the Second Week after Easter
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George Lamsa Translation
1 John 4:2
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This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
Hereby know ye the spirit of God: euery spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God.
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;
This is how you can know God's Spirit: Every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ came to earth as a human is from God.
Here's how you test for the genuine Spirit of God. Everyone who confesses openly his faith in Jesus Christ—the Son of God, who came as an actual flesh-and-blood person—comes from God and belongs to God. And everyone who refuses to confess faith in Jesus has nothing in common with God. This is the spirit of antichrist that you heard was coming. Well, here it is, sooner than we thought!
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;
By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
and you can know which ones come from God. His Spirit says that Jesus Christ had a truly human body.
Here is how you recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit which acknowledges that Yeshua the Messiah came as a human being is from God,
Hereby ye know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses Jesus Christ come in flesh is of God;
This is how you can recognize God's Spirit. One spirit says, "I believe that Jesus is the Messiah who came to earth and became a man." That Spirit is from God.
Hereby shall ye know the Spirit of God, Euery spirit which confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God.
This is how you will be able to know whether it is God's Spirit: anyone who acknowledges that Jesus Christ came as a human being has the Spirit who comes from God.
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
By this know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.
By this you know and recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges and confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ has [actually] come in the flesh [as a man] is from God [God is its source];
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
By this you may have knowledge of the Spirit of God: every spirit which says that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God:
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Yeshua the Messiah has come in the flesh is of God,
This is how you can recognize God's Spirit: Every spirit who acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.1 Corinthians 12:3; 1 John 5:1;">[xr]
By this we know the Spirit of Aloha: Every spirit who confesseth that Jeshu Meshiha hath come in the flesh, is from Aloha.
By this the Spirit of God is known, every spirit that confesseth that Jesus the Messiah hath come in the flesh, is of God.
Hereby shall ye knowe the spirite of God: Euery spirite that confesseth that Iesus Christe is come in the fleshe, is of God:
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
Hereby ye know the spirit of God: every spirit which confesseth Jesus Christ come in the flesh, is of God.
The test by which you may recognize the Spirit of God is that every spirit which acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come as man is from God,
In this thing the spirit of God is knowun; ech spirit that knowlechith that Jhesu Crist hath come in fleisch, is of God;
Hereby you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God:
By this ye know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ hath come in the flesh, is from God:
By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses Jesus as the Christ who has come in the flesh is from God,
By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God.
You can tell if the spirit is from God in this way: Every spirit that says Jesus Christ has come in a human body is from God.
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
Hereby, do ye perceive the Spirit of God: - every spirit that confesseth Jesus Christ as having come, in flesh, is, of God;
By this is the spirit of God known. Every spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
Herby shall ye knowe the sprete of God. Every sprete that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesshe is of God.
in this know ye the Spirit of God; every spirit that doth confess Jesus Christ in the flesh having come, of God it is,
Hereby shal ye knowe the sprete of God: Euery sprete which confesseth, that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God:
by this you may distinguish the spirit of God: "every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is from God.
If you ain't sure whether or not someone really has the Holy Ghost, just put 'em through the authenticity test. Ask them if they have faith that Jesus was God and came to earth as a real person.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Every: 1 John 5:1, John 16:13-15, 1 Corinthians 12:3
come: 1 John 4:3, John 1:14, 1 Timothy 3:16
Reciprocal: Zechariah 13:2 - cause John 12:42 - they did not Romans 1:3 - according Romans 10:9 - That if Galatians 4:4 - made Philippians 2:11 - every Colossians 2:18 - no 2 Thessalonians 2:2 - by spirit Hebrews 9:11 - Christ Hebrews 10:5 - but Hebrews 10:20 - his 1 John 4:15 - confess 1 John 5:20 - we know 2 John 1:7 - who
Cross-References
Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
And Adam knew his wife Eve again; and she conceived and bore a son, and called his name Seth; For God, she said, has given me another offspring instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
And to Seth also there was born a son; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD.
And Noah began to till the ground; and he planted a vineyard;
And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, your brothers are feeding the flocks in Shechem; come, I will send you to them. And he said to him, Here am I.
And Pharaoh said to Josephs brothers, What is your occupation? And they said to Pharaoh, Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers, from our youth.
NOW Moses was feeding the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the desert and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
Lo, children are a heritage of the LORD; and the fruit of the womb is a reward.
And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said to me, Go, prophesy against my people Israel.
