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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>1 John 4 Christian Standard Bible</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/1_john/4.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/1_john/4-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CSB</a> > 1 John 4</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="../menu.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../1_john/3.htm" title="1 John 3">◄</a> 1 John 4 <a href="../1_john/5.htm" title="1 John 5">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">Christian Standard Bible</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/csb/esv/1_john/4.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Verses"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div><section epub:type="chapter" id="csb-1_John.4" /><h3 class="head1">The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error</h3><p class="noind"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.1" /><A name="2"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.1.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.2" /> <A name="3"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.2.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> is from God,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.2.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.3" /> <A name="4"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>but every spirit that does not confess Jesus<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.1_John.4.3.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a> is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.3.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world.</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.4" /> <A name="5"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.4.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> is greater than the one who is in the world.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.4.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.5" /> <A name="6"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>They are from the world.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.5.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> Therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.6" /> <A name="7"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us;<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.6.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.6.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a></p><h3 class="head1">Knowing God through Love</h3><p class="noind"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.7" /> <A name="8"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.7.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> and knows God. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.8" /> <A name="9"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.9" /> <A name="10"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>God’s love was revealed among us<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.1_John.4.9.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a> in this way: God sent<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.9.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> his one and only Son<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.9.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a> into the world so that we might live<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.9.3"><span class="xrfAlphabet">c</span></a> through him. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.10" /> <A name="11"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.10.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.1_John.4.10.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">a</span></a> <a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.10.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a> for our sins. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.11" /> <A name="12"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.11.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.12" /> <A name="13"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>No one has ever seen God.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.12.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> If we love one another, God remains in<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.1_John.4.12.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a> us and his love is made complete in us. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.13" /> <A name="14"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>This is how we know that we remain in him<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.13.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.13.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.14" /> <A name="15"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.14.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> as the world’s Savior. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.15" /> <A name="16"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>Whoever confesses<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.15.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> that Jesus is the Son of God — God remains in him and he in God. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.16" /> <A name="17"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.</p><p class="scripture">God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.17" /> <A name="18"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>In this, love is made complete with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.17.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> because as he is, so also are we in this world.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.17.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.18" /> <A name="19"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.18.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> because fear involves punishment.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.1_John.4.18.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a> So the one who fears is not complete in love.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.18.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.19" /> <A name="20"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>We love<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.1_John.4.19.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a> because he first loved us.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.19.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.20" /> <A name="21"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet hates his brother or sister,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.20.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> he is a liar.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.20.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a> For the person who does not love his brother or sister<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.1_John.4.20.3"><span class="xrfAlphabet">c</span></a> whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.1_John.4.20.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-1_John.4.21" /> <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_john/4-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>And we have this command from him: The one who loves God must also love his brother and sister.</p><br /><section id="footnotes-1_John.4" class="fnSection"><aside id="fn.1_John.4.3.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.3">4:3</a></span> Other mss read <span class="italic">confess that Jesus has come in the flesh</span></aside><aside id="fn.1_John.4.9.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.9">4:9</a></span> Or <span class="italic">in us</span></aside><aside id="fn.1_John.4.10.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.10">4:10</a></span> Or <span class="italic">the propitiation</span></aside><aside id="fn.1_John.4.12.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.12">4:12</a></span> Or <span class="italic">remains among</span></aside><aside id="fn.1_John.4.18.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.18">4:18</a></span> Or <span class="italic">fear has its own punishment</span> or <span class="italic">torment</span></aside><aside id="fn.1_John.4.19.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.19">4:19</a></span> Other mss add <span class="italic">him</span></aside><aside id="fn.1_John.4.20.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.20">4:20</a></span> Other mss read <span class="italic">has seen, how is he able to love . . . seen?</span> (as a question)</aside><br /><section id="cross-references-1_John.4" class="xrfSection"><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.1.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.1">4:1</a></span> 1Th 5:21</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.2.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.2">4:2</a></span> Jn 1:14; Php 2:7; 3:3</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.2.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.2">4:2</a></span> 1Co 12:3</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.3.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.3">4:3</a></span> 1Jn 2:18,22; 2Jn 7</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.4.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.4">4:4</a></span> Rm 8:31; Col 1:27; 1Jn 3:20</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.4.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.4">4:4</a></span> Jn 12:31</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.5.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.5">4:5</a></span> Jn 17:6; 2Pt 2:20</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.6.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.6">4:6</a></span> Jn 8:47</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.6.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.6">4:6</a></span> Mk 13:5–6; 1Co 2:12; 1Tm 4:1</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.7.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.7">4:7</a></span> 1Jn 2:29</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.9.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.9">4:9</a></span> Mk 9:37</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.9.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.9">4:9</a></span> Jn 1:14,18; 3:16,18</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.9.3"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.9">4:9</a></span> Jn 10:28</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.10.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.10">4:10</a></span> Jn 3:16</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.10.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.10">4:10</a></span> 2Co 5:21; 1Jn 2:2</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.11.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.11">4:11</a></span> Jn 13:14; 15:12; Rm 13:8; 1Th 4:9; 1Pt 1:22</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.12.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.12">4:12</a></span> Ex 33:20</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.13.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.13">4:13</a></span> Jn 15:4–7; 1Jn 2:6,24,27–28; 3:6,24; 4:15–16</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.13.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.13">4:13</a></span> Rv 3:22</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.14.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.14">4:14</a></span> Rm 1:3</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.15.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.15">4:15</a></span> Jn 9:22; Php 2:6</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.17.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.17">4:17</a></span> Mt 10:15; 11:22,24; 12:36; 2Pt 2:9; 3:7; Jd 6</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.17.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.17">4:17</a></span> Jn 14:10–11; 15:9–10; 17:11,15,18</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.18.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.18">4:18</a></span> Rm 8:15</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.18.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.18">4:18</a></span> Eph 4:11–16</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.19.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.19">4:19</a></span> 2Th 2:13</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.20.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.20">4:20</a></span> 1Jn 2:9,11; 3:15</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.20.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.20">4:20</a></span> 1Jn 1:10</aside><aside id="xrf.1_John.4.20.3"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-1_John.4.20">4:20</a></span> 1Jn 2:10; 3:10,14–17</aside><br /><section id="study-notes-1_John.4" class="snSection"><br /></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The Christian Standard Bible. 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