Friday, April 25, 2014



The First Epistle General of John
Chapter 4:1-6
Geneva Bible Translation Ed. 1599

1 Dearly beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: for many false Prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby shall ye know the Spirit of God, Every spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God: but this is the spirit of Antichrist, of whom ye have heard, how that he should come, and now already he is in this world.
4 Little children, ye are of God, and have overcome them: for greater is he that is in you, than he that is in this world. (a)
5 They are of this world, therefore spake they of this world, and this 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.

(a) Read John 18:36; Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 2:6; 2 Corinthians 1:12, 4:4; 1 John 2:15

 He calls the disciples, to whom he writes, to caution and scrutiny about the spirits and spiritual professors that had now risen. 1. To caution: “Beloved, believe not every spirit; regard not, trust not, follow not, every pretender to the Spirit of God, or every professor of vision, or inspiration, or revelation from God.” Truth is the foundation of simulation and counterfeits; there had been real communications from the divine Spirit, and therefore others pretended thereto. God will take the way of his own wisdom and goodness, though it may be liable to abuse; he has sent inspired teachers to the world, and given us a supernatural revelation, though others may be so evil and so impudent as to pretend the same; every pretender to the divine Spirit, or to inspiration, and extraordinary illumination thereby, is not to be believed. God has given of his Spirit in these latter ages of the world, but not to all who profess to come furnished therewith; to the disciples is allowed a judgment of discretion, in reference to the spirits that would be believed and trusted in the affairs of religion. A reason is given for this trial: Because many false prophets have gone out into the world, 1 John 4:1. There being much about the time of our Saviour’s appearance in the world a general expectation among the Jews of a Redeemer to Israel, and the humiliation, spiritual reformation, and sufferings of the Saviour being taken as a prejudice against him, others were induced to set up as prophets and messiahs to Israel, according to the Saviour’s prediction, Matthew 24:23-24. It should not seem strange to us that false teachers set themselves up in the church: it was so in the apostles’ times; fatal is the spirit of delusion, sad that men should vaunt themselves for prophets and inspired preachers that are by no means so.
Source Matthew Henry Commentary 

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