1 John 4

1  BELOVED, DO not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world.2  By this you may know (perceive and recognize) the Spirit of God: every spirit which acknowledges and confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [actually] has become man and has come in the flesh is of God [has God for its source];3  And every spirit which does not acknowledge and confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh [but would annul, destroy, sever, disunite Him] is not of God [does not proceed from Him]. This [nonconfession] is the [spirit] of the antichrist, [of] which you heard that it was coming, and now it is already in the world.4  Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.5  They proceed from the world and are of the world; therefore it is out of the world [its whole economy morally considered] that they speak, and the world listens (pays attention) to them.6  We are [children] of God. Whoever is learning to know God [progressively to perceive, recognize, and understand God by observation and experience, and to get an ever-clearer knowledge of Him] listens to us; and he who is not of God does not listen or pay attention to us. By this we know (recognize) the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error.7  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God [to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him].8  He who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love.9  In this the love of God was made manifest (displayed) where we are concerned: in that God sent His Son, the only begotten or unique [Son], into the world so that we might live through Him.10  In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins.11  Beloved, if God loved us so [very much], we also ought to love one another.12  No man has at any time [yet] seen God. But if we love one another, God abides (lives and remains) in us and His love (that love which is essentially His) is brought to completion (to its full maturity, runs its full course, is perfected) in us!13  By this we come to know (perceive, recognize, and understand) that we abide (live and remain) in Him and He in us: because He has given (imparted) to us of His [Holy] Spirit.14  And [besides] we ourselves have seen (have deliberately and steadfastly contemplated) and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son [as the] Savior of the world.15  Anyone who confesses (acknowledges, owns) that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides (lives, makes His home) in him and he [abides, lives, makes his home] in God.16  And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him.17  In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world.18  There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection].19  We love Him, because He first loved us.20  If anyone says, I love God, and hates (detests, abominates) his brother [in Christ], he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, Whom he has not seen.21  And this command (charge, order, injunction) we have from Him: that he who loves God shall love his brother [believer] also.

1 JUAN 4

Dios y el mundo

1 Queridos, andan por ahí muchos pretendidos profetas que presumen de poseer el Espíritu de Dios. Antes de fiarse de ellos, comprueben si verdaderamente lo poseen.t 2 Si reconocen que Jesucristo ha venido como verdadero hombre, es que poseen el Espíritu de Dios.

3 Pero si no reconocen a Jesúst, es que su espíritu no es de Dios, sino del anticristo, del cual ustedes han oído que estaba a punto de llegar; y, en efecto, ya está en el mundo.t
4 En cuanto a ustedes, hijos míos, pertenecen a Dios y han vencido a esos falsos profetas, pues el que está con ustedes es más fuerte que el que está con el mundo. 5 Ellos, como son mundanos, hablan de cosas mundanas, y la gente mundana les presta atención.t

6 Pero nosotros pertenecemos a Dios, y nos escuchan los que conocen a Dios. No nos escuchan, en cambio, los que no conocen a Dios. Ahí tienen la piedra de toque para discernir dónde está el error y dónde la verdadt.

III.— EL AMOR Y LA FE (4,7—5,12)

En las fuentes del amor

12 Es cierto que jamás alguien ha visto a Dios; pero, si nos amamos unos a otros, Dios permanece en nosotros y su amor alcanza en nosotros cumbres de perfección.t
13 Estamos seguros de que permanecemos en Dios y Dios permanece en nosotros, porque nos ha hecho partícipes de su Espíritu. 14 Y nosotros hemos visto y testificamos que el Padre ha enviado a su Hijo como salvador del mundo.t 15 Quien reconoce que Jesús es el Hijo de Dios, permanece en Dios y Dios en él.t 16 Por nuestra parte, hemos conocidot y hemos puesto nuestra confianza en el amor que Dios nos tiene. Dios es amor, y quien permanece en el amor, permanece en Dios y Dios permanece en él.t 17 Nuestro amor alcanza su más alto nivel de perfección cuando, al compartir nosotros ya en este mundo la condición de Cristo, nos hace esperar confiados el día del juicio.t

18 Amor y temor, en efecto, son incompatibles; el auténtico amor elimina el temor, ya que el temor está en relación con el castigo, y el que teme es que aún no ha aprendido a amar perfectamente.t
19 Amemos, pues, nosotrost, porque Dios nos amó primero. 20 Quien dice: “Yo amo a Dios”, pero al mismo tiempo odia a su hermano, es un mentiroso. ¿Cómo puede amar a Dios, a quien no ve, si no es capaz de amar al hermano, a quien vet?t 21 En fin, este mandamiento nos dejó Cristo: que quien ama a Dios, ame también a su hermano.