Book of 1 John Chapter 4 Vs. 1

 

Test the Spirits

1 John 4:1 "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."

Beloved of course, is speaking to Christians then and now. There has never been a time in history when there were more strange doctrines being taught than right now. It is the obligation of believers to determine for themselves, whether the message being taught is of God or not.

Beloved... Greek: agapetos, dearly beloved: worthy of love. Translated beloved 47 times (1Jhn. 4:1, 4:7, 4:11; Mat. 3:17; 12:18; Rom. 1:7; Jude 1:3; etc.); well-beloved (Mat. 12:6; Rom. 16:5; 3Jhn. 1:1); dearly beloved (Rom. 12:19; 1Cor. 10:14; etc.); and dear (Eph. 5:1; Col. 1:7; 1Thes. 2:8).

Again the recognition of danger from false spirits prompts this affectionate address.

believe not every... The mention of the Holy Spirit in 3:24 prompts John to inform his readers that other spirits exist, i.e., demonic spirits, who produce false prophets and false teachers to propagate their false doctrines.

Spirit... Greek: pneuma, the equivalent to the Hebrew: ruwach. Pneuma is used 385 times in the New Testament.

Pneuma Is Used of:

1. God as Spirit (John 4:24; 2Cor. 3:17)

2. Christ (1Cor. 6:17; 15:45)

3. The Holy Spirit (Mat. 1:18, 1:20; 3:11, 3:16—altogether of Him over 240 times)

4. Christ’s personal spirit (Mark 2:8; 8:12; Luke 2:40; John 11:33; 19:30)

5. Angels (Heb. 1:7, 1:14; Psm. 104:4)

6. Spirits of men (Mat. 5:3; 1Cor. 2:11; 6:20; 1Thes. 5:23; Heb. 4:12; 12:23)

7. Evil spirits (Mat. 8:16; 10:1; 12:43; Acts 8:7; 16:16; Rev. 16:13; 18:2)

8. The resurrection body (1Cor. 15:44).

Christians are to have a healthy skepticism regarding any teaching, unlike some among Johns congregations who were too open minded to anyone claiming a new teaching regarding the faith. Christians are to be like the Bereans who, as students of the Word, examined the Scriptures to determine truth and error (Acts 17:10-12).

but try the... or test is a metallurgist's term used for assaying metals to determine their purity and value. Christians must test any teaching with a view to approving or disapproving it rigorously comparing any teaching to the Scripture.

try... Greek: dokimazo, test. Translated try (1Cor. 3:13; 1Thes. 2:4; 1Pet. 1:7; 1Jhn. 4:1); prove (Luke 14:19; Rom. 12:2; 2Cor. 8:8, 8:22; 13:5; Gal. 6:4; Eph. 5:10; 1Thes. 5:21; 1Tim. 3:10; Heb. 3:9); examine (1Cor. 11:28); discern (Luke 12:56); approve (Rom. 2:18; 1Cor. 16:3; Phlp. 1:10); allow (Rom. 14:22; 1Thes. 2:4); and like (Rom. 1:28). The reason here given is because of many false teachers going abroad.

try (δοκιμάζετε)

Better, as Rev., prove. See on 1Pet. 1:7; see on Luke 12:55. Compare the phrase discerning of spirits, 1Cor. 12:10.

Seven Ways to Test False Prophets:

1. By their confession of Jesus (1Jhn. 4:2-3)

2. Their relationship with the world (1Jhn. 4:5; 2:15-17; Jas. 4:4)

3. How they receive Christianity (1Jhn. 4:6)

4. Their attitude toward the commandments of God (1Jhn. 4:6; 3:20-24; John 14:15)

5. Love of the brethren (1Jhn. 4:7-21; 3:11-16; John 13:34-35; 15:12-15)

6. The indwelling Holy Spirit (1Jhn. 4:4-6)

7. The Word of God (1Jhn. 4:6; 5:10; 2Tim. 3:16; 2Cor. 4:4)

the spirits… By juxtaposing spirits with false prophets John reminds his readers that behind human teachers who propagate false doctrine and error are demons inspired by Satan. Human false prophets and teachers are the physical expressions of demonic, spiritual sources

(Mat. 7:15; Mark 13:22).

The only way for us to be qualified to judge the message is to know

the Bible. We must search the Scriptures diligently to know the

truth. The devil is a counterfeit. The false messages being brought

forth are very close to truth. They just change a word here and there

and change the meaning.

of God (ἐκ)

Out of proceeding from.

One of the most recent tricks being brought forth by the devil in the church, is a watering down of Jesus to where He is not God. Another terrible teaching that is making the rounds is that Jesus did not become God, until He rose from the grave. This is blasphemy.

Jesus was the Word of God in heaven. He was there from the

beginning. He is the Eternal One. He is Alpha and Omega, the

Beginning and the End. He is Eternal God the Word. To teach that

the devil, or his demons, ever had any control over Jesus is also a lie.

Jesus was not forced to die on the cross. He gave His life willingly.

false prophets (ψευδοπροφῆται)

The term is applied in the New Testament to rivals of true prophets under the old dispensation (Luke 6:26; 2Pet. 2:1), and to rivals of the apostles under the gospel economy (Mat. 7:15; 24:11, 24:24; Mark 13:22). In Revelation to the embodied power of spiritual falsehood (Rev. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10). The false prophet supports his claims by signs and portents (Mat. 24:24; Acts 13:6; Rev. 19:20) and is thus distinguished from the false teacher. See 2Pet. 2:1, where the two terms occur together.

Christ's flesh was the only thing that died on the cross. From the cross, He dismissed His Spirit from His body and commanded it to go to the Father. Jesus was Eternal Spirit in the body of flesh. Anyone who believes Jesus to be less than God is teaching a false doctrine.

are gone out (ἐξαληλύθασιν)

The perfect tense indicates that the influence of their going out on their false mission is in operation at the present.

Don't trust every spirit. On the contrary, test the spirits to see whether they are from God (compare 1Thes. 5:19-22). This is an important principle for our age. After years of having lost touch with the spiritual realm altogether, many people are rediscovering it but have not the discernment to know which spirits are from God. Not every inner voice or feeling is from God. Some are merely from us, either consequences of being overtired or overwrought, or expressions of our own wishes and fears. Others are truly from the spiritual realm, but, unfortunately, from Satan and his demons, not from God and his angels. By the same token, not every prophet or religious teacher is from God; yet some are.

1Jhn. 4:2-3 give one criterion by which to test the spirits. Another is that spirits from God can be expected to give wholehearted support to everything the Bible says.