1 My|strong="G3956" dear|strong="G0027" friends, many|strong="G4183" false|strong="G5578" prophets|strong="G5578" are|strong="G1510" in|strong="G1519" the|strong="G3956" world|strong="G2889" now|strong="G1510". So|strong="G1519" don’t|strong="G3361" believe|strong="G4100" every|strong="G3956" spirit|strong="G4151", but|strong="G0235" test|strong="G1381" the|strong="G3956" spirits|strong="G4151" to|strong="G1519" see|strong="G1381" if|strong="G1487" they|strong="G3754" are|strong="G1510" from|strong="G1537" God|strong="G2316".
2 This|strong="G3778" is|strong="G1510" how|strong="G1097" you|strong="G3739" can recognize|strong="G1097" God’s|strong="G2316" Spirit|strong="G4151". One|strong="G3739" spirit|strong="G4151" says, “I|strong="G3739" believe that|strong="G3739" Jesus|strong="G2424" is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3956" Messiah|strong="G5547" who|strong="G3739" came|strong="G2064" to|strong="G2064" earth|strong="G4561" and|strong="G2064" became a|strong="G1510" man|strong="G3778".” That|strong="G3739" Spirit|strong="G4151" is|strong="G1510" from|strong="G1537" God|strong="G2316".
3 Another spirit|strong="G4151" refuses to|strong="G2064" say this|strong="G3778" about|strong="G1722" Jesus|strong="G2424". That|strong="G3754" spirit|strong="G4151" is|strong="G1510" not|strong="G3756" from|strong="G1537" God|strong="G2316". This|strong="G3778" is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3956" spirit|strong="G4151" of|strong="G1537" the|strong="G3956" enemy of|strong="G1537" Christ. You|strong="G3739" have|strong="G1510" heard|strong="G0191" that|strong="G3754" the|strong="G3956" enemy of|strong="G1537" Christ is|strong="G1510" coming|strong="G2064", and|strong="G2532" now|strong="G3568" he|strong="G2532" is|strong="G1510" already|strong="G2235" in|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3956" world|strong="G2889".
4 My|strong="G1722" dear children|strong="G5040", you|strong="G5210" belong|strong="G1510" to|strong="G2532" God|strong="G2316", so|strong="G2532" you|strong="G5210" have|strong="G1510" already defeated these|strong="G3748" false prophets. That’s because|strong="G3754" the|strong="G3588" one|strong="G1438" who|strong="G3588" is|strong="G1510" in|strong="G1722" you|strong="G5210" is|strong="G1510" greater|strong="G3173" than|strong="G2228" the|strong="G3588" one|strong="G1438" who|strong="G3588" is|strong="G1510" in|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" world|strong="G2889".
5 And|strong="G2532" they|strong="G0846" belong|strong="G1510" to|strong="G2532" the|strong="G3588" world|strong="G2889", so|strong="G2532" what|strong="G3588" they|strong="G0846" say|strong="G2980" is|strong="G1510" from|strong="G1537" the|strong="G3588" world|strong="G2889" too|strong="G2532". And|strong="G2532" the|strong="G3588" world|strong="G2889" listens|strong="G0191" to|strong="G2532" what|strong="G3588" they|strong="G0846" say|strong="G2980".
6 But|strong="G2532" we|strong="G2249" are|strong="G1510" from|strong="G1537" God|strong="G2316". So|strong="G2532" the|strong="G3588" people|strong="G1510" who|strong="G3739" know|strong="G1097" God|strong="G2316" listen|strong="G0191" to|strong="G2532" us|strong="G1537". But|strong="G2532" the|strong="G3588" people|strong="G1510" who|strong="G3739" are|strong="G1510" not|strong="G3756" from|strong="G1537" God|strong="G2316" don’t|strong="G3756" listen|strong="G0191" to|strong="G2532" us|strong="G1537". This|strong="G3778" is|strong="G1510" how|strong="G1097" we|strong="G2249" know|strong="G1097" the|strong="G3588" Spirit|strong="G4151" that|strong="G3739" is|strong="G1510" true|strong="G0225" and|strong="G2532" the|strong="G3588" spirit|strong="G4151" that|strong="G3739" is|strong="G1510" false.
