1Beloved ones, do not believe every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of Elohim, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2By this you know the Spirit of Elohim: Every spirit that confesses that יהושע Messiah has come in the flesh is of Elohim,

3and every spirit that does not confess that יהושע Messiah has come in the flesh is not of Elohim. And this is the spirit of the anti-messiah which you heard is coming, and now is already in the world.

4You are of Elohim, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.a

5They are of the world, therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.

6We are of Elohim – the one knowing Elohim hears us. He who is not of Elohim does not hear us. By this we know the Spirit of the Truth and the spirit of the delusion.

7Beloved ones, let us love one another, because love is of Elohim, and everyone who loves has been born of Elohim, and knows Elohim.

8The one who does not love does not know Elohim, for Elohim is love.

9By this the love of Elohim was manifested in us, that Elohim has sent His only brought-forth Son into the world, in order that we might live through Him.

10In this is love, not that we loved Elohim, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be an atoning offering for our sins.

11Beloved ones, if Elohim so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

12No one has seen Elohim at any time. If we love one another, Elohim does stay in us, and His love has been perfected in us.

13By this we know that we stay in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

14And we have seen and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son, Saviour of the world.

15Whoever confesses that יהושע is the Son of Elohim, Elohim stays in him, and he in Elohim.

16And we have known and believed the love that Elohim has for us. Elohim is love, and he who stays in love stays in Elohim, and Elohim in him.

17By this love has been perfected with us, in order that we might have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is so are we in this world.

18There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear holds punishment, and he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

19We love Him because He first loved us.

20If someone says, “I love Elohim,” and hates his brother, he is a liar. For the one not loving his brother whom he has seen, how is he able to love Elohim whom he has not seen?

21And we have this command from Him, that the one loving Elohim should love his brother too.