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.
灵的分辨
1亲爱的弟兄姊妹，不要什么灵都信，总要试验那些灵是否出于上帝，因为许多假先知已经来到世上！ 2任何灵若承认耶稣基督曾降世为人，就是从上帝来的，你们可以凭这一点认出上帝的灵。 3任何灵若不承认耶稣，就不是从上帝来的，而是敌基督者的灵。以前你们听说敌基督者要来，现在他已经在世上了。
4孩子们，你们属于上帝，并且已经胜过那些假先知，因为在你们里面的灵比世上的灵更大。 5他们属于世界，所以谈论世界的事，世人也听从他们。 6我们属于上帝，认识上帝的人听从我们，不属于上帝的人不听从我们。这样，我们就可以分辨真理的灵和错谬的灵。
上帝是爱
7亲爱的弟兄姊妹，我们要彼此相爱，因为爱是从上帝来的。凡爱人者都是从上帝生的，并且认识上帝。 8不爱人者不认识上帝，因为上帝就是爱。 9上帝差遣祂独一的儿子到世上来，是为了叫我们靠祂而活，从而显明了祂对我们的爱。 10不是我们爱上帝，而是上帝爱我们，并且差遣祂儿子为我们的罪作了赎罪祭，这就是爱。
11亲爱的弟兄姊妹，上帝既然这样爱我们，我们也理当彼此相爱。 12从来没有人见过上帝，如果我们彼此相爱，上帝就住在我们里面，祂的爱也在我们身上完全流露出来。
13上帝将祂的灵赐给了我们，所以我们知道自己住在祂里面，祂也住在我们里面。 14我们看见过，现在做见证：父差遣了祂的儿子成为世人的救主。 15无论是谁，他若承认耶稣是上帝的儿子，上帝必住在他里面，他也住在上帝里面。 16我们已经认识并且相信上帝对我们的爱。
上帝就是爱，住在爱中的，就是住在上帝里面，上帝也住在他里面。 17这样，爱就在我们身上得以纯全，使我们在审判的日子可以坦然无惧，因为我们在这世上像耶稣一样。 18爱里没有恐惧，纯全的爱能驱除恐惧，因为恐惧意味着怕受惩罚。恐惧的人尚未在爱中得以纯全。
19我们爱，因为上帝先爱了我们。 20人若声称爱上帝，却恨自己的弟兄姊妹，就是说谎的，因为人若不爱看得见的弟兄姊妹，又怎能爱看不见的上帝呢？ 21爱上帝的人也要爱弟兄姊妹，这是上帝给我们的命令。
