1 John 4 2

1 John 4:2 kjv

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

1 John 4:2 nkjv

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

1 John 4:2 niv

This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

1 John 4:2 esv

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

1 John 4:2 nlt

This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God.

1 John 4 verses

1 John 4 2 Meaning

This verse provides the critical test for discerning a true spiritual messenger or teaching from a false one. It declares that any spirit (which empowers a person or teaching) that openly affirms the belief that Jesus Christ truly came as a human being, with a physical body and lived experience, originates from God. This statement directly establishes the incarnation—God becoming flesh in Jesus Christ—as the non-negotiable truth by which all spiritual claims must be measured.

1 John 4 2 Context

1 John 4:2 is positioned immediately after the imperative to "test the spirits" (1 Jn 4:1), forming a direct criterion for spiritual discernment. The Apostle John, writing towards the end of the first century, faced a specific theological threat: the emergence of false teachings that denied the full humanity of Jesus Christ. These early Gnostic or Docetic beliefs posited that matter was inherently evil, and therefore, God (being perfectly good) could not have truly entered into a human body. They might have claimed Christ only seemed to have a body or that the divine Christ spirit descended upon the human Jesus at His baptism and departed before His crucifixion, thus avoiding true physical suffering and death. John vehemently opposes such doctrines, as they undermine the reality of the incarnation, the atonement, and the very foundation of Christian faith. This verse, therefore, serves as a crucial theological litmus test against those who would diminish the profound reality of God becoming flesh.

1 John 4 2 Word analysis

• By this: This phrase signals a clear identifier or method of distinguishing. It introduces the precise standard that follows.
• you know: Refers to the ability to discern with certainty, a knowledge gained through revelation and discernment, not mere intellectual assent.
• the Spirit of God: This is the authentic spiritual influence, the divine source of truth and true prophecy. It stands in contrast to "every spirit" (referring to various other spiritual influences, potentially demonic or human but not divinely inspired).
• every spirit: This refers not to disembodied entities primarily, but to the animating spiritual principle behind a human teacher, prophet, or teaching. It indicates the source of a person's proclaimed message or spiritual authority.
• that confesses: (Greek: homologei - ὁμολογεῖ) - More than just intellectually acknowledging, it means to "agree with," "declare openly," "acknowledge publicly," "affirm loyally," or "profess." It implies alignment of mind and will with the truth being stated, often publicly. It denotes a settled, declared belief.
• that Jesus Christ: The full title emphasizes both His human name (Jesus) and His divine office/identity as Messiah (Christ). John uses this specific, combined title to highlight the inseparable unity of His person—He is truly the human Messiah.
• has come: (Greek: eleluthota - ἐληλυθότα) - This is a perfect active participle. The perfect tense emphasizes a completed action in the past with ongoing, present results. It stresses the fact of His advent (the Incarnation) as a definite, historical, unrepeatable event that profoundly changed reality, and the enduring reality of Him being in the flesh. It's not a temporary visitation, but a permanent union of natures.
• in the flesh: (Greek: sarki - σαρκί) - This is the crucial qualification. It specifies physical, tangible humanity. It directly counters Docetic ideas that Jesus only appeared to be human or that His body was merely a phantom. It insists on His real physical embodiment, with all that entails (eating, sleeping, feeling pain, dying). This phrase is essential to understanding the efficacy of Christ's atonement.
• is from God: This phrase states the divine origin and approval of the confession and, by extension, the spirit or teacher making such a confession. It indicates alignment with God's truth.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "By this you know the Spirit of God": This phrase immediately presents the core purpose of the verse: providing a precise, divinely ordained method for spiritual discernment, particularly important in an era rife with false claims.
• "every spirit that confesses...is from God": This establishes the criterion for genuine spiritual origin. It links true divine inspiration to a specific theological affirmation, contrasting it with any "spirit" that would deny or twist this truth.
• "Jesus Christ has come in the flesh": This central doctrinal statement defines the content of the true confession. It's not just "Jesus" (His human name) or "Christ" (His title), but "Jesus Christ," the divine Son uniquely united with real human flesh. The perfect tense "has come" signifies the absolute historical reality and continuing truth of the incarnation. The phrase "in the flesh" explicitly affirms His genuine humanity, a fundamental truth underpinning Christian salvation, countering any teachings that separate or diminish the true humanity of the Son of God.

1 John 4 2 Bonus section

The insistence on "in the flesh" is profoundly significant because it validates the physicality and tangibility of salvation. A non-physical or seemingly physical Christ could not have truly bled, died, or resurrected, rendering His atoning work null. The Nicene Creed's affirmation that Christ was "incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man" directly echoes this foundational truth, having been formulated partly to address later, more sophisticated denials of Christ's true humanity and divine nature. Furthermore, the true Spirit of God always glorifies the incarnate Son (Jn 15:26, 16:14), rather than diminishing Him. The confession in 1 John 4:2 implies more than verbal assent; it signifies loyal devotion to the person of Christ as both God and man, demonstrating the internal transformation wrought by the Spirit.

1 John 4 2 Commentary

1 John 4:2 offers a precise theological acid test in the face of spiritual deception. It directs believers to identify the authentic "Spirit of God" not by miraculous signs or eloquent speeches, but by the Christology a "spirit" or teacher affirms. The core truth, the confession, is "that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh." This wasn't merely a philosophical point for John's audience; it was the hinge upon which the Gospel rested. If Christ did not truly take on human flesh, He could not genuinely represent humanity, suffer substitutionary atonement for our sins, or rise physically from the dead. False teachers who denied this truth were undermining the very foundation of salvation. The perfect tense, "has come," emphasizes that the Incarnation is a settled historical fact with continuing efficacy, an undeniable reality of God fully entering human experience. This verse thus stands as a timeless safeguard, compelling believers to test all claims of truth against the foundational reality of Christ's full humanity and deity.

• Practical usage: This verse urges critical evaluation of spiritual claims: Do teachings affirm Christ's full deity and humanity? Do spiritual experiences point to the historical, incarnate Christ, or abstract Him away? Does the "spirit" (the underlying ideology of a movement or teacher) lead to a deeper understanding and worship of the God-man, Jesus Christ?