Testing Spirits: Confess Christ and Reject Deception
1 John 4:1-6
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
Jude
Revelation
1John.4.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Αγαπητοι: ADJ,voc,pl,m
- μη: PART
- παντι: PRON,dat,sg,m
- πνευματι: NOUN,dat,sg,n
- πιστευετε: VERB,pres,act,imp,2,pl
- αλλα: CONJ
- δοκιμαζετε: VERB,pres,act,imp,2,pl
- τα: ART,acc,pl,n
- πνευματα: NOUN,nom,pl,n
- ει: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,sg
- εκ: PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- οτι: CONJ
- πολλοι: ADJ,nom,pl,m
- ψευδοπροφηται: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- εξεληλυθασιν: VERB,perf,act,ind,3,pl
- εις: PREP
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- κοσμον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
Parallels
- Matthew 7:15 (thematic): Jesus warns to 'beware of false prophets' and urges discernment of prophetic claimants—parallel exhortation to test spirits and reject false teachers.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 (verbal): 'Test all things; hold fast what is good; abstain from every form of evil' echoes the command to test spirits and retain what is from God.
- Deuteronomy 13:1-3 (allusion): OT legislation about testing prophets who entice Israel to other gods provides the covenantal background for discerning true versus false prophetic voices.
- 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (thematic): Paul's warning about false apostles and deceitful workers who masquerade as servants of righteousness corresponds to John’s concern about false prophets in the world.
- 1 John 4:6 (structural): Immediate Johannine parallel that explains the test: 'we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error'—provides the community's criterion for discerning spirits.
Alternative generated candidates
- Beloved, do not believe every spirit; test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
- Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
1John.4.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- εν: PREP
- τουτω: DEM,dat,sg,m
- γινωσκετε: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,pl
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- πνευμα: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου·παν: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- πνευμα: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- ομολογει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- Ιησουν: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- Χριστον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- εν: PREP
- σαρκι: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- εληλυθοτα: VERB,perf,mid,ind,3,sg
- εκ: PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- 1 John 4:3 (verbal): Direct verbal contrast: identifies spirits that deny Jesus Christ coming in the flesh as not from God, directly paralleling the positive test in 4:2.
- 2 John 1:7 (verbal): Warns about deceivers who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, echoing the same doctrinal criterion for recognizing true teaching.
- John 1:14 (thematic): Proclaims the Word becoming flesh (incarnation), thematically parallel to 1 John 4:2’s affirmation that Jesus Christ came in the flesh.
- Philippians 2:6-8 (thematic): Describes Christ’s humiliation and earthly manifestation (taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness), thematically connected to the affirmation of Christ’s real coming in the flesh.
- 1 Timothy 3:16 (allusion): Early confessional statement about Christ being manifested in the flesh, echoing the creedal/formulaic affirmation that underlies 1 John’s test of true spirits.
Alternative generated candidates
- By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.
- By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
1John.4.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- παν: ADJ,nom,sg,n
- πνευμα: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- μη: PART
- ομολογει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- Ιησουν: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- εκ: PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- ουκ: PART,neg
- εστιν·και: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- τουτο: PRON,nom,sg,n
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- αντιχριστου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- ακηκοατε: VERB,aor,act,ind,2,pl
- οτι: CONJ
- ερχεται: VERB,pres,mid,ind,3,sg
- και: CONJ
- νυν: ADV
- εν: PREP
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- κοσμω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- ηδη: ADV
Parallels
- 1 John 4:2 (verbal): Direct immediate context: contrasts spirits that confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh (from God) with those that do not (not from God).
- 1 John 2:22 (quotation): Explicit identification of the 'antichrist' as the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ and denies the Father and the Son—same concept of denial underlying 4:3.
- 2 John 1:7 (allusion): Warns that many deceivers who do not confess Jesus Christ coming in the flesh are 'antichrist'—language and concern parallel to 1 John 4:3.
- 1 John 4:6 (structural): Follows the same testing-of-spirits motif: distinguishing spirits from God (who acknowledge Christ) and spirits from the world (who do not), reinforcing 4:3's criterion.
- Matthew 24:24 (thematic): Jesus' warning about false christs and false prophets deceiving many parallels the Johannine concern about present 'antichrist' spirits already in the world.
Alternative generated candidates
- And every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it was coming — and now it is already in the world.
- and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming — and now it is already in the world.
