1 John 4
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Testing the Spirits
4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits[a] to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them; for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world, therefore what they say is of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are of God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and he who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
God Is Love
7 Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God; for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No man has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his own Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 In this is love perfected with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love. 19 We love, because he first loved us. 20 If any one says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot[b] love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also.
Footnotes
- 4.1 test the spirits: i.e., examine those who claim to have special gifts from the Holy Spirit; cf. 1 Cor 14.32.
- 1 John 4:20 Other ancient authorities read how can he
約翰一書 4
Chinese Standard Bible (Traditional)
神的靈和敵基督的靈
4 各位蒙愛的人哪，你們不要每一個靈都相信，而要分辨這些靈是否出於神，因為有許多假先知已經在世上出現了。
2 你們從這一點就認出神的靈：任何靈承認耶穌基督是以肉身而來的[a]，這靈就是出於神； 3 任何靈不承認耶穌[b]的，這靈就不是出於神，而是那敵基督者的靈。你們聽說過這靈要來，而它現在已經在世上了。
4 孩子們哪，你們屬於神，而且你們已經勝過了假先知們[c]，因為那在你們裡面的，比那在世界上的更大。 5 他們屬於世界，所以他們說的屬於世界，而世界也聽從他們。 6 我們屬於神，那認識神的，就聽從我們；那不屬於神的，就不聽從我們。由此，我們就認出真理的靈和迷惑人的靈。
在愛中認識神
7 各位蒙愛的人哪，讓我們彼此相愛，因為愛是出於神的。凡是有愛的，都由神所生，並且認識神； 8 那沒有愛的，就不認識神，因為神就是愛。 9 神差派了自己的獨生子到世上來，好使我們能藉著他而活；如此，屬神的愛就在我們裡面顯明了。 10 並不是我們愛了神，而是神愛了我們，差派他的兒子來，為我們的罪孽做了平息祭[d]——在這裡就是愛了。 11 各位蒙愛的人哪，既然神如此愛我們，我們也應該彼此相愛。 12 從來沒有人見過神；如果我們彼此相愛，神就住在我們裡面，他的愛也就在我們裡面得以完全。
13 我們從這一點知道：我們住在他裡面，而他也住在我們裡面，是因為神把他的靈賜給了我們； 14 我們已經見過，並且現在見證：父差派子做世界的救主， 15 凡是承認耶穌是神兒子的，神就住在他裡面，他也住在神裡面。 16 這樣，我們已經認識並相信了神對我們所懷的愛。神就是愛；那住在愛裡面的，就住在神裡面，神也住[e]在他裡面。
17 從這一點，愛在我們裡面得以完全，使我們在審判的日子可以坦然無懼，因為基督[f]怎樣，我們在這世上也怎樣。 18 愛裡沒有懼怕；相反，完美的愛能除去懼怕，因為懼怕帶有懲罰；而那懼怕的，在愛裡沒有得以完全。 19 我們愛[g]，是因為他先愛了我們。
遵守神的命令
20 如果有人說「我愛神」，卻恨自己的弟兄，他就是說謊者，因為一個人不愛自己所看到的弟兄，就不能愛沒有看到的神。[h] 21 這是我們從基督[i]所領受的命令：愛神的，也要愛自己的弟兄。
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 by Global Bible Initiative