of his Spirit.
We know that we live in him, and he lives in us, because he has given us a measure of his Spirit.
14 And we haue seene, and doe testifie, that the Father sent that Sonne to be ye Sauiour of the world.
Moreover, we have seen for ourselves and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
15 Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus is the Sone of God, in him dwelleth God, and he in God.
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, God lives in them, and they live in God.
16 And we haue knowen, and beleeued ye loue that God hath in vs. God is loue, and he that dwelleth in loue, dwelleth in God, and God in him.
And so we have come to know and believe the love which God has for us. God is love; and whoever lives in love lives in God, and God lives in them.
17 Herein is that loue perfect in vs, that we should haue boldnes in the day of iudgement: for as he is, euen so are we in this world.
This is the way love has reached its perfection among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like Christ.
18 There is no feare in loue, but perfect loue casteth out feare: for feare hath painefulnesse: and he that feareth, is not perfect in loue.
There is no fear in love; perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. So anyone who is afraid has not reached perfection in love.
19 We loue him, because he loued vs first.
We love, because God first loved us.
20 If any man say, I loue God, and hate his brother, he is a liar: for how can he that loueth not his brother whom he hath seene, loue God whom he hath not seene?
If someone says ‘I love God,’ and yet hates others, they are a liar. For the person who does not love their brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
21 And this commandement haue we of him, that he that loueth God, should loue his brother also.
Indeed, we have this command from Christ: Those who love God must also love each other.
