Bibelkommentare

In this chapter the apostle exhorts to try spirits (1Jo 4:1), gives a note to try by (1Jo 4:2,3), shows who are of the world and who of God (1Jo 4:4-6), urges Christian love by divers considerations (1Jo 4:7-16), describes our love to God, and the effect of it, 1Jo 4:17-21.

There are two principal subjects discussed in this chapter:

I. The method by which we may determine that we have the Spirit of God, 1 John 4:1-6. The apostle had said 1 John 3:24 that it could be determined that God dwells in them by the Spirit which he has given them; but as it is probable that the teachers of error, the persons whom John regarded as "antichrist," 1 John 2:18-19, would lay claim to the same thing, it was important to know how it could be ascertained that the Spirit of God had been really given to them, or how it could be determined that the spirit that was in them was not the spirit of antichrist, the very thing against which he would guard them. In doing this:

(1) He cautions them against trusting to every kind of spirit, or supposing that every spirit which animated even the professed friends of religion was the Spirit of God, 1 John 4:1.

(2) also, he shows them how it might be determined that they had really the Spirit of God, or what would be the effect of the influences of the Spirit on the mind. This evidence consisted of the following things:

(a) They had the Spirit of God who confessed that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh, 1 John 4:2;

(b) They who denied that, had not the Spirit of God and the denial of this was the real spirit of antichrist, 1 John 4:3;

(c) They who had the Spirit of God had not the spirit of this world, 1 John 4:4-5; and,

(d) They who had the Spirit of God would hear those who were his apostles, or who were sent by him, 1 John 4:6.

II. The duty, power, and influence of love, 1 John 4:7-21. This is a favorite subject with John, and he here considers it at length, as a subject that was essential in determining the evidences of piety. The duty and value of love are enforced by the following considerations:

(1) Love has its origin in God, and everyone who has true love is born of God, 1 John 4:7-8.

(2) God has shown his great love to us by having given His Son to die for us; and as He has so loved us, we ought also to love one another, 1 John 4:9-11.

(3) if we love one another, it furnishes the best evidence that God dwells in us, 1 John 4:12-15.

(4) God is love, and if we have true love we dwell in Him, and He dwells in us, 1 John 4:16,

(5) Love will furnish us great advantage in the day of judgment, by giving us confidence when we come before Him, 1 John 4:17.

(6) love will cast out all fear, and will make our minds calm in view of the events which are to come, 1 John 4:18,

(7) The very fact that He has first manifested His love to us should lead us to the exercise of love, 1 John 4:19,

(8) A man cannot truly love God and yet hate his brother, 1 John 4:20; and,

(9) it is the solemn command of God that he who loves God should love his brother also.

We must not believe every teacher who professes to have a Divine commission to preach, but try such, whether they be of God; and the more so because many false prophets are gone out into the world, 1 John 4:1. Those who deny that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh have the spirit of antichrist, 1 John 4:2, 1 John 4:3. The followers of God have been enabled to discern and overcome them, 1 John 4:4-6. The necessity of love to God and one another shown, from God's love to us, 1 John 4:7-11. Though no man hath seen God, yet every genuine Christian knows him by the spirit which God has given him, 1 John 4:12, 1 John 4:13. The apostles testified that God sent his Son to be the Savior of the world; and God dwelt in those who confessed this truth, 1 John 4:14, 1 John 4:15. God is love, 1 John 4:16. The nature and properties of perfect love, 1 John 4:17, 1 John 4:18. We love him because he first loved us, 1 John 4:19. The wickedness of pretending to love God while we hate one another, 1 John 4:20, 1 John 4:21.

INTRODUCTION TO 1 John 4

In this chapter the apostle cautions against seducing spirits; advises to try them, and gives rules by which they may be known, and by which they are distinguished from others; and then returns to his favourite subject, brotherly love. He exhorts the saints not to believe every man that came with a doctrine to them, but to try them, since there were many false teachers in the world; and gives a rule by which they may be tried and judged, as that whatever teacher owns Christ to be come in the flesh is of God, but he that does not is not of God, but is the spirit of antichrist that should come, and was in the world, 1 John 4:1, but, for the comfort of those to whom he writes, he observes, that they were of God, and had overcome these false teachers, through the mighty power of the divine Spirit in them, who is greater than Satan, and all his emissaries, 1 John 4:4. He distinguishes between seducing spirits, and faithful ministers of the word; the former are of the world, speak of worldly things, and worldly men hear them; but the latter are of God, and they that have any spiritual knowledge of God hear them; but such as are not of God do not heal them, by which may he known the spirit of truth from the spirit of error, 1 John 4:5. And then the apostle returns to his former exhortation to brotherly love, which he enforces by the following reasons, because it is of God, a fruit of his Spirit and grace, and because it is an evidence of being born of God, and of having a true knowledge of him; whereas he that is destitute of it does not know him, seeing God is love, 1 John 4:7, and having affirmed that God is love, he proves it, by the mission of his Son, to be a propitiation for the sins of such that did not love him, and that they might live through him; wherefore he argues, that if God had such a love to men, so undeserving of it, then the saints ought to love one another, 1 John 4:9. Other arguments follow, engaging to it, as that God is invisible; and if he is to be loved, then certainly his people, who are visible; and that such who love one another, God dwells in them, and his love is perfected in them; and that he dwells in them is known by the gift of his Spirit to them, 1 John 4:12, and that God the Father so loved the world, as to send his Son to be the Saviour of it, before asserted, is confirmed by the apostles, who were eyewitnesses of it; who also declare, that whoever confesses the sonship of Christ, God dwells in him, and he in God; and who had an assurance of the love of God to them, who is love itself; so that he that dwells in God, and God in him, dwells in love, 1 John 4:14. And great are the advantages arising from hence, for hereby the saints' love to God is made perfect; they have boldness in the day of judgment, since as he is, so are they in this world, and fear is cast out by it, 1 John 4:17, but lest too much should be thought to be ascribed to love, that is said to be owing to the love of God to them, which is prior to theirs to him, and the reason of it, 1 John 4:19. And the chapter is closed with observing the contradiction there is between a profession of love to God, and hatred of the brethren, seeing God, who is invisible, cannot be loved, if brethren that are seen are hated; and also the commandment, that he that loves God should love his brother also, 1 John 4:20.

