1. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. They are of the world: therefore speak they as of the world, and the world heareth them.
6. 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.
7. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God.
8. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9. Herein was the love of God manifested in us, that God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.