1The apostle warneth to try by certain rules the spirits that pretend to come from God. 7He presseth the obligation of mutual love upon Christians from the example and commandment of God.
1BELOVED, abelieve not every spirit, but btry the spirits whether they are of God: because cmany false prophets are gone out into the world.
a Ac. 17.11. 1Th. 5.21. Re. 2.2. Je. 29.8,9. Mat. 7.15,16; 24.4,5,24. Ep. 5.6. Phi. 1.10. 2Pe. 2.1,18. 2Jn. 7. Ac. 20.29,30. Col. 2.8,18. b 1Co. 14.29. c ch. 2.18.
2dHereby know ye the Spirit of God: eEvery spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ fis come in the flesh is of God:
d ch. 5.1,2. 1Co. 12.3. e v.15. f Jn. 1.14. 1Ti. 3.16.
3gAnd every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
g ch. 2.18,22,23; 5.10. 2Jn. 7,9. 2Th. 2.7.
4hYe are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because igreater is he that is in you, than jhe that is in the world.
h ch. 3.9; 5.18-20; 4.5. Ro. 8.37. Re. 12.11. ch. 2.13. v.16. i Jn. 10.28-30. 1Pe. 1.5. ch. 3.24. Ep. 3.17. Ro. 8.31. j Jn. 12.31; 14.30; 16.11. 1Co. 2.12; 6.2,3.
5kThey are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
k 2Pe. 2.10-17. Jude 16. Jn. 3.31; 15.19; 17.14; 7.7.
6lWe are of God: mhe that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. nHereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
l Ro. 1.1. 2Pe. 1.1. Ja. 1.1. Jude 1. m Jn. 8.47; 10.27; 18.37. 1Co. 14.37. 2Co. 10.7. n Is. 8.20. Ac. 17.11. Jn. 14.17.
7oBeloved, let us love one another: pfor love is of God; qand every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
o ch. 3.11,18,23; 5.1. v.20,21. p Phi. 1.29. Ga. 5.6. Ro. 5.5. De. 30.6. q ch. 3.14; 2.29.
8rHe that loveth not knoweth not God; sfor God is love.
r ch. 2.4; 3.6,10. v.20. s v.16. 2Co. 13.11. Ps. 136; 86.5,15. Ex. 34.6,7. Mi. 7.18,19.
9tIn this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
t Jn. 3.16; 6.51. Ro. 5.8; 8.32. ch. 3.16; 5.11.
10uHerein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the *propitiation for our sins.
*propitiation-the wrath-ending sacrifice by which the Lord Jesus Christ secured His people's pardon.
u De. 7.7,8. Jn. 15.16. Ro. 8.3,4,32; 3.24,25; 5.8,10,20,21. 2Co. 5.19-21. Col. 1.20. Tit. 3.4. ch. 2.2. v.19.
11Beloved, vif God so loved us, wwe ought also to love one another.
v Mat. 18.33. Jn. 15.12,13. ch. 3.16,17,23. w Jn. 13.34.
12xNo man hath seen God at any time. yIf we love one another, zGod dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
x Ex. 33.20. De. 4.12. Jn. 1.18. 1Ti. 1.17; 6.16. y Jn. 17.21. 1Co. 13.13. ch. 3.24; 2.5. v.18. z ch. 2.24.
13aHereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
a ch. 3.24; 2.20,27. Jn. 14.20,23,26; 17.21. v.15,16.
14bAnd we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be cthe Saviour of the world.
b ch. 1.1,2; 2.1,2; 3.5,16. Jn. 1.14; 3.14-17. Ga. 4.4,5. Mat. 1.21; 20.28. Lu. 19.10. c Jn. 4.42.
15dWhosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, eGod dwelleth in him, and he in God.
d Ac. 8.37. Ro. 10.9. v.2. ch. 5.1,5. 1Co. 12.3. e ch. 3.6,24. Jn. 14.20,23; 17.21.
16fAnd we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. gGod is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
f ch. 3.1,16. v.9,10. He. 11.13. Ac. 15.11. Ga. 2.20. Ps. 18.1-3; 14.2,5. g v.8,12,13.
17hHerein is 1our love made perfect, ithat we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because jas he is, so are we in this world.
1Gr. love with us.
h ch. 2.5; 3.3. v.12,18. i Ja. 2.13. ch. 2.28; 3.19,21; 5.14. j Ro. 8.29. 1Co. 15.48,49. 1Pe. 1.15. 2Ti. 2.12. Mat. 10.25. Jn. 15.20.
18kThere is no fear in love; but lperfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
k 2Ti. 1.7. Lu. 1.74,75. He. 12.28,29. v.12,17. l Ro. 8.15.
19mWe love him, because he first loved us.
m Lu. 7.47. Jn. 15.16. Ps. 116.1,12,16; 119.32. 2Co. 5.14. v.10.
20nIf a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
n ch. 2.4; 3.17.
21And othis commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
o Jn. 13.34,35; 15.12. ch. 3.11,18,23. Le. 19.18. Mat. 22.39. Ep. 5.2. Ro. 12.9,10; 13.9,10. Ga. 5.14. Ja. 2.8. 1Th. 4.9. 1Pe. 3.8; 4.8.