Focused Passage

1 John 4:1-6

Testing the Spirits, Confessing the Son, and Abiding in God’s Love

The chapter moves from testing spiritual claims by the confession of Jesus Christ come in the flesh to living in the love of God revealed through the sending of the Son and confirmed by the Spirit.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1Beloved, 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.

2By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time.

4You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

5They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them.

6We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

BelovedἈγαπητοίG27Adjective - Vocative Masculine PluralvvvμὴG3361Adverbdo not believeπιστεύετεG4100Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person PluraleveryπαντὶG3956Adjective - Dative Neuter SingularspiritπνεύματιG4151Noun - Dative Neuter SingularbutἀλλὰG235ConjunctiontestδοκιμάζετεG1381Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person PluraltheτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralspiritsπνεύματαG4151Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural[to see] whetherεἰG1487Conjunctionthey areἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularfromἐκG1537Preposition-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularGodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularForὅτιG3754ConjunctionmanyπολλοὶG4183Adjective - Nominative Masculine Pluralfalse prophetsψευδοπροφῆταιG5578Noun - Nominative Masculine Pluralhave gone outἐξεληλύθασινG1831Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralintoεἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularworldκόσμονG2889Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 2

Original words

ByἘνG1722PrepositionthisτούτῳG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Neuter Singularyou will knowγινώσκετεG1097Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluraltheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularSpiritΠνεῦμαG4151Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularEveryπᾶνG3956Adjective - Nominative Neuter SingularspiritπνεῦμαG4151Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularthatG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singularconfesses [that]ὁμολογεῖG3670Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularJesusἸησοῦνG2424Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularChristΧριστὸνG5547Noun - Accusative Masculine Singularhas comeἐληλυθόταG2064Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Accusative Masculine SingularinἐνG1722Preposition[the] fleshσαρκὶG4561Noun - Dative Feminine SingularisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularfromἐκG1537Preposition-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularGodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 3

Original words

andκαὶG2532ConjunctioneveryπᾶνG3956Adjective - Nominative Neuter SingularspiritπνεῦμαG4151Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularthatG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Neuter SingularvvvμὴG3361Adverbdoes not confessὁμολογεῖG3670Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦνG2424Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularisἔστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularnotοὐκG3756AdverbfromἐκG1537Preposition-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularGodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular-καὶG2532ConjunctionThisτοῦτόG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Neuter SingularisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularthe [spirit]τὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter Singularof theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularantichristἀντιχρίστουG500Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularwhichG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singularyou have heardἀκηκόατεG191Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural-ὅτιG3754Conjunctionis comingἔρχεταιG2064Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction[which] isἐστὶνG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularalreadyἤδηG2235AdverbinἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularworldκόσμῳG2889Noun - Dative Masculine Singularat this timeνῦνG3568Adverb

BSB notes

  • BYZ and TR that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
Verse 4

Original words

YouὙμεῖςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Plurallittle childrenτεκνίαG5040Noun - Vocative Neuter PluralareἐστεG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralfromἐκG1537Preposition-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularGodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctionhave overcomeνενικήκατεG3528Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralthemαὐτούςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person PluralbecauseὅτιG3754ConjunctiongreaterμείζωνG3173Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular - ComparativeisἐστὶνG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularHe who [is]G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionyouὑμῖνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person PluralthanG2228Conjunctionhe who [is]G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularinἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularworldκόσμῳG2889Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Verse 5

Original words

TheyαὐτοὶG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person PluralareεἰσίνG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralofἐκG1537PrepositiontheτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularworldκόσμουG2889Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularThat is whyδιὰG1223Preposition. . .τοῦτοG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singularthey speakλαλοῦσινG2980Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Pluralfrom theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularworld’sκόσμουG2889Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularperspectiveἐκG1537PrepositionandκαὶG2532ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularworldκόσμοςG2889Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularlistens toἀκούειG191Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularthemαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Verse 6

Original words

WeἡμεῖςG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person PluralareἐσμενG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralfromἐκG1537Preposition-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularGodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularWhoeverG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularknowsγινώσκωνG1097Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularGodΘεὸνG2316Noun - Accusative Masculine Singularlistens toἀκούειG191Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularusἡμῶνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person PluralwhoeverὃςG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine SingularisἔστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularnotοὐκG3756AdverbfromἐκG1537Preposition-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularGodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularvvvοὐκG3756Adverbdoes not listen toἀκούειG191Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularusἡμῶνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person PluralThat is howἐκG1537Preposition. . .τούτουG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Neuter Singularwe knowγινώσκομενG1097Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person PluraltheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularSpiritπνεῦμαG4151Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularof truthἀληθείαςG225Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctiontheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularspiritπνεῦμαG4151Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularof deceptionπλάνηςG4106Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular

BSB notes

  • Or spirit

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.