1Jo 4 | ABEn | STEP | Beloved, [ 2 not 3 every 4 spirit 1 believe], but distinguish the spirits, if [ 2 of 3 God 1 they are ]! for many false prophets have gone forth into the world.

1 John 4

CHAPTER 4 Distinguish the Spirits

1 Beloved, [²not ³every ⁴spirit ¹believe], but distinguish the spirits, if [²of ³God ¹they are]! for many false prophets have gone forth into the world. 2 By this you know the spirit of God -- every spirit which acknowledges Jesus Christ [²in ³flesh ¹having come ⁵of ⁶God ⁴is]. 3 And every spirit which does not acknowledge Jesus Christ [²in ³flesh ¹having come ⁵of ⁶God ⁴is not]. And this is the thing of the antichrist, which you heard that it comes, and [²now ³in ⁴the ⁵world ¹is] already. 4 You [²of ³God ¹are], sons, and have overcome them; for greater is the one in you, than the one in the world. 5 They [²of ³the ⁴world ¹are]; because of this [²of ³the ⁴world ¹they speak], and the world hears them. 6 We [²of ³God ¹are]; the one knowing God, hears us; the one who is not of God, does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of the truth and the spirit of the delusion.

Love One Another

7 Beloved, we should love one another, for love [²of ³God ¹is]; and every one loving [²of ³God ¹is engendered], and knows God. 8 The one not loving does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this was made manifest the love of God in us, that his son, the only born, God sent into the world, that we should live through him. 10 In this is the love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son as an atonement for our sins. 11 Beloved, if thus God loved us, also we ought [²one another ¹to love]. 12 [³God ¹No one ⁴at any time ²has seen]. If we should love one another, God [²in ³us ¹abides], and his love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that in him we abide, and he in us -- that of the spirit of him he has given to us. 14 And we have seen, and we bear witness that the father has sent the son as deliverer of the world. 15 Who ever should acknowledge that Jesus is the son of God, God [²in ³him ¹abides], and he in God. 16 And we have known and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love; and the one abiding in the love, [²in ³God ¹abides], and God in him. 17 In this [³has been perfected ¹the ²love] with us, that [²confidence ¹we should have] in the day of the judgment; for as that one is, also we are in this world. 18 Fear is not in the love, but the perfect love [³outside ¹casts ²fear]; for fear [²punishment ¹holds], and the one fearing has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love him, for he first loved us. 20 If anyone should say that, I love God, and [²his brother ¹should detest], he is a liar. For the one not loving his brother, whom he has seen, [⁴God ⁵whom ⁶he has not ⁷seen ¹how ²is he able ³to love]? 21 And this commandment we have from him, that the one loving God, should love also his brother.