1John.4.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- υμεις: PRON,nom,pl,2
- εκ: PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- εστε: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,pl
- τεκνια: NOUN,voc,pl,n
- και: CONJ
- νενικηκατε: VERB,perf,act,ind,2,pl
- αυτους: PRON,acc,pl,m
- οτι: CONJ
- μειζων: ADJ,comp,nom,sg,m
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- εν: PREP
- υμιν: PRON,dat,pl,2
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- εν: PREP
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- κοσμω·: NOUN,dat,sg,m
Parallels
- 1 John 5:4 (verbal): Uses the same victory motif: those born of God 'overcome the world' — closely parallels 'you have overcome them' and the source of victory in God.
- 1 John 2:13-14 (verbal): Addresses different groups in the letter with the declaration 'you have overcome the evil one,' echoing the present verse's claim of victory for believers.
- John 16:33 (thematic): Jesus' statement 'I have overcome the world' provides the same assurance of victory over worldly opposition and encouragement amid tribulation.
- Romans 8:31–39 (thematic): Emphasizes God's presence on believers' behalf ('If God is for us...') and the assurance that nothing can separate us from God's love — themes underlying 'greater is he who is in you.'
- Ephesians 6:10–11 (thematic): Calls believers to be 'strong in the Lord' and to put on God's armor, attributing spiritual victory and strength to God's power with believers rather than to worldly forces.
Alternative generated candidates
- You are from God, little children, and you have overcome them; for greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.
- Little children, you are from God and have overcome them; for greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.
1John.4.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- αυτοι: PRON,nom,pl,3
- εκ: PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- κοσμου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- εισιν·δια: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl+PREP,gen
- τουτο: PRON,nom,sg,n
- εκ: PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- κοσμου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- λαλουσιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
- και: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- κοσμος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- αυτων: PRON,gen,pl,m
- ακουει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- 1 John 4:1-3 (structural): Immediate context in the same epistle distinguishing spirits that confess Christ (from God) from false spirits (not from God); verse 4:5 continues the argument by identifying false teachers as 'from the world.'
- 1 John 2:19 (allusion): Speaks of those who went out from the community as evidence they were 'not of us'—parallel concern with people who belong to the world rather than to the Johannine community/God.
- John 8:23 (verbal): Jesus says to opponents 'You are from below; I am from above... you are of this world,' using the same 'from/of the world' language (ek tou kosmou) that 1 John 4:5 applies to false speakers.
- John 17:16 (thematic): Jesus' prayer asserts his followers 'are not of the world, even as I am not of the world,' providing the thematic contrast underlying 1 John 4:5 between those who are 'from the world' and those who belong to God.
- 1 John 2:15-16 (thematic): Defines 'the world' in moral/ethical terms (lusts of the flesh, eyes, pride of life); helps explain why speakers 'from the world' speak worldly messages that the world listens to, in opposition to God's truth.
Alternative generated candidates
- They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.
- They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them.
1John.4.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ημεις: PRON,nom,pl,1
- εκ: PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- εσμεν·ο: VERB,pres,act,ind,1,pl
- γινωσκων: VERB,pres,act,ptc,nom,m,sg
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- θεον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- ακουει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- ημων: PRON,gen,pl,1
- ος: PRON,nom,sg,m
- ουκ: PART,neg
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- εκ: PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- ουκ: PART,neg
- ακουει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- ημων: PRON,gen,pl,1
- εκ: PREP
- τουτου: DEM,gen,sg,m
- γινωσκομεν: VERB,pres,act,ind,1,pl
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- πνευμα: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- αληθειας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- πνευμα: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- πλανης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
Parallels
- John 8:47 (verbal): Very close verbal and conceptual parallel: 'He who is of God hears the words of God'—both verses use hearing/listening as the mark of those who belong to God.
- John 10:27 (thematic): Jesus' sheep hear his voice—the motif of hearing as the distinguishing sign of true discipleship and belonging to God echoes 1 John 4:6.
- John 16:13 (allusion): Mentions the 'Spirit of truth' who guides into truth—parallels 1 John 4:6's contrast between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
- 1 John 4:1 (structural): Immediate context: the exhortation to 'test the spirits' provides the procedural setting for 4:6's criteria for discerning the spirit of truth versus error.
- 1 John 4:2 (verbal): Gives a concrete test for recognizing the Spirit of God (confession of Jesus Christ coming in the flesh), complementing 4:6's claim that listening to the apostles indicates who is 'of God.'
Alternative generated candidates
- We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
- We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit; test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;
and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming — and now it is already in the world.
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them; for greater is the one who is in you than the one who is in the world.
They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.
We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.