Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
and every spirit that {Some ancient authorities read annulleth Jesus.}confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is the spirit of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh; and now it is in the world already.
Ye are of God, my little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.
They are of the world: therefore speak they as of the world, and the world heareth them.
We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he who is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God.
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Herein was the love of God manifested {Or, in our case}in us, that God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
No man hath beheld God at any time: if we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us:
hereby we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father hath sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him, and he in God.
And we know and have believed the love which God hath {Or, in our case}in us. God is love; and he that abideth in love abideth in God, and God abideth in him.
Herein is love made perfect with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, even so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love: but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath punishment; and he that feareth is not made perfect in love.
We love, because he first loved us.
If 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, {Many ancient authorities read how can he love God whom he hath not seen?}cannot love God whom he hath not seen.
And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.
Querverweise zu 1. Johannes 4,17 1Joh 4,17
No man hath beheld God at any time: if we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us:
And now, my little children, abide in him; that, if he shall be manifested, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed {Greek: from him.}before him at his {Greek: presence.}coming.
Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.
And every one that hath this hope set on him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily hath the love of God been perfected. Hereby we know that we are in him:
Hereby shall we know that we are of the truth, and shall {Greek: persuade. compare Matthew 28:14.}assure our heart {Or, before him, whereinsoever our heart condemn us; because God & c.}before him:
because if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God;
But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you.
It is enough for the disciple that he be as his teacher, and the {Greek: bondservant.}servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house {Greek: Beelzebul.}Beelzebub, how much more them of his household!
{Or, Seest thou…perfect?}Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect;
For judgment is without mercy to him that hath showed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment.
But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
Remember the word that I said unto you, A {Greek: bondservant.}servant is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also.
And I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren:
the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment;
looking unto Jesus the {Or, captain}author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
but the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been {Or, stored with fire}stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
For consider him that hath endured such gainsaying of sinners against {Many ancient authorities read themselves. Compare Numbers 16:38.}himself, that ye wax not weary, fainting in your souls.
having a good conscience; that, wherein ye are spoken against, they may be put to shame who revile your good manner of life in Christ.
For it is better, if the will of God should so will, that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing.
Because Christ also {Many ancient authorities read died.}suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same {Or, thought}mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased {Some ancient authorities read unto sins.}from sin;
that {Or, he no longer…his time}ye no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
For the time past may suffice to have wrought the desire of the Gentiles, and to have walked in lasciviousness, lusts, winebibbings, revellings, carousings, and abominable idolatries:
but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy.
If ye are reproached {Greek: in.}for the name of Christ, blessed are ye; because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you.