7 Dear|strong="G0027" friends, we|strong="G2532" should|strong="G2316" love|strong="G0026" each|strong="G0240" other|strong="G0240", because|strong="G3754" love|strong="G0026" comes|strong="G1510" from|strong="G1537" God|strong="G2316". Everyone|strong="G3956" who|strong="G3588" loves|strong="G0025" has|strong="G2316" become God’s|strong="G2316" child|strong="G1080". And|strong="G2532" so|strong="G2532" everyone|strong="G3956" who|strong="G3588" loves|strong="G0025" knows|strong="G1097" God|strong="G2316".
8 Anyone who|strong="G3588" does|strong="G1510" not|strong="G3756" love|strong="G0026" does|strong="G1510" not|strong="G3756" know|strong="G1097" God|strong="G2316", because|strong="G3754" God|strong="G2316" is|strong="G1510" love|strong="G0026".
9 This|strong="G3778" is|strong="G2316" how|strong="G3754" God|strong="G2316" showed his|strong="G0846" love|strong="G0026" to|strong="G1519" us|strong="G1519": He|strong="G0846" sent|strong="G0649" his|strong="G0846" only|strong="G3439" Son|strong="G5207" into|strong="G1519" the|strong="G3588" world|strong="G2889" to|strong="G1519" give us|strong="G1519" life|strong="G2198" through|strong="G1223" him|strong="G0846".
10 True love|strong="G0026" is|strong="G1510" God’s|strong="G2316" love|strong="G0026" for|strong="G3754" us|strong="G1722", not|strong="G3756" our|strong="G2316" love|strong="G0026" for|strong="G3754" God|strong="G2316". He|strong="G2532" sent|strong="G0649" his|strong="G0846" Son|strong="G5207" as|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" way|strong="G1722" to|strong="G2532" take away|strong="G0649" our|strong="G2316" sins|strong="G0266".
11 That|strong="G2316" is|strong="G2316" how|strong="G3779" much God|strong="G2316" loved|strong="G0025" us, dear|strong="G0027" friends! So|strong="G2532" we|strong="G2249" also|strong="G2532" must|strong="G3588" love|strong="G0025" each|strong="G0240" other|strong="G0240".
12 No|strong="G3762" one|strong="G3762" has|strong="G2316" ever|strong="G4455" seen|strong="G2300" God|strong="G2316". But|strong="G2532" if|strong="G1437" we|strong="G2249" love|strong="G0026" each|strong="G0240" other|strong="G0240", God|strong="G2316" lives|strong="G3306" in|strong="G1722" us|strong="G1722". If|strong="G1437" we|strong="G2249" love|strong="G0026" each|strong="G0240" other|strong="G0240", God’s|strong="G2316" love|strong="G0026" has|strong="G2316" reached its|strong="G0846" goal|strong="G5048"—it|strong="G0846" is|strong="G1510" made|strong="G5048" perfect|strong="G5048" in|strong="G1722" us|strong="G1722".
13 We|strong="G2249" know|strong="G1097" that|strong="G3754" we|strong="G2249" live in|strong="G1722" God|strong="G0846" and|strong="G2532" God|strong="G0846" lives|strong="G3306" in|strong="G1722" us|strong="G1325". We|strong="G2249" know|strong="G1097" this|strong="G3778" because|strong="G3754" he|strong="G2532" gave|strong="G1325" us|strong="G1325" his|strong="G0846" Spirit|strong="G4151".
