1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone forth into the world.
2 Hereby ye know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledgeth that Jesus Christ hath come in the flesh, is of God. 3 And every spirit that doth not acknowledge Jesus, is not of God; and this is that spirit of Antichrist, of which ye have heard that it is to come, and even now it is already in the world.
4 Ye are of God, my children, and have overcome them; because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world; therefore they speak of the world, and the world heareth them. 6 We are of God; he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth us not. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
7 Beloved, let us love one another; for love is from God, and every one that loveth hath been born of God, and knoweth God; 8 he that loveth not hath not known God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God in regard to us, that God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we may live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one hath ever seen God. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and bear witness, that the Father hath sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whoever acknowledgeth that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath in regard to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein hath love been perfected with us, that we have confidence in the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment; and he that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love, because he first loved us.
20 If any one saith, 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? 21 And this commandment we have from him, that he who loveth God love also his brother.