Overview
In the fourth chapter of 1 John, the themes of love and truth are presented with renewed vigor.
He also introduces the principle of testing spirits, to discern truth from falsehood, providing guidance, on knowing how to discern the Spirit of God.
John emphasizes the importance of love among believers, as a reflection of God's love for them.
Bible Study/Commentary
Verses 1-6: Testing the Spirits
John urges believers not to believe every spirit, but to test the spirits to see whether they are from God.
He warns that many false prophets have gone out into the world.
He provides a test regarding false prophets.
Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is from God, and any spirit, that does not acknowledge Jesus, is not from God.
John reassures believers, that they know, who these false prophets are, because the Spirit, that is in them, is greater than the spirit, that is in the world.
Verses 7-12: God's Love and Ours
In these verses, John explains that love is from God, and everyone who loves, has been born of God and knows God.
He asserts that God's love was revealed, by sending his only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.
John insists that since God loved us so much, we must love one another.
Verses 13-16: God's Love and Our Love
John explains that God has given us his Spirit as proof, that we live in Him, and He lives in us.
He affirms that whoever confesses, that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
John further emphasizes, that we have come to know, and believe, the love that God has for us.
Verses 17-21: God's Love Perfected in Us
John talks about the relationship between love and fear, arguing that perfect love, casts out fear, because fear has to do, with punishment.
He further discusses, that we love, because He first loved, us.
John concludes the chapter by insisting, that those who claim to love God, yet hate a brother or sister, are liars.
John emphasizes that anyone who loves God, must also love their brothers and sisters.
Overall Summary
1st John Chapter 4 highlights the necessity of discernment in spiritual matters and continues to emphasize the commandment of love.
It begins by providing a clear criterion for discerning the Spirit of God, from the spirit of the Antichrist.
Then, John delves deeply into the subject of love, establishing God as the source of love, and stating that a true understanding, of God's love for us, should lead to our love for others.
The chapter concludes with the firm statement, that love for God and love for fellow believers are inseparable.
The recurring themes of love, truth, and discernment are emphasized throughout this letter.
1 John 4
Test the Spirits
4 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. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses 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 heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak 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. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
God Is Love
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Q&A
- a. What are we not to believe? 4:1
b. What are we to do with the spirits (prophecies)? 4:1
c. Why must we do this? 4:1
d. If a Spirit is of God, what will it confess about Jesus? 4:2
e. If a Spirit is not of God, who is it not born of? 4:3
f. What is this the spirit of? 4:3
g. What spirit is already in the world? 4:3- Beloved, do not believe every spirit,
but test the spirits,
whether they are of God;
because many false prophets
have gone out into the world. - 2 By this you know the Spirit of God:
Every spirit that confesses
that Jesus Christ
has come in the flesh is of God, - 3 and every spirit that does not confess
that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
is not of God.
And this is the spirit of the Antichrist,
which you have heard was coming,
and is now already in the world.
- Beloved, do not believe every spirit,
- a. If you are of God, who have you overcome? 4:4
b. Why can we overcome them? 4:4
c. What are they of? 4:5
d. How do they speak? 4:5
e. Who hears them? 4:5
f. Who was John of? 4:6
g. If a person knows God, will they hear John? 4:6
h. Who will not hear John? 4:6
i. What do we know by this? 4:6
- 4 You are of God, little children,
and have overcome them,
because He who is in you
is greater than he
who is in the world. - 5 They are of the world.
Therefore they speak
as of the world,
and the world hears them. - 6 We are of God.
He who knows God hears us;
he who is not of God
does not hear us.
By this we know the spirit of truth
and the spirit of error.
- 4 You are of God, little children,
- a. Why are we to love one another? 4:7
b. Who is born of God? 4:7
c. Who is not of God? 4:8
- 7 Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is of God;
and everyone who loves
is born of God and knows God. - 8 He who does not love
does not know God,
for God is love.
- 7 Beloved, let us love one another,
- a. What did God do, to manifest His love toward us? 4:9
b. Why did He do this? 4:9
c. What is this love in? 4:10
d. Who is the propitiation (full payment) for our sins? 4:10
f. Beloved, if God so loved us, what should we do? 4:11
- 9 In this the love of God
was manifested toward us,
that God has sent His only begotten Son
into the world,
that we might live through Him. - 10 In this is love, not that we loved God,
but that He loved us
and sent His Son
to be the full payment (propitiation) for our sins. - 11 Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also ought to love one another.
- 9 In this the love of God
- a. Who has seen God? 4:12
b. If we love one another, who abides in us? 4:12
c. What has been perfected in us? 4:12
d. How do we know that we abide in Him, and He in us? 4:13
- 12 No one has seen God at any time.
If we love one another,
God abides in us,
and His love
has been perfected in us. - 13 By this we know
that we abide in Him,
and He in us,
because He has given us of His Spirit.
- 12 No one has seen God at any time.
- a. What had John seen and testified of? 4:14
b. If a person confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, who abides in him? 4:15
c. Who does He abide in? 4:15
d. What have we known and believed? 4:16
e. What is God? 4:16
f. Who abides in God? 4:16
g. Who does God abide in? 4:16- 14 And we have seen and testify
that the Father has sent the Son
as Savior of the world. - 15 Whoever confesses
that Jesus is the Son of God,
God abides in him, and he in God. - 16 And we have known and believed
the love that God has for us.
God is love,
and he who abides in love
abides in God,
and God in him.
- 14 And we have seen and testify
- a. Because we have boldness in the day of judgment, what does that show has been perfected among us? 4:17
b. How are we to be in this world? 4:17
c. Why is there no fear in love? 4:18
d. What does fear involve? 4:18
e. If a person fears, what has not happened? 4:18
f. Why do we love Him? 4:19
- 17 Love has been perfected among us
in this:
that we may have boldness
in the day of judgment;
because as He is,
so are we in this world. - 18 There is no fear in love;
but perfect love casts out fear,
because fear involves torment.
But he who fears
has not been made perfect in love. - 19 We love Him
because He first loved us.
- 17 Love has been perfected among us
- a. If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, what is he? 4:20
b. If he does not love his brother whom he has seen, who can he not love? 4:20
c. What commandment do we have from God? 4:21
- 20 If someone says,
“I love God,”
and hates his brother,
he is a liar;
for he who does not love his brother
whom he has seen,
how can he love God
whom he has not seen? - 21 And this commandment
we have from Him:
that he who loves God
must love his brother also.
- 20 If someone says,