From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias, who was killed between the temple and the altar; yes, I say to you, it will be avenged on this generation.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God,.... This is a rule by which believers may know whether a man professing to have the Spirit of God, and to be called and sent by him, and whether the, doctrine he preaches, is of him or not:
every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh,
is of God; or of the Spirit of God; that is, every doctrine which carries this truth in it; or every man that owns, and professes, and publishes this doctrine concerning Christ, is on the side of God and truth; and which contains several articles in it, respecting the person and office of Christ; as that he existed before he came in the flesh, not in the human nature, or as man, or as an angel, but as the Son of God, as a divine person, being truly and properly God; so that this confession takes in his divine sonship, and proper deity, and also his true and real humanity; that the Messiah was incarnate, against the Jews, and was God and man in one person; and that he was really man, and not in appearance only, against the heretics of those times: and it also includes his offices, as that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, the Messiah, which the Jews denied, and that he was the anointed prophet, priest, and King; and so is a confession or acknowledgment of all the doctrines of the Gospel, which came by him, as a prophet; and of his satisfaction, sacrifice, and intercession, as a priest; and of all his ordinances and commands as a King; and that he is the only Saviour and Redeemer of men. Now, whoever owns and declares this system of truth, "is of God"; not that everyone that assents unto this, or preaches it, is born of God; a man may believe, and confess all this, as the devils themselves do, and yet be destitute of the grace of God; but the spirit, or doctrine, which contains these things in it, is certainly of God, or comes from him; or whoever brings these truths with him, and preaches them, he is, so far as he does so, on the side of God and truth, and to be regarded.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Hereby - Greek, “By this;” that is, by the test which is immediately specified.
Know ye the Spirit of God - You may discern who are actuated by the Spirit of God.
Every spirit - Everyone professing to be under the influence of the Spirit of God. The apostle uses the word “spirit” here with reference to the person who made the claim, on the supposition that everyone professing to be a religious teacher was animated by some spirit or foreign influence, good or bad. If the Spirit of God influenced them, they would confess that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh; if some other spirit, the spirit of error and deceit, they would deny this.
That confesseth - That is, that makes a proper acknowledgment of this; that inculcates this doctrine, and that gives it a due place and prominence in his instructions. It cannot be supposed that a mere statement of this in words would show that they were of God in the sense that they were true Christians; but the sense is, that if this constituted one of the doctrines which they held and taught, it would show that they were advocates of truth, and not apostles of error. If they did not do this, 1 John 4:3, it would be decisive in regard to their character and claims.
That Jesus Christ is come in the flesh - Benson and some others propose to render this, “That Jesus, who came in the flesh, is the Christ.” But this is liable to serious objections.
(1)It is not the obvious interpretation.
(2)It is unusual to say that Jesus “had come in the flesh,” though the expression “the Son of God has come in the flesh,” or “God was manifested in the flesh,” would be in accordance with the usage of the New Testament.
(3)This would not, probably, meet the real point in the case. The thing denied does not appear to have been that Jesus was the Messiah, for their pretending to be Christian teachers at all implied that they admitted this; but that the Son of God was “really a man,” or that he actually assumed human nature in permanent union with the divine. The point of the remark made by the apostle is, that the acknowledgment was to be that Christ assumed human nature; that he was really a man as he appeared to be: or that there was a real incarnation, in opposition to the opinion that he came in appearance only, or that he merely seemed to be a man, and to suffer and die. That this opinion was held by many, see the Introduction, Section III. 2. It is quite probable that the apostle here refers to such sentiments as those which were held by the “Docetae;” and that he meant to teach that it was indispensable to proper evidence that anyone came from God, that he should maintain that Jesus was truly a man, or that there was a real incarnation of the Son of God. John always regarded this as a very important point, and often refers to it, John 19:34-35; John 20:25-27; 1 John 5:6. It is as important to be held now as it was then, for the fact that there was a real incarnation is essential to all just views of the atonement. If he was not truly a man, if he did not literally shed his blood on the cross, of course all that was done was in appearance only, and the whole system of redemption as revealed was merely a splendid illusion. There is little danger that this opinion will be held now, for those who depart from the doctrine laid down in the New Testament in regard to the person and work of Christ, are more disposed to embrace the opinion that he was a mere man; but still it is important that the truth that he was truly incarnate should be held up constantly before the mind, for in no other way can we obtain just views of the atonement.
Is of God - This does not necessarily mean that everyone who confessed this was personally a true Christian, for it is clear that a doctrine might be acknowledged to be true, and yet that the heart might not be changed; nor does it mean that the acknowledgment of this truth was all which it was essential to be believed in order that one might be recognised as a Christian; but it means that it was essential that this truth should be admitted by everyone who truly came from God. They who taught this held a truth which he had revealed, and which was essential to be held; and they thus showed that they did not belong to those to whom the name “antichrist” could be properly given. Still, whether they held this doctrine in such a sense, and in such connection with other doctrines, as to show that they were sincere Christians, was quite another question, for it is plain that a man may hold and teach the true doctrines of religion, and yet have no evidence that he is a child of God.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 1 John 4:2. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God — We know that the man who teaches that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah, and that he is come in the flesh, is of God-is inspired by the Divine Spirit; for no man can call Jesus Lord but by the Holy Ghost.