The main subject still continues, that God is Love; and that from this truth flows the moral obligation on Christians not only to love God but one another. But, as in Chap. 3, there are subdivisions, each of which has a unity in itself as well as intimate and subtle relations to the whole. These subdivisions are mainly two; The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error (1–6); Love is the Mark of the Children of the God who is Love (7–21). If we are asked as to the relation which this chapter bears to the preceding one, the answer would seem to be something of this kind. Chap. 3 insists upon the necessity of deeds in order to prove our relationship to God (1 John 3:3; 1 John 3:7; 1 John 3:10; 1 John 3:16-18; 1 John 3:22); chap. 4 points out the certainty of our relationship to God as attested by our deeds (1 John 4:4; 1 John 4:6-7; 1 John 4:12-13; 1 John 4:15-17). The one gives us the evidence of our sonship, viz. deeds of righteousness towards God (1 John 3:1-10) and deeds of love towards men (1 John 3:11-21): the other shews us the source of our sonship, viz. possession of the Spirit as shewn by confession of the Incarnation (1 John 4:1-6) and by love of the brethren (1 John 4:7-21).

1Jo 4:1-21.

TESTS OF FALSE PROPHETS. LOVE, THE TEST OF BIRTH FROM GOD, AND THE NECESSARY FRUIT OF KNOWING HIS GREAT LOVE IN CHRIST TO US.

1. Beloved--the affectionate address wherewith he calls their attention, as to an important subject.

every spirit--which presents itself in the person of a prophet. The Spirit of truth, and the spirit of error, speak by men's spirits as their organs. There is but one Spirit of truth, and one spirit of Antichrist.

try--by the tests

(1Jo 4:2, 3).

All believers are to do so: not merely ecclesiastics. Even an angel's message should be tested by the word of God: much more men's teachings, however holy the teachers may seem.

because, &c.--the reason why we must "try," or test the spirits.

many false prophets--not "prophets" in the sense "foretellers," but organs of the spirit that inspires them, teaching accordingly either truth or error: "many Antichrists."

are gone out--as if from God.

into the world--said alike of good and bad prophets

(2Jo 7).

The world is easily seduced

(1Jo 4:4, 5).

Beloved, believe not every spirit - Do not confide implicitly in everyone who professes to be under the influences of the Holy Spirit. Compare Matthew 24:4-5. The true and the false teachers of religion alike claimed to be under the influence of the Spirit of God, and it was of importance that all such pretensions should be examined. It was not to be admitted because anyone claimed to have been sent from God that therefore he was sent. Every such claim should be subjected to the proper proof before it was conceded. All pretensions to divine inspiration, or to being authorised teachers of religion, were to be examined by the proper tests, because there were many false and delusive teachers who set up such claims in the world.

But try the spirits whether they are of God - There were those in the early Christian church who had the gift of "discerning spirits," (see the notes at 1 Corinthians 12:10), but it is not certain that the apostle refers here to any such supernatural power. It is more probable, as he addresses this command to Christians in general, that he refers to the ability of doing this by a comparison of the doctrines which they professed to hold with what was revealed, and by the fruits of their doctrines in their lives. If they taught what God had taught in his word, and if their lives corresponded with his requirements, and if their doctrines agreed with what had been inculcated by those who were admitted to be true apostles, 1 John 4:6, they were to receive them as what they professed to be. If not, they were to reject them, and hold them to be impostors. It may be remarked, that it is just as proper and as important now to examine the claims of all who profess to be teachers of religion, as it was then. In a matter so momentous as religion, and where there is so much at stake, it is important that all pretensions of this kind should be subjected to a rigid examination. No one should be received as a religious teacher without the clearest evidence that he has come in accordance with the will of God, nor unless he inculcates the very truth which God has revealed. See the Isaiah 8:20 note, and Acts 17:11 note.

Because many false prophets are gone out into the world - The word prophet is often used in the New Testament to denote religious instructors or preachers. See the notes at Romans 12:6. Compare the notes at 2 Peter 2:1. Such false teachers evidently abounded in the times here referred to. See the notes at 1 John 2:18. The meaning is, that many had gone out into the world pretending to be true teachers of religion, but who inculcated most dangerous doctrines; and it was their duty to be on their guard against them, for they had the very spirit of antichrist, 1 John 4:3.