1 John 4:1–3 King James Version
4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
In this chapter the apostle exhorts to try spirits: verse 1. It gives a note to try by: verses 2 and 3.
In verses 1–3 the apostle, having said that God’s dwelling in and with us may be known by the Spirit that he hath given us, intimates that that Spirit may be discerned and distinguished from other spirits that appear in the world. He calls the disciples, to whom he writes, to caution and scrutiny about the spirits and spiritual professors that had risen.
A caution: “Beloved, believe not every spirit. consider not, trust not, follow not every pretender of the Spirit of God. Indeed include every professor of vision, or inspiration, or revelation from God.’’
Truth is the foundation of simulation and counterfeits. There had been real communications from the divine…