1 John 4 – NIV & CCB

New International Version

1 John 4:1-21

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.

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)

约翰一书 4:1-21

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,因为世上已经出现了许多假先知! 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,你们已经胜过了那些假先知,因为在你们里面的圣灵比在世上运行的邪灵更有能力。 5他们属于世界,所以他们谈论的都是世俗的事,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,我们应当彼此相爱,因为爱是从上帝来的。凡有爱心的人都是从上帝生的,并且认识上帝。 8没有爱心的人不认识上帝,因为上帝就是爱。 9上帝差遣祂独一的儿子到世上来,是为了叫我们靠着祂得到生命。这就显明了上帝对我们的爱。 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,我们也应该彼此相爱。 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,祂的爱就在我们里面得到成全。

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了上帝对我们的爱。

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,爱在我们里面得到成全,使我们在审判的日子可以坦然无惧,因为我们在这世上以基督为榜样。 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。人若心里恐惧,就表示他尚未明白那纯全的爱。

19我们爱,因为上帝先爱了我们。 20若有人说“我爱上帝”,却恨自己的弟兄姊妹,这人就是说谎话,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爱上帝的人也应该爱弟兄姊妹,这是上帝给我们的命令。