1 John 4:6

1 John 4:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
• New International Version (NIV)We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
• English Standard Version (ESV)We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
• New King James Version (NKJV)We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Context of 1 John 4:6

4Little children (believers, dear ones), you are of God and you belong to Him and have [already] overcome them [the agents of the antichrist]; because He who is in you is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world [of sinful mankind]. 5They [who teach twisted doctrine] are of the world and belong to it; therefore they speak from the [viewpoint of the] world [with its immoral freedom and baseless theories—demanding compliance with their opinions and ridiculing the values of the upright], and the [gullible one of the] world listens closely and pays attention to them. We [who teach God’s word] are from God [energized by the Holy Spirit], and whoever knows God [through personal experience] listens to us [and has a deeper understanding of Him]. Whoever is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know [without any doubt] the spirit of truth [motivated by God] and the spirit of error [motivated by Satan]. 7Beloved, let us [unselfishly] love and seek the best for one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves [others] is born of God and knows God [through personal experience]. 8The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.]

1 John 4:6 word by word

ἡμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐσμεν· ὁ γινώσκων τὸν θεὸν ἀκούει ἡμῶν· ὃς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἀκούει ἡμῶν. ἐκ τούτου γινώσκομεν τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς πλάνης.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• he that knowethγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• hearethἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• he thatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• notοὐou · noG3756
• ·οὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• the spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• of truthἀλήθειαalētheia · truthG225
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• of errorπλάνηplanē · errorG4106

Cross-references for 1 John 4:6

• 1 John 4:4Little children (believers, dear ones), you are of God and you belong to Him and have [already] overcome them [the agents of the antichrist]; because He who is in you is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world [of sinful mankind].
• Micah 3:8But in fact, I am filled with power, With the Spirit of the Lord, And with justice and might, To declare to Jacob his transgression And to Israel his sin.
• Romans 1:1Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative), set apart for [preaching] the gospel of God [the good news of salvation],
• 1 Corinthians 2:12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the [Holy] Spirit who is from God, so that we may know and understand the [wonderful] things freely given to us by God.
• 2 Peter 3:2that you should remember the words spoken in the past [about the future] by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior given by your apostles [His personally chosen representatives].
• Jude 1:17But as for you, beloved, remember the [prophetic] words spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• 1 John 4:8The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.]
• Luke 10:22All things have been transferred and turned over to Me by My Father and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him.”
• John 8:19Then the Pharisees said to Him, “Where is this Father of Yours?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.”
• John 10:27The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me.
• John 13:20I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the one who receives and welcomes whomever I send receives Me; and the one who receives Me receives Him who sent Me [in that same way].”
• John 18:37So Pilate said to Him, “Then You are a King?” Jesus answered, “You say [correctly] that I am a King. This is why I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth [who is a friend of the truth and belongs to the truth] hears and listens carefully to My voice.”
• John 20:21Then Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you [as My representatives].”
• 1 Corinthians 14:37If anyone thinks and claims that he is a prophet [a true spokesman for God] or spiritually astute [filled with and energized by the Holy Spirit], let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment.
• 2 Corinthians 10:7You are looking [only] at the outward appearance of things. If anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, he should reflect and consider this, that just as he is Christ’s, so too are we.
• 2 Thessalonians 1:8dealing out [full and complete] vengeance to those who do not [seek to] know God and to those who ignore and refuse to obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus [by choosing not to respond to Him].

Commentaries on 1 John 4:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6We are of God - We, apostles, have the Spirit of God, and speak and teach by that Spirit. He that knoweth God - who has a truly spiritual discernment, heareth us - acknowledges that our doctrine is from God; that it is spiritual, and leads from earth to heaven. Hereby know we the Spirit of truth - The doctrine and teacher most prized and followed by worldly men, and by the gay, giddy, and garish multitude, are not from God; they savor of the flesh, lay on…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6We are of God - John here, doubtless, refers to himself, and to those who taught the same doctrines which he did. He takes it for granted that those to whom he wrote would admit this, and argues from it as an indisputable truth. He had given them such evidence of this, as to establish his character and claims beyond a doubt; and he often refers to the fact that he was what he claimed to be, as a point which was so well established that no one would call…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6We are from God: John tests whether a person truly belongs to Christ by seeing if that person listens to the teachings of the apostles and agrees with them. The Spirit of truth is the Holy Spirit (John 14:17, 26; 15:26; 16:13–15). The Holy Spirit teaches the truth about Christ (1 John 2:20, 27). False prophets have a spirit of deception. This is the spirit of antichrist, which leads people away from Christ (see study note on 2:22). For this reason…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. We--true teachers of Christ: in contrast to them. are of God--and therefore speak of God: in contrast to "speak they of the world," 1Jo 4:5. knoweth God--as his Father, being a child "of God" (1Jo 2:13, 14). heareth us--Compare Joh 18:37, "Every one that is of the truth, heareth My voice." Hereby--(1Jo 4:2-6); by their confessing, or not confessing, Jesus; by the kind of reception given them respectively by those who know God, and by those who are of…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 4:6

• Righteousness
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Benevolence
• Fear
• Love
• Perfect
• Err; Error
• Hereby
• John, the Epistles of

Commentaries on 1 John 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings