Testing the Spirits

1  Ἀγαπητοί (Beloved), μὴ (not) παντὶ (every) πνεύματι (spirit) πιστεύετε (believe), ἀλλὰ (but) δοκιμάζετε (test) τὰ (the) πνεύματα (spirits) εἰ (whether) ἐκ (of) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (God) ἐστιν (they are), ὅτι (because) πολλοὶ (many) ψευδοπροφῆται (false prophets) ἐξεληλύθασιν (have gone out) εἰς (into) τὸν (the) κόσμον (world). 2  Ἐν (In) τούτῳ (this) γινώσκετε (you⁺ know) τὸ (the) Πνεῦμα (Spirit) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (of God)· πᾶν (Every) πνεῦμα (spirit) ὃ (that) ὁμολογεῖ (confesses) Ἰησοῦν (Jesus) Χριστὸν (Christ) ἐν (in) σαρκὶ (the flesh) ἐληλυθότα (having come) ἐκ (of) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (God) ἐστιν (is), 3  καὶ (and) πᾶν (every) πνεῦμα (spirit) ὃ (that) μὴ (not) ὁμολογεῖ (confesses) τὸν (-) Ἰησοῦν (Jesus) ἐκ (of) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (God) οὐκ (not) ἔστιν (is)· καὶ (And) τοῦτό (this) ἐστιν (is) τὸ (that) τοῦ (of the) ἀντιχρίστου (antichrist), ὃ (which) ἀκηκόατε (you⁺ heard) ὅτι (that) ἔρχεται (is coming), καὶ (and) νῦν (now) ἐν (in) τῷ (the) κόσμῳ (world) ἐστὶν (is) ἤδη (already).

4  Ὑμεῖς (You⁺) ἐκ (of) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (God) ἐστε (are), τεκνία (little children), καὶ (and) νενικήκατε (have overcome) αὐτούς (them), ὅτι (because) μείζων (greater) ἐστὶν (is) ὁ (the One) ἐν (in) ὑμῖν (you⁺) ἢ (than) ὁ (the one) ἐν (in) τῷ (the) κόσμῳ (world). 5  αὐτοὶ (They) ἐκ (of) τοῦ (the) κόσμου (world) εἰσίν (are)· διὰ (because of) τοῦτο (this) ἐκ (from out) τοῦ (of the) κόσμου (world) λαλοῦσιν (they speak) καὶ (and) ὁ (the) κόσμος (world) αὐτῶν (them) ἀκούει (hears). 6  ἡμεῖς (We) ἐκ (of) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (God) ἐσμεν (are)· ὁ (The one) γινώσκων (knowing) τὸν (-) Θεὸν (God) ἀκούει (hears) ἡμῶν (us), ὃς (The one who) οὐκ (not) ἔστιν (is) ἐκ (of) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (God) οὐκ (not) ἀκούει (hears) ἡμῶν (us). ἐκ (By) τούτου (this) γινώσκομεν (we know) τὸ (the) πνεῦμα (Spirit) τῆς (-) ἀληθείας (of truth) καὶ (and) τὸ (the) πνεῦμα (spirit) τῆς (-) πλάνης (of error).

Love Comes from God

7  Ἀγαπητοί (Beloved), ἀγαπῶμεν (may we love) ἀλλήλους (one another), ὅτι (because) ἡ (-) ἀγάπη (love) ἐκ (of) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (God) ἐστιν (is), καὶ (and) πᾶς (everyone) ὁ (-) ἀγαπῶν (loving) ἐκ (of) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (God) γεγέννηται (has been born) καὶ (and) γινώσκει (knows) τὸν (-) Θεόν (God). 8  ὁ (The one) μὴ (not) ἀγαπῶν (loving) οὐκ (not) ἔγνω (has known) τὸν (-) Θεόν (God), ὅτι (because) ὁ (-) Θεὸς (God) ἀγάπη (love) ἐστίν (is).

9  Ἐν (In) τούτῳ (this) ἐφανερώθη (was made manifest) ἡ (the) ἀγάπη (love) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (of God) ἐν (among) ἡμῖν (us), ὅτι (that) τὸν (the) Υἱὸν (Son) αὐτοῦ (of Him) τὸν (the) μονογενῆ (only begotten) ἀπέσταλκεν (has sent) ὁ (-) Θεὸς (God) εἰς (into) τὸν (the) κόσμον (world) ἵνα (so that) ζήσωμεν (we might live) δι’ (through) αὐτοῦ (Him). 10  ἐν (In) τούτῳ (this) ἐστὶν (is) ἡ (-) ἀγάπη (love), οὐχ (not) ὅτι (that) ἡμεῖς (we) ἠγαπήκαμεν (loved) τὸν (-) Θεόν (God), ἀλλ’ (but) ὅτι (that) αὐτὸς (He) ἠγάπησεν (loved) ἡμᾶς (us) καὶ (and) ἀπέστειλεν (sent) τὸν (the) Υἱὸν (Son) αὐτοῦ (of Him) ἱλασμὸν (as a propitiation) περὶ (for) τῶν (the) ἁμαρτιῶν (sins) ἡμῶν (of us).

