1 John 4:1

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

Testing the Spirits Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • 2 Pet 2:1 : 1 The False Teachers’ Ungodly Lifestyle But false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. These false teachers will infiltrate your midst with destructive heresies, even to the point of denying the Master who bought them. As a result, they will bring swift destruction on themselves.
  • 1 John 2:18 : 18 Warning About False Teachers Children, it is the last hour, and just as you heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. We know from this that it is the last hour.
  • 1 Thess 5:21 : 21 But examine all things; hold fast to what is good.
  • 1 Tim 4:1 : 1 Timothy’s Ministry in the Later Times Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will desert the faith and occupy themselves with deceiving spirits and demonic teachings,
  • Luke 12:57 : 57 Clear the Debts“And why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?
  • 2 John 1:7 : 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not confess Jesus as Christ coming in the flesh. This person is the deceiver and the antichrist!
  • Acts 17:11 : 11 These Jews were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they eagerly received the message, examining the scriptures carefully every day to see if these things were so.
  • 1 Cor 12:10 : 10 to another performance of miracles, to another prophecy, and to another discernment of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
  • 1 Cor 14:29 : 29 Two or three prophets should speak and the others should evaluate what is said.
  • 2 Tim 3:13 : 13 But evil people and charlatans will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived themselves.
  • Acts 20:29 : 29 I know that after I am gone fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.
  • Rom 16:18-19 : 18 For these are the kind who do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By their smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of the naive. 19 Your obedience is known to all and thus I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.
  • Luke 21:8 : 8 He said,“Watch out that you are not misled. For many will come in my name, saying,‘I am he,’ and,‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them!
  • Deut 13:1-5 : 1 Suppose a prophet or one who foretells by dreams should appear among you and show you a sign or wonder, 2 and the sign or wonder should come to pass concerning what he said to you, namely,“Let us follow other gods”– gods whom you have not previously known–“and let us serve them.” 3 You must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer, for the LORD your God will be testing you to see if you love him with all your mind and being. 4 You must follow the LORD your God and revere only him; and you must observe his commandments, obey him, serve him, and remain loyal to him. 5 As for that prophet or dreamer, he must be executed because he encouraged rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you from the land of Egypt, redeeming you from that place of slavery, and because he has tried to entice you from the way the LORD your God has commanded you to go. In this way you must purge out evil from within.
  • Prov 14:15 : 15 A naive person will believe anything, but the shrewd person discerns his steps.
  • Jer 5:31 : 31 The prophets prophesy lies. The priests exercise power by their own authority. And my people love to have it this way. But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes!
  • Jer 29:8-9 : 8 “For the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel says,‘Do not let the prophets among you or those who claim to be able to predict the future by divination deceive you. And do not pay any attention to the dreams that you are encouraging them to dream. 9 They are prophesying lies to you and claiming my authority to do so. But I did not send them. I, the LORD, affirm it!’
  • Matt 7:15-16 : 15 A Tree and Its Fruit“Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they?
  • Matt 24:4-5 : 4 Jesus answered them,“Watch out that no one misleads you. 5 For many will come in my name, saying,‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many.
  • Matt 24:23-26 : 23 Then if anyone says to you,‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or‘There he is!’ do not believe him. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 Remember, I have told you ahead of time. 26 So then, if someone says to you,‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe him.
  • Mark 13:21 : 21 Then if anyone says to you,‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe him.
  • Rev 2:2 : 2 ‘I know your works as well as your labor and steadfast endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have even put to the test those who refer to themselves as apostles(but are not), and have discovered that they are false.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • 1 John 4:2-7
    6 verses
    76%

    2By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses Jesus as the Christ who has come in the flesh is from God,

    3but every spirit that refuses to confess Jesus, that spirit is not from God, and this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now is already in the world.

    4You are from God, little children, and have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

    5They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world’s perspective and the world listens to them.

    6We are from God; the person who knows God listens to us, but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.

    7God is Love Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God.

  • 1 Tim 4:1
    75%

    1Timothy’s Ministry in the Later Times Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will desert the faith and occupy themselves with deceiving spirits and demonic teachings,

  • Matt 24:11
    73%

    11And many false prophets will appear and deceive many,

  • Matt 7:15-16
    2 verses
    73%

    15A Tree and Its Fruit“Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves.

