1 John 4:4

The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann - 1 John 4:4-6

The distinction between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error: v. 4. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. v. 5. They are of the world; therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. v. 6. We are of God; he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error. The spirit which the apostle has above called the... read more

Johann Peter Lange

Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Critical, Doctrinal and Homiletical - 1 John 4:1-6

6. Warning and Exhortation with Reference to the False Teachers1 John 4:1-61Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of1 God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2Hereby know ye2 the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come3 in the flesh is of God: 3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus4 Christ is come in the flesh is not of1 God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should... read more

Frederick Brotherton Meyer

F.B. Meyer's 'Through the Bible' Commentary - 1 John 4:1-11

the Token of God’s Love 1 John 4:1-11 In those days the intense ferment of men’s minds wrought many delusions and heresies which were fraught with temptation to young converts, and the Apostle wished to give tests for determining which voice spake from God. The confession of Jesus Christ as the Incarnate Word, a spirit of love and gentleness, and the willingness to abide in the doctrine of the Apostles, were signs that the speaker was commissioned by Christ. Wouldst thou overcome the world?... read more

G. Campbell Morgan

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible - 1 John 4:1-21

Two closely related perils threaten our fellowship with God as love, false prophets and the spirit which actuates them. Teaching is to be tested by the indwelling Spirit. All who refuse to confess that Jesus is Lord do so because they are of the world. At the root of every heresy concerning Jesus there has been worldliness in some form. To degrade the Person of Christ is to shake the foundations of faith. There can be no character which is according to God when the creed concerning Christ is a... read more

Robert Neighbour

Wells of Living Water Commentary - 1 John 4:1-21

Testing the True and the False 1 John 4:1-21 INTRODUCTORY WORDS We have in our opening verses some important admonitions, and also some important instructions. 1. Important admonitions. (1) "Believe not every spirit." Some people seem always ready to take up with anything that comes along. They forget that there are two spirits that work among the children of men. As our verse says, "Many false prophets are gone out into the world." These false prophets and teachers, in as far as they can,... read more

James Nisbet

James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 4:4

THE TRIUMPH OF GREATNESS‘Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.’ 1 John 4:4 St. John points out two currents in the stream of humanity, and he points out that there is a motive power which is controlling in each case the apparently irresponsible movements of the shifting throng. We call these two currents the Church and the world, and St. John shows us the two controlling agents which he calls respectively ‘He that is in you’ and ‘he that is in the world.’ And there is no... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:1-6

Compare 1 Corinthians 14:29; 1 Corinthians 14:32 The Spirits of the Prophets (1 John 4:1-6 ). John here warns of the dangers of listening to prophets without testing their message, in the way that Paul commanded in 1 Corinthians 14:29; 1 Corinthians 14:32. Prophetic men arise and can seem inspired, but the test is whether they speak according to the Scriptures and the testimony of the Apostles, the guardians of the truth appointed by Jesus Himself, who themselves received the truth from Him,... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:1-21

The Centrality of Christian Love (1 John 3:11 to 1 John 4:21 ). The reference to loving one’s brother, deliberately added almost as an appendage in 1 John 3:10 in order to introduce the next section, now leads on to that section where love is pre-eminent. Previously any emphasis has been on God’s love for His own (1 John 2:5; 1 John 2:15; 1 John 3:1) although love of fellow-Christians has not been totally ignored (1 John 2:8-11), but from now on the thought becomes central. The emphasis has... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:4-5

‘You are of God, 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 of the world, and the world hears them.’ But he is confident that the true Christians will not be misled by false prophets because as true Christians they have ‘the anointing’ (1 John 2:20; 1 John 2:27). The Holy Spirit is within them. And He will lead them into truth. And the Father and the Son also abide within them (1 John... read more

Arthur Peake

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:1-6

1 John 4:1-Joshua : . A digression. The reference to the Spirit ( 1 John 3:24) reminds John that some who claimed to possess the Spirit of God, e.g. the false prophets, did so unjustifiably. Hence his readers must have a token whereby they may discriminate between true prophets and false. That token was the nature of their testimony concerning Christ. Thus the Spirit of truth or of Christ could be distinguished from that of error or Antichrist. 1 John 4:1 . prove the spirits: the primitive... read more

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