1 Dear friends, do|strong="G4100" not|strong="G3361" trust|strong="G4100" every|strong="G3956" spirit|strong="G4151", but|strong="G1487" test|strong="G1381" the|strong="G1519" spirits|strong="G4151" to|strong="G1519" see|strong="G1381" whether|strong="G1487" they|strong="G3588" are|strong="G1510" from|strong="G1537" God|strong="G2316", because|strong="G3754" many|strong="G4183" false|strong="G5578" prophets|strong="G5578" have|strong="G3748" gone|strong="G1831" out|strong="G1831" into|strong="G1519" the|strong="G1519" world|strong="G2889".
2 This|strong="G3778" is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G1722" way|strong="G1722" to|strong="G2064" recognise the|strong="G1722" Spirit|strong="G4151" of|strong="G1537" God|strong="G2316": those|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3739" acknowledge|strong="G3670" Jesus|strong="G2424" Christ|strong="G5547" as|strong="G1722" come|strong="G2064" in|strong="G1722" the|strong="G1722" flesh|strong="G4561" have|strong="G1510" God|strong="G2316"’s Spirit|strong="G4151",
3 while|strong="G1722" a|strong="G2532" spirit|strong="G4151" that|strong="G3754" doesn’t|strong="G3588" acknowledge|strong="G3670" Jesus|strong="G2424" isn’t|strong="G3588" from|strong="G1537" God|strong="G2316". Instead it|strong="G2532" is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G1722" spirit|strong="G4151" of|strong="G1537" the|strong="G1722" antichrist; you|strong="G3739" have|strong="G2532" heard that|strong="G3754" it|strong="G2532" was|strong="G1510" coming|strong="G2064", and|strong="G2532" it|strong="G2532" is|strong="G1510" now|strong="G3568" already|strong="G2235" in|strong="G1722" the|strong="G1722" world|strong="G2889"!
4 You|strong="G5210", my|strong="G1722" children|strong="G5040", come|strong="G1510" from|strong="G1537" God|strong="G2316", and|strong="G2532" you|strong="G5210" have|strong="G2532" successfully resisted such|strong="G3588" people|strong="G1510" as|strong="G1722" these|strong="G3588", because|strong="G3754" he|strong="G2532" who|strong="G3588" is|strong="G1510" in|strong="G1722" you|strong="G5210" is|strong="G1510" greater|strong="G3173" than|strong="G2228" the|strong="G1722" one|strong="G1438" who|strong="G3588" is|strong="G1510" in|strong="G1722" the|strong="G1722" world|strong="G2889".
5 Those|strong="G3588" people|strong="G1510" belong|strong="G1510" to|strong="G2532" the|strong="G2532" world|strong="G2889" and|strong="G2532" therefore|strong="G1223" they|strong="G2532" speak|strong="G2980" as|strong="G2532" the|strong="G2532" world|strong="G2889" speaks|strong="G2980", and|strong="G2532" the|strong="G2532" world|strong="G2889" listens to|strong="G2532" them|strong="G3588".
6 We|strong="G2249" come|strong="G1510" from|strong="G1537" God|strong="G2316". Whoever|strong="G3739" knows|strong="G1097" God|strong="G2316" listens to|strong="G2532" us|strong="G2249"; the|strong="G2532" person|strong="G3739" who|strong="G3739" does|strong="G1097" not|strong="G3756" come|strong="G1510" from|strong="G1537" God|strong="G2316" does|strong="G1097" not|strong="G3756" listen to|strong="G2532" us|strong="G2249". This|strong="G3778" is|strong="G1510" how|strong="G1097" we|strong="G2249" distinguish the|strong="G2532" spirit|strong="G4151" of|strong="G1537" truth and|strong="G2532" the|strong="G2532" spirit|strong="G4151" of|strong="G1537" deception|strong="G4106".
7 Dear friends, let|strong="G1097" us|strong="G1537" love one|strong="G3956" another|strong="G3588", because|strong="G3754" love comes|strong="G1510" from|strong="G1537" God|strong="G2316" and|strong="G2532" everyone|strong="G3956" who|strong="G3588" loves is|strong="G1510" a|strong="G2532" child|strong="G1080" of|strong="G1537" God|strong="G2316" and|strong="G2532" knows|strong="G1097" God|strong="G2316".
8 Those|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3588" do|strong="G3361" not|strong="G3756" love know|strong="G1097" nothing|strong="G3756" of|strong="G2316" God|strong="G2316", for|strong="G3754" God|strong="G2316" is|strong="G1510" love.
9 This|strong="G3778" is|strong="G3588" how|strong="G3754" God|strong="G2316" showed his|strong="G1223" love among|strong="G1722" us|strong="G1519": he|strong="G3754" sent|strong="G2316" his|strong="G1223" one|strong="G3588" and|strong="G2316" only|strong="G3439" Son|strong="G5207" into|strong="G1519" the|strong="G1722" world|strong="G2889" that|strong="G3754" we|strong="G2249" might|strong="G2316" live|strong="G2198" through|strong="G1223" him|strong="G3588".
