1 Johnchapter 4
21 verses · BSB1 John book hub →
A.Test the Spirits: Christ Come in the Fleshvv. 1-6
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. 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, 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. 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. 5 They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, 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.
B.Love Is of God, and God Sent His Son Firstvv. 7-12
7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever 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 one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through 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. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to 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.
C.Perfect Love Casts Out Fearvv. 13-21
13 By this we know that we remain in Him, and He in us: 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 If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides 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. 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. 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. 19 We love because He 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. 21 And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.
Chapter summary
'Believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world' (4:1), and the test is christological and blunt: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.
Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴
Chapter summary
'Believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world' (4:1), and the test is christological and blunt: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.
Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴
'Believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world' (4:1), and the test is christological and blunt: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. Ye have overcome them, 'because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.' Then the summit: 'Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God… He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love' (4:7-8), love defined not by sentiment but by an event, 'not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.' 'Perfect love casteth out fear' (4:18).
Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.
Context
Epistle · John — 1 John overview
- A. 1–6 Test the Spirits: Christ Come in the Flesh
- B. 7–12 Love Is of God, and God Sent His Son First
- C. 13–21 Perfect Love Casts Out Fear
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
1 John 47 verses
- 1 John 4:7Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
- 1 John 4:8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
- 1 John 4:10And 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.
- 1 John 4:12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us.
- 1 John 4:16And 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.
- 1 John 4:19We love because He first loved us.
- Read 1 John 4: 1 more there →
1 John 24 verses
- 1 John 2:5But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him:
- 1 John 2:9If anyone claims to be in the light but hates his brother, he is still in the darkness.
- 1 John 2:22Who is the liar, if it is not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son.
- 1 John 2:28And now, little children, remain in Christ, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.
- Read 1 John 2 →
1 John 34 verses
- 1 John 3:1Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.
- 1 John 3:11This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
- 1 John 3:17If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?
- 1 John 3:24Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.
- Read 1 John 3 →
Romans 84 verses
- Romans 8:15For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
- Romans 8:31What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Romans 8:32He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?
- Romans 8:37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
- Read Romans 8 →
4 more chapters this one speaks with
1 John 53 verses
- 1 John 5:4because everyone born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.
- 1 John 5:5Who then overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
- 1 John 5:11And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
- Read 1 John 5 →
John 12 verses
- John 1:14The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
- John 1:18No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.
- Read John 1 →
Ephesians 22 verses
- Ephesians 2:4But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
- Ephesians 2:20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.
- Read Ephesians 2 →
John 152 verses
- John 15:12This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
- John 15:16You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.
- Read John 15 →
Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.