1 John 4
1 Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
亲爱的朋友，不要相信所有灵，而是要对灵进行考验，看看这些灵是否出于上帝，因为已有许多假先知来到这世界。
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
你们如何识别上帝的灵？凡是承认耶稣基督以人类的身形来到这世界，那灵就是来自上帝。
3 and every spirit who doesn’t confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God; and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. Now it is in the world already.
那些不接受耶稣的灵，就不是来自上帝。事实上，这样的灵是反基督的灵，你们听过他要来，现在他已经来到这世界。
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.
但你们属于上帝，并且已经胜过他们，因为在你们之中的那一位，远比已在这世上的那一位更伟大。
5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears them.
他们属于这个世界，所以都用着这个世界的说话方式，这个世界也就听他们的。
6 We are of God. He who knows God listens to us. He who is not of God doesn’t listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
我们属于上帝，认识上帝的就会听我们的，不属于上帝的就不会听我们的。通过这种方式，我们就可以辨别真理的灵和谬误的灵。
7 Beloved, let’s love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
亲爱的朋友们，让我们继续彼此相爱，因为爱来自上帝。爱其他人，你就是上帝所生，就认识上帝。
8 He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love.
不爱其他人，就不认识上帝，因为上帝就是爱。
9 By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his only born Son into the world that we might live through him.
上帝如何向我们显明爱？上帝派他唯一的独子来到这个世界，要让我们可以借着他而活；
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
这就是爱！不是我们爱上帝，而是上帝爱我们，派他的儿子与我们的罪达成和解，
11 Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.
朋友们，如果上帝就是通过这种方式爱我们，我们也应当以这种方式彼此相爱。
12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us.
没有人曾见过上帝。但如果我们彼此相爱，上帝就住在我们之中，他的爱就会在我们中得以实现。
13 By this we know that we remain in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
我们如何知道我们住在他之中，他也住在我们之中？因为他给了我们通过他的灵去爱的能力。
14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world.
因为我们就是我们所见之事的见证人，见证父派子作为这世界的救世主。
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God.
凡是宣称耶稣是上帝之子的人，上帝就住在他们之中，他们也住在上帝之中。
16 We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.
我们已经经历并相信上帝对我们的爱。上帝就是爱，活在爱之中的人，活在上帝之中的人，上帝也活在他们之中。
17 In this, love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so we are in this world.
这就是爱让我们完整的方式，这样我们就可以在审判日充满信心：因为我们在这个世界上的生活，就像他一样。
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.
有爱的地方就没有恐惧。上帝给了我们全部的爱，这种爱驱散了我们所有恐惧。如果我们害怕，那是因为我们害怕受到惩罚，这表明我们还没有完全被上帝全部的爱所改造。
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
我们爱，是因为上帝先爱我们。
20 If a man says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
如果有人说“我爱上帝”，却恨其他基督徒兄弟姐妹，那这个人就是在说谎。如果不爱他们所看到的兄弟，就无法爱那看不见的上帝。
21 This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother.
爱上帝的人，也应当爱他的兄弟姐妹，这就是上帝给我们的命令。
