1 John 4:1

THE TRYING OF THE ANTICHRISTIC SPIRITS, 1 John 4:1-21.

1. The three condemnatory tests non-confession of a human Jesus, worldliness; the not hearing us, the apostolic witnesses, 1 John 4:1-6.

1. Believe not every spirit In this, the apostolic day of supernatural manifestations there are false inspirations, as well as true. There are demoniac instigations as well as true revelations. The term Spirit of God, in the second verse, shows that by spirits are antithetically meant, not merely human intellects or personalities, nor a temper or disposition of human minds. The errors of the errorists are referred back to supernatural sources; though the word spirits spontaneously, in 1 John 4:2-3, becomes a designation of the man himself inspired by the spirit. So the demoniac of Gadara becomes identified with the demon possessing him. See notes on Mark 5:1-20; 2 Thessalonians 2:9.

False prophets Each possessed by, and identified with, his own spirit, and teaching his own particular error.

Gone out From their chief commissioner, Satan. The intensity of John’s feelings in regard to these antichristic emissaries appears from his reference to the same deceivers in his second epistle, 1 John 4:7. There they have entered into the world, and each one is antichrist, and earnest warnings are given for a profound avoidance of them.