^4:1 Beloved, do^° not believe every spirit, but test^° the spirits, to see if they are from God, because many false^* prophets have gone forth into the world. ^4:2 The Spirit of God is known in this: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; ^4:3 and every spirit which does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is not from God and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you^° have heard, that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. ^4:4 You^° are from God, my little-children and overcame them, because greater is the one who is in you^° than the one who is in the world. ^4:5 They themselves are from the world; because of this they speak as from the world and the world hears them. ^4:6 We are from God. He who knows God, hears us; he who is not from God does not hear us. We know from this the spirit of truth, and the spirit of deceit. {Or: the Spirit of the Truth and the Spirit of the Deceit. A contrast, God vs. the Adversary.}

             ^4:7 Beloved, we should love^* one another, because love^* is from God, and everyone who loves^* has been born from God and knows God. ^4:8 He who does not love^*, has not known God, because God is love^*. ^4:9 In this the love^* of God was manifested in us, that God has sent his only begotten Son into the world in-order-that we might live through him. ^4:10 In this is love^*, not that we loved^* God, but that he loved^* us and sent his Son, the atonement concerning our sins. ^4:11 Beloved, if God so loved^* us, we also ought to love^* one another. ^4:12 No one has seen God at anytime; if we love^* one another, God is abiding in us and his love^* is being completed in us. ^4:13 We know in this that we abide in him and he himself in us, because he has given to us from his Spirit. ^4:14 And we have seen and are testifying, The Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. ^4:15 Whoever confesses, Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God. ^4:16 And we have known and have believed the love^* which God has in us. God is love^*, and he who abides in love^* abides in God and God abides in him. ^4:17 In this, love^* has been completed with us, in-order-that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because just-as that one is complete, we are also complete in this world. ^4:18 There is no fear in love^*, but mature love^* casts the fear outward, because the fear has punishment, and he who fears has not been matured in love^*. ^4:19 We love^* him because he loved^* us first. ^4:20 If anyone says, I love^* God and then should hate his brother, he is a liar; for^* he who does not love^* his brother, whom he has seen, how is he able to love^* God, whom he has not seen? ^4:21 And we have this commandment from him, in-order-that he who loves^* God should also love^* his brother.