1Jo 4:1-6 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 1John 4:1-6: 4:1-6 Those who belong to God (4:4 ) can distinguish spiritual truth from error, because the Spirit’s presence (3:23-24 ) teaches them (see 2:20 , 27 ; John 14:15-26 ; 16:5-15 ). Yet John provides concrete tests for the believers to apply so that there will be no confusion. These tests are a starting point for true teachers, not an exhaustive set; they were designed to address the false teachings that were being promoted in the churches of John’s readers. 4:1 everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit (literally every spirit ): The teachers who left John’s churches claimed to be prophets , but the true prophet is an instrument for the Holy Spirit’s messages (Acts 4:25 ; 1 Tim 4:1 ; Rev 19:10 ). Every speaker should be tested against what the Holy Spirit has said through the apostles (1 Jn 4:2-3 , 6 ).

Summary for 1John 4:1-6: 4:1-6 ^a Those who belong to God (4:4 ^b) can distinguish spiritual truth from error, because the Spirit’s presence (3:23-24 ^c) teaches them (see 2:20 ^d, 27 ^e; John 14:15-26 ^f; 16:5-15 ^g). Yet John provides concrete tests for the believers to apply so that there will be no confusion. These tests are a starting point for true teachers, not an exhaustive set; they were designed to address the false teachings that were being promoted in the churches of John’s readers. 4:1 ^h everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit (literally every spirit): The teachers who left John’s churches claimed to be prophets, but the true prophet is an instrument for the Holy Spirit’s messages (Acts 4:25 ⁱ; 1 Tim 4:1 ^j; Rev 19:10 ^k). Every speaker should be tested against what the Holy Spirit has said through the apostles (1 Jn 4:2-3 ^l, 6 ^m).
4:2 ⁿ If a person claiming to be a prophet: John outlines a doctrinal test for prophets and teachers. Those who have the Spirit of God confess that Jesus Christ came in a real body. In other words, they must affirm the reality that Jesus is both fully man and fully God. Prophets and teachers who deny these basic teachings are antichrists (2:18 ^o). Certain false teachers in John’s day (the Docetists) taught that Jesus Christ only seemed to have a human body but did not really have one. They thereby denied that God became flesh; see 1:1-3 ^p; John 1:14 ^q).
4:5 ^r The world’s viewpoint is one of systematic evil, opposed to God (2:15-17 ^s).
4:6 ^t John tests the reality of a person’s Christianity by whether they listen to and agree with the teachings of the apostles.

• The Spirit of truth is the Holy Spirit (John 14:17 ^u, 26 ^v; 15:26 ^w; 16:13-15 ^x), who teaches the truth about Christ (1 Jn 2:20 ^y, 27 ^z).

• False prophets have the spirit of deception, the spirit of antichrist, which leads people away from Christ (see study note on 2:22). Therefore, union with the historic body of Christ and the consensus of teaching that began with the apostles is a sign of fidelity to Christ’s work in the world.