14 We|strong="G2249" have|strong="G2532" seen|strong="G2300" that|strong="G3754" the|strong="G3588" Father|strong="G3962" sent|strong="G0649" his|strong="G0649" Son|strong="G5207" to|strong="G2532" be|strong="G2532" the|strong="G3588" Savior|strong="G4990" of|strong="G5207" the|strong="G3588" world|strong="G2889", and|strong="G2532" this|strong="G3588" is|strong="G3588" what|strong="G3588" we|strong="G2249" tell people|strong="G3588" now|strong="G2532".
15 Anyone|strong="G3739" who|strong="G3739" says, “I|strong="G3739" believe that|strong="G3754" Jesus|strong="G2424" is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3588" Son|strong="G5207" of|strong="G5207" God|strong="G2316",” is|strong="G1510" a|strong="G1510" person|strong="G5207" who|strong="G3739" lives|strong="G3306" in|strong="G1722" God|strong="G2316", and|strong="G2532" God|strong="G2316" lives|strong="G3306" in|strong="G1722" that|strong="G3754" person|strong="G5207".
16 So|strong="G2532" we|strong="G2249" know|strong="G1097" the|strong="G3588" love|strong="G0026" that|strong="G3739" God|strong="G2316" has|strong="G2192" for|strong="G1722" us|strong="G1722", and|strong="G2532" we|strong="G2249" trust that|strong="G3739" love|strong="G0026".
17 If|strong="G2443" God’s love|strong="G0026" is|strong="G1510" made|strong="G5048" perfect|strong="G5048" in|strong="G1722" us|strong="G1722", we|strong="G2249" can be|strong="G1510" without|strong="G2532" fear on|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" day|strong="G2250" when|strong="G2532" God judges the|strong="G3588" world|strong="G2889". We|strong="G2249" will|strong="G1510" be|strong="G1510" without|strong="G2532" fear, because|strong="G3754" in|strong="G1722" this|strong="G3778" world|strong="G2889" we|strong="G2249" are|strong="G1510" like|strong="G2531" Jesus|strong="G1565".
18 Where|strong="G1722" God’s love|strong="G0026" is|strong="G1510", there|strong="G1510" is|strong="G1510" no|strong="G3756" fear|strong="G5401", because|strong="G3754" God’s perfect|strong="G5046" love|strong="G0026" takes away|strong="G1854" fear|strong="G5401". It|strong="G1161" is|strong="G1510" his|strong="G2192" punishment|strong="G2851" that|strong="G3754" makes a|strong="G2192" person fear|strong="G5401". So|strong="G1161" his|strong="G2192" love|strong="G0026" is|strong="G1510" not|strong="G3756" made|strong="G5048" perfect|strong="G5046" in|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" one|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3588" has|strong="G2192" fear|strong="G5401".
19 We|strong="G2249" love|strong="G0025" because|strong="G3754" God|strong="G0846" first|strong="G4413" loved|strong="G0025" us.
20 If|strong="G1437" we|strong="G3739" say|strong="G3004" we|strong="G3739" love|strong="G0025" God|strong="G2316" but|strong="G2532" hate|strong="G3404" any|strong="G5100" of|strong="G2316" our|strong="G2316" brothers|strong="G0080" or|strong="G2532" sisters in|strong="G2316" his|strong="G0846" family, we|strong="G3739" are|strong="G1510" liars|strong="G5583". If|strong="G1437" we|strong="G3739" don’t|strong="G3756" love|strong="G0025" someone|strong="G5100" we|strong="G3739" have|strong="G1510" seen|strong="G3708", how|strong="G3754" can|strong="G1410" we|strong="G3739" love|strong="G0025" God|strong="G2316"? We|strong="G3739" have|strong="G1510" never|strong="G3756" even|strong="G2532" seen|strong="G3708" him|strong="G0846".
21 God|strong="G2316" gave us this|strong="G3778" command|strong="G1785": If|strong="G2443" we|strong="G3778" love|strong="G0025" God|strong="G2316", we|strong="G3778" must|strong="G3588" also|strong="G2532" love|strong="G0025" each other|strong="G0846" as|strong="G2532" brothers|strong="G0080" and|strong="G2532" sisters.