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1 John 4:6

in 1 John 4

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.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he who is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

KJV

We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

This verse in 1 John 4

Commentary

14 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

We are of God - We, apostles, have the Spirit of God, and speak and teach by that Spirit. He that knoweth God - who has a truly spiritual discernment, heareth us - acknowledges that our doctrine is from God; that it is spiritual, and leads from earth to heaven.

This site's exposition

have overcome them

on 1 John 4:4-6

The victory is already won, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. The false teachers speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them. A voice's answer to the apostles shows the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.

This site's exposition

We are from God

John sets the apostles' witness as the measure of every teacher. Those who know God receive that witness, and those who refuse it show where they stand. Truth and deception are told apart by the answer each gives to it.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers3 voices

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

Ten Homilies on 1 John 7 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

"We are of God." Let us see why; see whether it be for any other thing than charity. "We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and of error:" namely by this, that he that heareth us hath the spirit of truth; he that heareth not us, hath the spirit of error. Let us see what he adviseth, and let us choose rather to hear him advising in the spirit of truth, and not antichrists, not lovers of the world, not the world. If we are born of God, "beloved," he goes on-see above from what: "We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and of error:" aye, now, he makes us eagerly attentive: to be told that he who knows God, hears; but he who knows not, hears not; and that this is the discerning between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

A commentator

Didymus the Blind

COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN · Written before 398.

proposed

If we take the word hear literally, it is clear that this cannot be true, since everybody can pick up the sounds of the words. It is therefore clear that the word means something more than that—it means that we should do what we hear. …

A commentator

Oecumenius

Commentary on 1 John · Written before 550.

proposed

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. However, He listens to us who lives temperately, and whoever knows God, …

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on the Catholic Epistles · Written before 735.

proposed

In this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. In this, indeed, because he who listens to us has the Spirit of truth; he who does not listen to us has the spirit of error. And this is the distinction of …

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on the Catholic Epistles · Written before 735.

proposed

We are of God. He who knows God, etc. For the carnal man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. Therefore, he who does not want to hear the preachers of charity is undoubtedly known not …
6 more voices on this verse

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on 1 John · Written before 1107.

proposed

But we, being of God and having departed from worldly lusts, become unpleasant to them. The one who lives chastely listens to us, and therefore knows God, and is ready to listen to us. About this Christ also says: "He who has ears to hear, …

The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

We are born of God, taught of God, anointed of God, and so secured against infectious fatal delusions. God has his chosen, who shall not be mortally seduced." 2.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture

We are of God,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

He who knows not God regards not us. He that is not born of God (walking according to his natural disposition) walks not with us. The further any are from God (as appears in all ages) the further they are from Christ and his faithful servants; and the more addicted persons are to this world the more remote they are from the spirit of Christianity.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

We are of God - John here, doubtless, refers to himself, and to those who taught the same doctrines which he did. He takes it for granted that those to whom he wrote would admit this, and argues from it as an indisputable truth. He had given them such evidence of this, as to establish his character and claims beyond a doubt; and he often refers to the fact that he was what he claimed to be, as a point which was so well established that no one would call it in question. See Joh 19:35; Joh 21:24; 3Jn 1:12. Paul, also, not unfrequently refers to the same thing respecting himself; to the fact - a fact which no one would presume to call in question, and which might be regarded as the basis of an argument - that he and his fellow apostles were what they claimed to be. See 1Co 15:14-15; 1Th 2:1-11. Might not, and ought not, all Christians, and all Christian ministers, so to live that the same thing might be assumed in regard to them in their contact with their fellow-men; that their characters for integrity and purity might be so clear that no one would be disposed to call them in question? There are such men in the church and in the ministry now; why might not all be such? He that knoweth God, heareth us - Every one that has a true acquaintance with the character of God will receive our doctrine. John might assume this, for it was not doubted, he presumed, that he was an apostle and a good man; and if this were admitted, it would follow that those who feared and loved God would receive what he taught. Hereby - By this; to wit, by the manner in which they receive the doctrines which we have taught. Know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error - We can distinguish those who embrace the truth from those who do not. […]

The words behind it

32 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    John 10:27

    My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.

    it leads to

    • John 10:16

      I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in as well, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.

    • John 10:14

      I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me,

    • 1 Corinthians 8:3

      But the one who loves God is known by God.

    • Revelation 3:20

      Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.

    • John 10:3–4

      The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen for his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

  • Through

    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.

    it leads to

    • 1 Thessalonians 5:21

      but test all things. Hold fast to what is good.

    • 2 Peter 2:1

      Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on…

  • Through

    John 14:17

    the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.

    it leads to

    • Ezekiel 36:27

      And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.

Where this verse is studied

About 1 John

Saint John the Evangelist, El Greco and workshop, about 1605, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
Saint John the Evangelist, El Greco and workshop, about 1605, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Ten Homilies on 1 John 7; Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; Brooke Foss Westcott, The Epistles of St. John; Didymus the Blind, COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN; John Calvin, Commentary on 1 John; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on 1 John and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 John.