10 This|strong="G3778" is|strong="G1510" what|strong="G3588" love is|strong="G1510": it|strong="G2532" is|strong="G1510" not|strong="G3756" that|strong="G3754" we|strong="G2249" have|strong="G2532" loved God|strong="G2316", but|strong="G2532" that|strong="G3754" he|strong="G2532" loved us|strong="G2249" and|strong="G2532" sent|strong="G2316" his|strong="G4012" Son|strong="G5207" to|strong="G2532" be|strong="G1510" an|strong="G2532" atoning sacrifice for|strong="G3754" our|strong="G2316" sins.
11 Dear friends, since God|strong="G2316" loved us|strong="G2249" in|strong="G2532" this|strong="G3588" way|strong="G3779", we|strong="G2249" should|strong="G3784" love one|strong="G3588" another|strong="G3588".
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 one|strong="G3762" another|strong="G3588", God|strong="G2316" lives|strong="G3306" in|strong="G1722" us|strong="G2249" and|strong="G2532" his|strong="G1722" love reaches perfection within|strong="G1722" us|strong="G2249".
13 We|strong="G2249" know|strong="G1097" that|strong="G3754" we|strong="G2249" live|strong="G2532" in|strong="G1722" him|strong="G3588", and|strong="G2532" he|strong="G2532" lives|strong="G3306" in|strong="G1722" us|strong="G1325", because|strong="G3754" he|strong="G2532" has|strong="G3778" given|strong="G1325" us|strong="G1325" a|strong="G2532" measure of|strong="G1537" his|strong="G1722" Spirit|strong="G4151".
14 Moreover|strong="G2532", we|strong="G2249" have|strong="G2532" seen|strong="G2300" for|strong="G3754" ourselves|strong="G2249" and|strong="G2532" testify|strong="G3140" that|strong="G3754" the|strong="G2532" Father|strong="G3962" has|strong="G3962" sent|strong="G2532" the|strong="G2532" Son|strong="G5207" to|strong="G2532" be|strong="G2532" the|strong="G2532" Saviour|strong="G4990" of|strong="G5207" the|strong="G2532" world|strong="G2889".
15 Whoever|strong="G3739" acknowledges|strong="G3670" that|strong="G3754" Jesus|strong="G2424" Christ is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G1722" Son|strong="G5207" of|strong="G5207" God|strong="G2316", God|strong="G2316" lives|strong="G3306" in|strong="G1722" them|strong="G3588", and|strong="G2532" they|strong="G2532" live|strong="G2532" in|strong="G1722" God|strong="G2316".
16 And|strong="G2532" so|strong="G2532" we|strong="G2249" have|strong="G2192" come|strong="G1510" to|strong="G2532" know|strong="G1097" and|strong="G2532" believe|strong="G4100" the|strong="G1722" love which|strong="G3739" God|strong="G2316" has|strong="G2192" for|strong="G1722" us|strong="G2249".
17 This|strong="G3778" is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G1722" way|strong="G1722" love has|strong="G2192" reached its|strong="G3754" perfection among|strong="G1722" us|strong="G2249", so|strong="G2443" that|strong="G3754" we|strong="G2249" may|strong="G2532" have|strong="G2192" confidence|strong="G3954" on|strong="G1722" the|strong="G1722" day|strong="G2250" of|strong="G2250" judgment|strong="G2920", because|strong="G3754" in|strong="G1722" this|strong="G3778" world|strong="G2889" we|strong="G2249" are|strong="G1510" like|strong="G2531" Christ.
18 There|strong="G1161" is|strong="G1510" no|strong="G3756" fear|strong="G5401" in|strong="G1722" love; perfect|strong="G5046" love drives out|strong="G1854" fear|strong="G5401" because|strong="G3754" fear|strong="G5401" has|strong="G2192" to|strong="G1722" do|strong="G2192" with|strong="G1722" punishment|strong="G2851". So|strong="G1161" anyone who|strong="G3588" is|strong="G1510" afraid|strong="G5399" has|strong="G2192" not|strong="G3756" reached perfection in|strong="G1722" love.
19 We|strong="G2249" love, because|strong="G3754" God first|strong="G4413" loved us|strong="G2249".
20 If|strong="G1437" someone|strong="G5100" says|strong="G3004" “I|strong="G3739" love God|strong="G2316",” and|strong="G2532" yet|strong="G2532" hates|strong="G3404" others|strong="G3588", they|strong="G2532" are|strong="G1510" a|strong="G2532" liar|strong="G5583". For|strong="G1063" the|strong="G2532" person|strong="G3739" who|strong="G3739" does|strong="G1510" not|strong="G3756" love their|strong="G2532" brother or|strong="G2532" sister, whom|strong="G3739" they|strong="G2532" have|strong="G2532" seen|strong="G3708", cannot|strong="G1410" love God|strong="G2316", whom|strong="G3739" they|strong="G2532" have|strong="G2532" not|strong="G3756" seen|strong="G3708".
21 Indeed|strong="G2532", we|strong="G2532" have|strong="G2192" this|strong="G3778" command|strong="G1785" from|strong="G2532" Christ: Those|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3588" love God|strong="G2316" must|strong="G2192" also|strong="G2532" love each other|strong="G3588".