On Denying the Incarnation
1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
4You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit4:6 Or spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
God’s Love and Ours
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19We love because he first loved us. 20Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
靈的分辨
1親愛的弟兄姊妹，不要什麼靈都信，總要試驗那些靈是否出於上帝，因為許多假先知已經來到世上！ 2任何靈若承認耶穌基督曾降世為人，就是從上帝來的，你們可以憑這一點認出上帝的靈。 3任何靈若不承認耶穌，就不是從上帝來的，而是敵基督者的靈。以前你們聽說敵基督者要來，現在他已經在世上了。
4孩子們，你們屬於上帝，並且已經勝過那些假先知，因為在你們裡面的靈比世上的靈更大。 5他們屬於世界，所以談論世界的事，世人也聽從他們。 6我們屬於上帝，認識上帝的人聽從我們，不屬於上帝的人不聽從我們。這樣，我們就可以分辨真理的靈和錯謬的靈。
上帝是愛
7親愛的弟兄姊妹，我們要彼此相愛，因為愛是從上帝來的。凡愛人者都是從上帝生的，並且認識上帝。 8不愛人者不認識上帝，因為上帝就是愛。 9上帝差遣祂獨一的兒子到世上來，是為了叫我們靠祂而活，從而顯明了祂對我們的愛。 10不是我們愛上帝，而是上帝愛我們，並且差遣祂兒子為我們的罪作了贖罪祭，這就是愛。
11親愛的弟兄姊妹，上帝既然這樣愛我們，我們也理當彼此相愛。 12從來沒有人見過上帝，如果我們彼此相愛，上帝就住在我們裡面，祂的愛也在我們身上完全流露出來。
13上帝將祂的靈賜給了我們，所以我們知道自己住在祂裡面，祂也住在我們裡面。 14我們看見過，現在作見證：父差遣了祂的兒子成為世人的救主。 15無論是誰，他若承認耶穌是上帝的兒子，上帝必住在他裡面，他也住在上帝裡面。 16我們已經認識並且相信上帝對我們的愛。
上帝就是愛，住在愛中的，就是住在上帝裡面，上帝也住在他裡面。 17這樣，愛就在我們身上得以純完，使我們在審判的日子可以坦然無懼，因為我們在這世上像耶穌一樣。 18愛裡沒有恐懼，純全的愛能驅除恐懼，因為恐懼意味著怕受懲罰。恐懼的人尚未在愛中得以純全。
19我們愛，因為上帝先愛了我們。 20人若聲稱愛上帝，卻恨自己的弟兄姊妹，就是說謊的，因為人若不愛看得見的弟兄姊妹，又怎能愛看不見的上帝呢？ 21愛上帝的人也要愛弟兄姊妹，這是上帝給我們的命令。
