1 John 4:1 1Beloved, do not believe every spirit but test the spirits whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
This chapter begins like 2:7, 3:2, and 3:21, with one of John’s favorite terms of endearment and relationship: Beloved. John typically uses this address when giving an important exhortation to the readers. This verse contains a serious warning lest the reader fall prey to false teaching. The topic of love can be easily misunderstood, and so John sets out in this letter to help the readers know what Jesus taught about love. People can be easily deceived by the latest ideas and fads. Teachers, politicians, entertainers, media personnel, and even preachers look for the latest and greatest idea to impress people, gather a following, or gain prestige and position.
John challenges his beloved readers to test the spirits, which requires a standard by which to test. To what the term spirits(pneumata) refers is unclear. A spiritual realm entices and deceives the physical world. John connects the deceiving spirits with false prophets. Such prophets claim to have authoritative revelation, but they actually speak falsehood. False prophets have been around since the earliest days of humanity. At the core of sin is seeking to be like God, which can show up in claiming teachings that are not the truth of God. God’s truth is not always each to receive and accept, especially the truth that God judges sin. God’s truth, the real truth, penetrates to the heart. False messages “tickle the ear” by satisfying the flesh. People also use imagination and twist simple truths into complex systems. The best response to a deceitful prophet is to know and recognize the truth. First, we must know the True One through faith and obedience, trusting and listening. Second, we must know the testimony of truth found in the Bible. Knowledge of these will keep us on the right path.