Back to BooksSimple English

1 John

Assures believers of eternal life through faith in Jesus and commands love for God and one another.

Chapter 4

Back to Chapters

1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

*Dear one, don't trust every voice claiming to be from God; test them to see if they're truly from Him, as there are many fake ones around.

2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

*By this, you can tell the Spirit of God: Any spirit that admits that Jesus Christ has come as a real person is from God.

3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

*Any spirit that doesn't admit Jesus Christ has come as a real person is not from God. This is the antichrist spirit you've heard about, and it's already in the world today.

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.

*You are from God, dear kids, and you've defeated them. This is because the one inside you is bigger than the one in the world.

5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

*They belong to the world, so they talk about the world, and the world listens to them.

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.

*We are from God: if someone knows God, they listen to us; if someone isn't from God, they don't listen to us. This helps us tell the difference between the truth spirit and the wrong spirit.

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

*Dear friends, let's love each other because love comes from God. Anyone who loves has been born from God and knows God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

*If you don't love, you don't know God; because God is love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

*This shows how much God loves us, because he sent his one and only Son to the world for us, so we can live our lives through him.

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

*In this is love, not because we loved God, but because he loved us and sent his Son to pay for our mistakes.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

*Dear friends, since God loves us so much, we should also love each other.

12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

*No person has ever seen God. If we care for each other, God lives within us, and his love becomes complete in us.

13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

*We understand now that we live in him, and he lives in us, because he has given us a part of his Spirit.

14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

*We saw and can say for sure that the Father sent the Son to save everyone in the world.

15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

*Whoever says that Jesus is God's Son will have God living in them, and they in God.

16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

*We understand and believe the love God has for us. God is all about love, and those who live with love are also living with God, and God lives with them too.

17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

*In this way, our love becomes complete, so we can be brave when our actions are judged. Since we are like him in this world, it's true.

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

*Love doesn't have fear; it removes fear completely. Fear causes pain, so if you are afraid, your love isn't complete.

19 We love him, because he first loved us.

*We like him, as he liked us first.

20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

*If someone says they love God but dislikes their brother, they are lying. Because if you don't love the person you can see, how can you truly love someone you cannot see?

21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

*This means that we should love both God and our fellow people because they come from the same source.

Back to Chapters

* work in progress, there will be mistakes

Copyright © 2025 - Gema369 All Rights Reserved