Scripture reading
1 John 4
Questions
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
What does John command believers to do regarding spiritual claims? Why?1
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses Jesus as Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God, and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.
What is the primary test John gives for discerning if a spirit is from God?2
What errors in John confronting in insisting that every spirit confesses that “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh”?3
What does John mean by the “spirit of the antichrist” and what does he say about its presence in the world?4 How do you see the “spirit of the antichrist” active in the world today?
4 You are from God, little children, and have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
How does John describe the status and victory of believers?5
5 They are from the world; because of this they speak from the world and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. The one who knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.
Who are the “we” and “us” of v6?6
According to the passage as a whole [vv 1–6], what two main criteria does John give for identifying true and false teachers?7
Why is ongoing discernment necessary for the church? What are some of the errors in the modern church according to John’ criteria?8
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BibleProject Guide: The Books of 1-3 John
John commands believers not to believe every spirit but to test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is necessary since not every claim of spiritual inspiration is genuine, and discernment is required to avoid deception by false prophets who may be inspired by spirits opposed to God. See Matthew 7:21-23.
The primary test is whether the spirit confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. Any spirit that acknowledges this truth is from God, while any spirit that does not confess Jesus in this way is not from God and is the spirit of the antichrist.
This confession affirms both the full humanity and divinity of Jesus and rejects teachings that deny that Jesus is 100% God and 100% man [proto-Gnosticism, -Docetism etc.].
The “spirit of the antichrist” refers to any teaching or influence that denies Jesus is fully YHWH, has come in the flesh as the Christ. John says this spirit, which his readers had previously heard was coming, is already active in the world, manifesting itself through false prophets and deceptive teachings.
John assures believers that they are “from God” and have overcome the false prophets, because “the one who is in you”—the Holy Spirit—is greater than “the one who is in the world,” referring to the Satan or the spirit of antichrist. This victory is not due to believers’ own strength, but to God’s indwelling Spirit.
“We” refers primarily to the apostles and, by extension, faithful Christian teachers. John says that “whoever knows God listens to us,” meaning those who truly belong to God accept apostolic teaching, while those who are not from God do not listen. This serves as a further test of spiritual truth.
The two main criteria are: (1) the content of their confession about Jesus Christ [specifically, affirming his incarnation], and (2) whether their teaching is accepted by those who know God and are committed to apostolic doctrine.
Ongoing discernment is necessary because false prophets and deceptive spirits continue to operate in the world, seeking to lead believers astray. John insists that every claim to spiritual authority must be tested by the confession of Jesus Christ’s incarnation and by faithfulness to apostolic teaching, ensuring the church remains anchored in the truth2345.