    16You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they?

  • 2 John 1:7-8
    2 verses
    73%

    7For many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not confess Jesus as Christ coming in the flesh. This person is the deceiver and the antichrist!

    8Watch out, so that you do not lose the things we have worked for, but receive a full reward.

  • Mark 13:21-22
    2 verses
    71%

    21Then if anyone says to you,‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe him.

    22For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the elect.

  • Matt 24:23-24
    2 verses
    70%

    23Then if anyone says to you,‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or‘There he is!’ do not believe him.

    24For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

  • 2 Pet 2:1-2
    2 verses
    70%

    1The False Teachers’ Ungodly Lifestyle But false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. These false teachers will infiltrate your midst with destructive heresies, even to the point of denying the Master who bought them. As a result, they will bring swift destruction on themselves.

    2And many will follow their debauched lifestyles. Because of these false teachers, the way of truth will be slandered.

  • 1 Thess 5:20-21
    2 verses
    70%

    20Do not treat prophecies with contempt.

    21But examine all things; hold fast to what is good.

  • 1 Cor 14:32
    69%

    32Indeed, the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets,

  • Deut 13:3
    69%

    3You must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer, for the LORD your God will be testing you to see if you love him with all your mind and being.

  • Jude 1:19
    69%

    19These people are divisive, worldly, devoid of the Spirit.

  • 1 John 4:13
    68%

    13By this we know that we reside in God and he in us: in that he has given us of his Spirit.

  • 1 Pet 4:12
    68%

    12Dear friends, do not be astonished that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as though something strange were happening to you.

  • Jude 1:17
    68%

    17Exhortation to the Faithful But you, dear friends– recall the predictions foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.

  • Ezek 13:2-3
    2 verses
    68%

    2“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to the prophets who prophesy from their imagination:‘Listen to the LORD’s message!

    3This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit but have seen nothing!

  • Jas 1:16
    68%

    16Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters.

  • 1 John 2:19
    68%

    19They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us, because if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But they went out from us to demonstrate that all of them do not belong to us.

  • 2 Cor 11:4
    68%

    4For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus different from the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough!

  • 1 John 2:15
    68%

    15Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him,

  • Jer 23:16
    68%

    16The LORD of Heaven’s Armies says to the people of Jerusalem:“Do not listen to what those prophets are saying to you. They are filling you with false hopes. They are reporting visions of their own imaginations, not something the LORD has given them to say.

  • Mic 2:11
    68%

    11If a lying windbag should come and say,‘I’ll promise you blessings of wine and beer,’ he would be just the right preacher for these people!

  • 1 Cor 14:24
    67%

    24But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or uninformed person enters, he will be convicted by all, he will be called to account by all.

  • 1 Cor 14:1
    67%

    1Prophecy and Tongues Pursue love and be eager for the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

  • 3 John 1:11
    67%

    11Dear friend, do not imitate what is bad but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does what is bad has not seen God.

  • Matt 24:4
    67%

    4Jesus answered them,“Watch out that no one misleads you.

  • 1 Cor 12:4
    66%

    4Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit.

  • 2 Cor 11:13
    66%

    13For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

  • 1 John 5:6
    66%

    6Jesus Christ is the one who came by water and blood– not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

  • 1 Cor 2:12
    66%

    12Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God.

  • Acts 13:40
    66%

    40Watch out, then, that what is spoken about by the prophets does not happen to you:

  • 2 Cor 13:5
    66%

    5Put yourselves to the test to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you– unless, indeed, you fail the test!

  • Rev 16:14
    66%

    14For they are the spirits of the demons performing signs who go out to the kings of the earth to bring them together for the battle that will take place on the great day of God, the All-Powerful.

  • John 4:24
    66%

    24God is spirit, and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

  • 2 Pet 1:20
    66%

    20Above all, you do well if you recognize this: No prophecy of scripture ever comes about by the prophet’s own imagination,

  • 1 John 2:21
    66%

    21I have not written to you that you do not know the truth, but that you do know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

  • Eph 4:14
    66%

    14So we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes.

  • 1 Tim 4:7
    66%

    7But reject those myths fit only for the godless and gullible, and train yourself for godliness.