1 B eloved, do not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world.

Dear Christian friends, do not believe every spirit. But test the spirits to see if they are from God for there are many false preachers in the world.

2 B y this you may know (perceive and recognize) the Spirit of God: every spirit which acknowledges and confesses that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) has become man and has come in the flesh is of God;

You can tell if the spirit is from God in this way: Every spirit that says Jesus Christ has come in a human body is from God.

3 A nd every spirit which does not acknowledge and confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh '> annul, destroy, sever, disunite Him] is not of God. This '> nonconfession] is the of the antichrist, which you heard that it was coming, and now it is already in the world.

And every spirit that does not say Jesus has come in a human body is not from God. It is the teaching of the false-christ. You have heard that this teaching is coming. It is already here in the world.

4 L ittle children, you are of God and have defeated and overcome them, because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.

My children, you are a part of God’s family. You have stood against these false preachers and had power over them. You had power over them because the One Who lives in you is stronger than the one who is in the world.

5 T hey proceed from the world and are of the world; therefore it is out of the world '> whole economy morally considered] that they speak, and the world listens (pays attention) to them.

Those false teachers are a part of the world. They speak about the things of the world. The world listens to them.

6 W e are of God. Whoever is learning to know God '> get an ever-clearer knowledge of Him] listens to us; and he who is not of God does not listen or pay attention to us. By this we know (recognize) the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error.

We are a part of God’s family. The person who knows God will listen to us. The person who is not a part of God’s family will not listen to us. In this way, we can tell what is the spirit of truth and what is the spirit of false teaching. Loving God Makes Us Love Our Christian Brothers

7 B eloved, let us love one another, for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves is begotten (born) of God and is coming to know and understand God.

Dear friends, let us love each other, because love comes from God. Those who love are God’s children and they know God.

8 H e who does not love has not become acquainted with God, for God is love.

Those who do not love do not know God because God is love.

9 I n this the love of God was made manifest (displayed) where we are concerned: in that God sent His Son, the only begotten or unique, into the world so that we might live through Him.

God has shown His love to us by sending His only Son into the world. God did this so we might have life through Christ.

10 I n this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins.

This is love! It is not that we loved God but that He loved us. For God sent His Son to pay for our sins with His own blood.

11 B eloved, if God loved us so, we also ought to love one another.

Dear friends, if God loved us that much, then we should love each other.

12 N o man has at any time seen God. But if we love one another, God abides (lives and remains) in us and His love (that love which is essentially His) is brought to completion (to its full maturity, runs its full course, is perfected) in us!

No person has ever seen God at any time. If we love each other, God lives in us. His love is made perfect in us.

13 B y this we come to know (perceive, recognize, and understand) that we abide (live and remain) in Him and He in us: because He has given (imparted) to us of His Spirit.

He has given us His Spirit. This is how we live by His help and He lives in us. Love Gives Us More Faith in Christ

14 A nd we ourselves have seen (have deliberately and steadfastly contemplated) and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son Savior of the world.

We have seen and are able to say that the Father sent His Son to save the world from the punishment of sin.

15 A nyone who confesses (acknowledges, owns) that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides (lives, makes His home) in him and he in God.

The person who tells of Him in front of men and says that Jesus is the Son of God, God is living in that one and that one is living by the help of God.

16 A nd we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him.

We have come to know and believe the love God has for us. God is love. If you live in love, you live by the help of God and God lives in you. The Love of God Has Power Over Fear and Hate

17 I n this love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world.

Love is made perfect in us when we are not ashamed as we stand before Him on the day He judges. For we know that our life in this world is His life lived in us.

18 T here is no fear in love, but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love.

There is no fear in love. Perfect love puts fear out of our hearts. People have fear when they are afraid of being punished. The man who is afraid does not have perfect love.

19 W e love Him, because He first loved us.

We love Him because He loved us first.

20 I f anyone says, I love God, and hates (detests, abominates) his brother '> in Christ], he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, Whom he has not seen.

If a person says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. If a person does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God Whom he has not seen?

21 A nd this command (charge, order, injunction) we have from Him: that he who loves God shall love his brother '> believer] also.

We have these words from Him. If you love God, love your brother also.