BELOVED, believe not every pretender to inspiration, but bring these
spirits to the trial whether they are of God; because many false
prophets are gone forth into the world. (2)By this ye know the Spirit
of God: every spirit who confesseth that Jesus the Messiah is come in
the flesh, is from God. (3)And every spirit who confesseth not that
Jesus the Messiah is come into the world, is not from God: and this is
that spirit of antichrist which ye have heard that it is coming, and
now is already in the world. (4)Ye are of God, my dear children, and
have overcome them; because he that is in you is greater than he that
is in the world. (5)They are of the world, therefore speak they as of
the world, and the world heareth them. (6)We are of God: he that
knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth us not. By this
we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of delusion.
(7)Beloved, let us love one another; because love is from God, and
every one who loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. (8)He that loveth
not, never knew God; for God is love. (9)By this was the love of God
manifested to us, that God sent his only begotten Son into the world,
that we might have life by him. (10)Herein is love, not that we have
loved God, but that he hath loved us, and sent his Son to be the
propitiatory sacrifice for our sins. (11)Beloved, if God so loved us,
we ought also to love one another.
(12)No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God
abideth 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 hath given us of his own
Spirit. (14)And we have seen and bear testimony, that the Father sent
the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
(15)Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth
in him, and he in God. (16)And we have known and believed the love
which God hath towards us. God is love; and he that abideth in love,
abideth in God, and God in him. (17)By this is his love towards us
perfected, that we might have confidence at the day of judgment;
because as he is, so are we in this world. (18)Fear is not in this
love; but the perfect love casteth out fear: for fear hath anguish. He
that is afraid is not made perfect in love.
(19)We love him, because he first loved us. (20)If any person say, I
love God, yet hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he who loveth not
his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love the God whom he hath not
seen? (21)So this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God
love also his brother.