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John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO 1 John 4 In this chapter the apostle cautions against seducing spirits; advises to try them, and gives rules by which they may be known, and by which they are distinguished from others; and then returns to his favourite subject, brotherly love. He exhorts the saints not to believe every man that came with a doctrine to them, but to try them, since there were many false teachers in...
John Gill
Beloved, believe not every spirit,.... The apostle having mentioned the word "spirit" in the latter part of the preceding chapter, takes an occasion from thence to return to what he had been suggesting in the "second" chapter, concerning the many antichrists that then were, and whom he points out, and here cautions against. By "every spirit" he means, either every doctrine that is pretended to...
Matthew Henry
In this chapter the apostle exhorts to try spirits (ver. 1), gives a note to try by (ver. 2, 3), shows who are of the world and who of God (ver. 4-6), urges Christian love by divers considerations (ver. 7-16), describes our love to God, and the effect of it, ver. 17-21. Concerning Antichrist. (a. d. 80.) 1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because...
Charles H. Spurgeon
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. If John had need to say that in the early morning of Christianity, I am sure we ought to say it with greater emphasis today. It is certainly true in these days that “many false prophets are gone out into the world,” therefore we also must “try the spirits...
Charles H. Spurgeon
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirit whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. This is an unction of which there is great need in the present day, when so many accept anything that they hear from a “priest” or from a pastor without searching the Scriptures to see whether what they hear is in accordance with the inspired Word. 1Jn_4:2....
Charles H. Spurgeon
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. It was so in John’s day: it is so in these days. If there were only one false prophet, we should have need to be on our guard, but “many false prophets are gone out into the world.” If false prophets were all shut up in a cage, and we had to go to seek them,...
Charles H. Spurgeon
Beloved, believe not every spirit, — A simpleton believes every word that he hears, but “the wise man’s eyes are in his head,” so he examines what he sees and hears, and does not blindly accept whatever may be told to him. So John says, “Believe not every spirit,” — 1Jn_4:1-3. But try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the...
Charles H. Spurgeon
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. There is love in our creation; there is love in providence; but most of all there is love in the gift of Christ for our redemption. The apostle here seems to say, “Now that I have found the great secret of God’s love to us; here is the clearest evidence of...