The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 4:1
Beloved (as in 1 John 2:28 and 1 John 3:18 , the apostle again breaks out with a personal appeal into an earnest exhortation suggested by the statement just made), prove the spirit s δοκιμάζετε τὰ πνεύματα . "The spirits" are principles and tendencies in religion: these need to be tested, for earnestness and fervour are no guarantee of truth. And to test these principles is the duty of the individual Christian as well as of the Church in its official capacity. Just as every... read more
John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:6
Verse 6 6We are of God Though this really applies to all the godly, yet it refers properly to the faithful ministers of the Gospel; for the Apostle, through the confidence imparted by the Spirit, glories here that he and his fellow-ministers served God in sincerity, and derived from him whatever they taught. It happens that false prophets boast of the same thing, for it is their custom to deceive under the mask of God; but faithful ministers differ much from them, who declare nothing of... read more