1 John 4:3

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1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but ^atest the spirits, whether they are of God; because ^bmany false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 By this you know the Spirit of God: ^aEvery spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,

3 and every spirit that does not confess¹ that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than ^ahe who is in the world.

5 ^aThey are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and ^bthe world hears them.

6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. ^aBy this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Knowing God Through Love

7 ^aBeloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who ^bloves is born of God and knows God.

Commentaries:

Adam Clarke

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1 John 4:3

Every spirit - Every teacher, that confesseth not Jesus, is not of God - has not been inspired by God. The words , is come in the flesh, are wanting in AB, several others, both the Syriac, the Polyglot Arabic, Ethiopic, Coptic, Armenian, and Vulgate; in Origen, Cyril, Theodoret, Irenaeus, and others. Griesbach has left them out of the text.

Spirit of antichrist - All the opponents of Christ' s incarnation, and consequently of his passion, death, and resurrection, and the benefits to be derived from them.

Ye have heard that it should come - See II Thessalonians 2:7.

Even now already is it in the world - Is working powerfully both among the Jews and Gentiles.

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