11  Ἀγαπητοί (Beloved), εἰ (if) οὕτως (so) ὁ (-) Θεὸς (God) ἠγάπησεν (loved) ἡμᾶς (us), καὶ (also) ἡμεῖς (we) ὀφείλομεν (ought) ἀλλήλους (one another) ἀγαπᾶν (to love). 12  Θεὸν (God) οὐδεὶς (no one) πώποτε (at any time) τεθέαται (has seen)· ἐὰν (if) ἀγαπῶμεν (we may love) ἀλλήλους (one another), ὁ (-) Θεὸς (God) ἐν (in) ἡμῖν (us) μένει (remains) καὶ (and) ἡ (the) ἀγάπη (love) αὐτοῦ (of Him) ἐν (in) ἡμῖν (us) τετελειωμένη (having been perfected) ἐστιν (is). 13  ἐν (In) τούτῳ (this) γινώσκομεν (we know) ὅτι (that) ἐν (in) αὐτῷ (Him) μένομεν (we remain) καὶ (and) αὐτὸς (He) ἐν (in) ἡμῖν (us), ὅτι (because) ἐκ (from out) τοῦ (the) Πνεύματος (Spirit) αὐτοῦ (of Him) δέδωκεν (He has given) ἡμῖν (to us). 14  καὶ (And) ἡμεῖς (we) τεθεάμεθα (have seen) καὶ (and) μαρτυροῦμεν (testify) ὅτι (that) ὁ (the) Πατὴρ (Father) ἀπέσταλκεν (has sent) τὸν (the) Υἱὸν (Son as) Σωτῆρα (Savior) τοῦ (of the) κόσμου (world).

15  Ὃς (Whoever) ἐὰν (if) ὁμολογήσῃ (should confess) ὅτι (that) Ἰησοῦς (Jesus) ἐστιν (is) ὁ (the) Υἱὸς (Son) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (of God), ὁ (-) Θεὸς (God) ἐν (in) αὐτῷ (him) μένει (remains) καὶ (and) αὐτὸς (he) ἐν (in) τῷ (-) Θεῷ (God). 16  καὶ (And) ἡμεῖς (we) ἐγνώκαμεν (have known) καὶ (and) πεπιστεύκαμεν (have believed) τὴν (the) ἀγάπην (love) ἣν (that) ἔχει (has) ὁ (-) Θεὸς (God) ἐν (in) ἡμῖν (us). Ὁ (-) Θεὸς (God) ἀγάπη (love) ἐστίν (is), καὶ (and) ὁ (the one) μένων (remaining) ἐν (in) τῇ (-) ἀγάπῃ (love) ἐν (in) τῷ (-) Θεῷ (God) μένει (remains) καὶ (and) ὁ (-) Θεὸς (God) ἐν (in) αὐτῷ (him) μένει (remains). 17  Ἐν (In) τούτῳ (this) τετελείωται (has been perfected) ἡ (-) ἀγάπη (love) μεθ’ (with) ἡμῶν (us), ἵνα (so that) παρρησίαν (confidence) ἔχωμεν (we may have) ἐν (in) τῇ (the) ἡμέρᾳ (day) τῆς (-) κρίσεως (of judgment), ὅτι (that) καθὼς (just as) ἐκεῖνός (He) ἐστιν (is) καὶ (also) ἡμεῖς (we) ἐσμεν (are) ἐν (in) τῷ (-) κόσμῳ (world) τούτῳ (this).

18  Φόβος (Fear) οὐκ (no) ἔστιν (there is) ἐν (in) τῇ (-) ἀγάπῃ (love), ἀλλ’ (but) ἡ (-) τελεία (perfect) ἀγάπη (love) ἔξω (out) βάλλει (casts) τὸν (-) φόβον (fear), ὅτι (because) ὁ (-) φόβος (fear) κόλασιν (punishment) ἔχει (has), ὁ (the one) δὲ (now) φοβούμενος (fearing) οὐ (not) τετελείωται (has been perfected) ἐν (in) τῇ (-) ἀγάπῃ (love). 19  Ἡμεῖς (We) ἀγαπῶμεν (love), ὅτι (because) αὐτὸς (He) πρῶτος (first) ἠγάπησεν (loved) ἡμᾶς (us).

20  Ἐάν (If) τις (anyone) εἴπῃ (should say) ὅτι (-) Ἀγαπῶ (I love) τὸν (-) Θεόν (God), καὶ (and) τὸν (the) ἀδελφὸν (brother) αὐτοῦ (of him) μισῇ (should hate), ψεύστης (a liar) ἐστίν (he is)· ὁ (The one) γὰρ (for) μὴ (not) ἀγαπῶν (loving) τὸν (the) ἀδελφὸν (brother) αὐτοῦ (of him) ὃν (whom) ἑώρακεν (he has seen), τὸν (-) Θεὸν (God) ὃν (whom) οὐχ (not) ἑώρακεν (he has seen) οὐ (not) δύναται (is he able) ἀγαπᾶν (to love). 21  καὶ (And) ταύτην (this) τὴν (-) ἐντολὴν (commandment) ἔχομεν (we have) ἀπ’ (from) αὐτοῦ (Him), ἵνα (that) ὁ (the one) ἀγαπῶν (loving) τὸν (-) Θεὸν (God) ἀγαπᾷ (should love) καὶ (also) τὸν (the) ἀδελφὸν (brother) αὐτοῦ (of him).