1 John 4 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Test the Spirits

1 Beloved ^G27, do not believe ^G4100 every ^G3956 spirit ^G4151, but test ^G1381 the spirits ^G4151 to see whether ^G1487 they are from God ^G2316, because ^G3754 many ^G4183 false ^G5578 prophets ^G5578 have gone ^G1831 out ^G1831 into the world ^G2889.

2 By this ^G3778 you know ^G1097 the Spirit ^G4151 of God ^G2316: every ^G3956 spirit ^G4151 that confesses ^G3670 that Jesus ^G2424 Christ ^G5547 has come ^G2064 in the flesh ^G4561 is from God ^G2316, 3 and every ^G3956 spirit ^G4151 that does not confess ^G3670 Jesus ^G2424 is not from God ^G2316. This ^G3778 is the spirit of the antichrist ^G500, of which ^G3739 you have heard ^G191 that it is coming ^G2064, and now ^G3568 it is already ^G2235 in the world ^G2889. 4 You are from God ^G2316, little ^G5040 children ^G5040, and have overcome ^G3528 them; because ^G3754 greater ^G3173 is He who is in you than ^G2228 he who is in the world ^G2889. 5 They are from the world ^G2889; therefore ^G1223 G3778 they speak ^G2980 as from the world ^G2889, and the world ^G2889 hears ^G191 them. 6 We are from God ^G2316. The one who knows ^G1097 God ^G2316 hears ^G191 us; the one who ^G3739 is not from God ^G2316 does not hear ^G191 us. From this ^G3778 we know ^G1097 the spirit ^G4151 of truth ^G225 and the spirit ^G4151 of error ^G4106.

God Is Love

7 Beloved ^G27, let us love ^G25 one ^G240 another ^G240, for love ^G26 is from God ^G2316; and everyone ^G3956 who loves ^G25 has been [fn]born ^G1080 of God ^G2316 and knows ^G1097 God ^G2316.

8 The one who does not love ^G25 does not know ^G1097 God ^G2316, because God ^G2316 is love ^G26. 9 By this ^G3778 the love ^G26 of God ^G2316 was manifested ^G5319 [fn]in us, that God ^G2316 has sent ^G649 His [fn]only ^G3439 begotten ^G3439 Son ^G5207 into the world ^G2889 so ^G2443 that we might live ^G2198 through ^G1223 Him. 10 In this ^G3778 is love ^G26, not that we have loved ^G25 God ^G2316, but that He loved ^G25 us and sent ^G649 His Son ^G5207 to be the propitiation ^G2434 for our sins ^G266. 11 Beloved ^G27, if ^G1487 God ^G2316 so ^G3779 loved ^G25 us, we also ^G2532 ought ^G3784 to love ^G25 one ^G240 another ^G240. 12 No ^G3762 one ^G3762 has beheld ^G2300 God ^G2316 at any ^G4455 time ^G4455; if ^G1437 we love ^G25 one ^G240 another ^G240, God ^G2316 abides ^G3306 in us, and His love ^G26 is perfected ^G5048 in us. 13 By this ^G3778 we know ^G1097 that we abide ^G3306 in Him and He in us, because ^G3754 He has given ^G1325 us of His Spirit ^G4151. 14 We have beheld ^G2300 and bear ^G3140 witness ^G3140 that the Father ^G3962 has sent ^G649 the Son ^G5207 to be the Savior ^G4990 of the world ^G2889.

15 Whoever ^G3739 G1437 confesses ^G3670 that Jesus ^G2424 is the Son ^G5207 of God ^G2316, God ^G2316 abides ^G3306 in him, and he in God ^G2316. 16 And we have come ^G1097 to know ^G1097 and have believed ^G4100 the love ^G26 which ^G3739 God ^G2316 has ^G2192 in us. God ^G2316 is love ^G26, and the one who abides ^G3306 in love ^G26 abides ^G3306 in God ^G2316, and God ^G2316 abides ^G3306 in him. 17 By this ^G3778, love ^G26 has been perfected ^G5048 with us, so that we may have ^G2192 confidence ^G3954 in the day ^G2250 of judgment ^G2920, because ^G3754 as He is, so also ^G2532 are we in this ^G3778 world ^G2889. 18 There is no ^G3756 fear ^G5401 in love ^G26; but perfect ^G5046 love ^G26 casts ^G906 out fear ^G5401, because ^G3754 fear ^G5401 [fn]involves ^G2192 punishment ^G2851, and the one who fears ^G5399 is not perfected ^G5048 in love ^G26. 19 We love ^G25, because ^G3754 He first ^G4413 loved ^G25 us. 20 If ^G1437 someone ^G5100 says ^G3004, “I love ^G25 God ^G2316,” and hates ^G3404 his brother ^G80, he is a liar ^G5583; for the one who does not love ^G25 his brother ^G80 whom ^G3739 he has seen ^G3708, cannot ^G1410 G3756 love ^G25 God ^G2316 whom ^G3739 he has not seen ^G3708. 21 And this ^G3778 commandment ^G1785 we have ^G2192 from Him, that the one who loves ^G25 God ^G2316 should love ^G25 his brother ^G80 also ^G2532.