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1 John 4:1-6 KJV
1 John · chapter 4 · verses 1–6
1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 6We 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.1 John 4:1-6 · King James Version
1 John 4:1-6 in context
1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6We 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.
7Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Commentary
Cross references
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21
- 2 Peter 2:1
- 1 Timothy 4:1
- 2 John 1:7
- Proverbs 14:15
- Matthew 24:4-5
- Jeremiah 29:8-9
- Matthew 7:15-16
- John 1:14
- 1 Corinthians 12:3
- 1 Timothy 3:16
- 1 John 5:1
Key words (Strong's)
- confessethhomologeōto say the same thing as anotherG3670 →
- prophetspseudoprophētēsone who, acting the part of a divinely inspired prophet, utters falsehoods under the name…G5578 →
- childrentekniona little child, in the NT used as a term of kindly address by teachers to their disciplesG5040 →
- overcomenikaōto conquer, to carry off the victory, come off victorious, of Christ, victorious over all…G3528 →
- Belovedagapētosbeloved, esteemed, dear, favourite, worthy of loveG27 →
- believepisteuōto think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in, of the thing…G4100 →
- greatermeizōngreater, larger, elder, strongerG3187 →
- knowethginōskōto learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel, to become known, to…G1097 →
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The apostle, having said that God's dwelling in and with us may be known by the Spirit that he hath given us, intimates that that Spirit may be discerned and distinguished from other spirits that appear in the world; and so here, I.
— Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on verses 1-3