SECTION VII.

GREEK. LATIN. AUTHORISED VERSION. REVISED VERSION. ANOTHER VERSION.

Agapetoi, me panti pneumati pisteuete, alla dokimazete ta pneumata, ei ek tou Theou estin; hoti polloi pseudoprophetai exeleluthasin eis ton kosmon. en touto ginoskete to Pneuma tou Theou; pan pneuma ho homologei Iesoun Christon en sarki eleluthota, ek tou Theou esti. kai pan pneuma ho me homologeiton Iesoun Christon en sarki eleluthota, ek tou Theou ouk esti; kai touto esti to tou antichristou, ho akekoate hoti erchetai, kai nun en to kosmo estin ede. Humeis ek tou Theou este, teknia, kai nenikekate autous; hoti meizon estin ho en humin he ho en to kosmo. Autoi ek tou kosmou eisi; dia touto ek tou kosmou lalousi, kai ho kosmos auton akouei. hemeis ek tou Theou esmen; ho ginoskon ton Theon, akouei hemon; hos ouk estin ek tou Theou, ouk akouei hemon. Ek toutou ginoskomen to pneuma tes aletheias kai to pneuma tes planes.

Carissimi, nolite omni spiritui credere, sed probate spiritus si ex Deo sint, quoniam multi pseudoprophetæ exierunt in mundum. In hoc cognoscitur spiritus Dei. Omnis spiritus qui confitetur Iesum Christum in carne venisse, ex Deo est: et omnis spiritus qui solvit Iesum Christum ex Deo non est; et his est Antichristus quod audistis quoniam venit et nunc iam in mundo est. Vos ex Deo estis, filioli, et vicistis eum, quoniam maior est qui in vobis est quam qui in mundo. Ipsi de mundo sunt: ideo de mundo locuntur, et mundus eos audit. Nos ex Deo sumus: qui novit Deum audit nos; qui non est ex Deo, non audit nos. In hoc cognoscimus spiritum veritatis et spiritum erroris.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 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. 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. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 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.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit which confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is the spirit of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh; and now it is in the world already. Ye are of God, my little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world, therefore speak they as of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us: he who is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Beloved, believe not any spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth Jesus Christ come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit which confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is that power of the antichrist whereof ye have heard that it cometh, and even now it is in the world already. Ye are of God, children, and have conquered them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world, therefore of the world is their manner of speech, and the world heareth them. We are of God; he that knoweth God heareth us, he who is not of God heareth not us. From this we know the spirit of The Truth, and the spirit of the error.

NOTES.
Ch. iv. 1, 7.

Ver. 1. Believe not any spirit] me panti pneumati pisteuete. The different constructions of pisteuein in St. John must be carefully noted. (a) With dative as here--"believe not such an one;" take him not upon trust, at his own word; credit him not with veracity. So in the Gospel, our Lord continually complains that the Jews did not even believe Him on His word--strong and clear as that word was with all the freshness of Heaven, and all the transparency of truth. John v. 38, 46, viii. 45, 46, x. 37.

(b) pisteuein eis = to make an act of faith in, to repose in as divine. John iii. 36, iv. 39, vi. 35, xi. 25; 1 John v. 10.

(c) With an accusative = to be persuaded of the thing--to believe it with an implied conviction of permanence in the persuasion--as in the beautiful verse (iv. 16)--"we are fully persuaded of the love of God," we make it the creed of our heart. pepisteukamen ten agapen.