SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:6
Nosotros somos de Dios, el que conoce a Dios, nos oye; el que no es de Dios, no nos oye. Por esto conocemos el espíritu de verdad y el espíritu de error.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 John 4:6
Verse 6. We 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 savour of the flesh, lay on no restraints, prescribe no cross-bearing, and leave every one in full possession of his heart's lusts and easily besetting sins. And by this, false doctrine and false teachers are easily discerned.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 6. We are of God , &c.] Not only as the chosen of God, the children of God, regenerated ones, and believers, but as ministers of the Gospel; they were chosen, and called, and sent of God to preach the Gospel, and were qualified for it, by gifts received from him, and had their doctrine from him, as well as their commission and mission: they were not of the world, and therefore did not speak of the world, nor things suited to worldly men; but being of God, they spoke the words of God, which were agreeable to him, which made for the glory of the three divine Persons, and were consistent with the divine perfections; which maintained the honour and dignity of the persons in the Godhead; which magnified the grace of God in salvation, and debased the creature: he that knoweth God ; not only as the God of nature and providence, but as in Christ, and that not only professionally, but practically; that has an experimental knowledge of him, that knows him as exercising lovingkindness, having tasted of his grace and goodness; that knows him so as to trust in him, and love him; for such a knowledge of God is meant, as has true real affection to him joined with it; so that it is he that loves his name, his glory, his truths, and his ordinances: he heareth us : not only externally, constantly attending on the ministry of the word, as such do; but internally, understanding what is heard, receiving it in love, cordially embracing it, and firmly believing it, and acting according to it: he that is not of God ; who is not born of God, but is as he was when born into the world, and is of it: and who does not righteousness, nor loves his brother, nor confesses the divinity, humanity, and offices of Christ, and so is not on the side of truth, nor has the truth of grace in him; (see 1 John 3:10 4:3); such a man heareth not us ; he is a mere natural man, a carnal and unregenerate man; and such an one cannot attend on a Gospel ministry, or receive Gospel doctrines, which are with him senseless, stupid, and foolish notions, yea, foolishness itself; nor can he know and understand them through ignorance, and want, of a spiritual discerning; they are hard sayings, and he cannot hear, nor bear them; and when this is the case, it is a plain token of unregeneracy, and that such persons are not of God; (see John 8:47). Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error ; the difference between truth and error; can distinguish one from another, and discern who are the true ministers of Christ, and who are the false teachers; for not only the word of God, the Scriptures of truth, are the test and standard, the touchstone to bring them to, and try them by; and the doctrines they severally bring show who they are; but even their very hearers distinguish them. Spirits, or men pretending to the Spirit of God, may be known in a great measure by their followers; they who have the spirit of error, and are of the world, they are followed, and caressed, and applauded by the men of the world, by unregenerate persons; they who have the spirit of truth, and are of God, they are heard and approved of, and embraced by spiritual men, by such who know God in Christ, and have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Ver. 7. Beloved, let its love one another , &c.] The apostle having finished what he proposed to say concerning the trying of spirits, returns to his former exhortation to brotherly love, and which comes with fresh force and strength; for since worldly men follow, hear, embrace, and cleave to the false teachers; such as are of God, and on the side of truth, should love one another, and their faithful ministers, and stand fast in one spirit by the truths of the Gospel, in opposition to every error: for love is of God : to love one another is the command of God, it is his revealed will, and is well pleasing in his sight; it comes from him, is a gift of his grace, and a fruit of his Spirit, and which he teaches regenerate ones to exercise: and everyone that loveth God, as the Alexandrian copy reads, or Christ, and the saints, who seem to be particularly meant: is born of God ; for love to the brethren is an evidence of regeneration; (see Gill on “ 1 John 3:14”); and knoweth God ; he knows God in Christ, and therefore loves those who have the grace of God in them, and the image of Christ upon them; he knows the mind and will of God, being taught of God to love the brethren; and he knows the love of God, and has had an experience of the grace of God, which influences him to love the saints.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - Christians who are well acquainted with the Scriptures, may, in humbl dependence on Divine teaching, discern those who set forth doctrine according to the apostles, and those who contradict them. The sum of revealed religion is in the doctrine concerning Christ, his person an office. The false teachers spake of the world according to its maxim and tastes, so as not to offend carnal men. The world approved them they made rapid progress, and had many followers such as themselves the world will love its own, and its own will love it. The tru doctrine as to the Saviour's person, as leading men from the world to God, is a mark of the spirit of truth in opposition to the spirit of error. The more pure and holy any doctrine is, the more likely to be of God; nor can we by any other rules try the spirits whether they are of God or not. And what wonder is it, that people of a worldly spiri should cleave to those who are like themselves, and suit their scheme and discourses to their corrupt taste?
Greek Textus Receptus
ημεις 2249 εκ 1537 του 3588 θεου 2316 εσμεν 2070 5748 ο 3588 γινωσκων 1097 5723 τον 3588 θεον 2316 ακουει 191 5719 ημων 2257 ος 3739 ουκ 3756 εστιν 2076 5748 εκ 1537 του 3588 θεου 2316 ουκ 3756 ακουει 191 5719 ημων 2257 εκ 1537 τουτου 5127 γινωσκομεν 1097 5719 το 3588 πνευμα 4151 της 3588 αληθειας 225 και 2532 το 3588 πνευμα 4151 της 3588 πλανης 4106
Vincent's NT Word Studies
6. He that knoweth (o ginwskwn). Lit., the one knowing: he who is habitually and ever more clearly perceiving and recognizing God as his Christian life unfolds. The knowledge is regarded as progressive and not complete. Compare Philip. iii. 12, and He who is calling (oJ kalwn, 1 Thessalonians v. 24) also oJ ajgapwn he that loves (ver. 7).
Hereby (ek toutou). Not the same as the common ejn toutw (ver. 2). It occurs only here in the Epistle. En toutw is in this: ejk toutou from this. The former marks the residing or consisting of the essence or truth of a thing in something the apprehension of which conveys to us the essential nature of the thing itself. The latter marks the inference or deduction of the truth from something, as contrasted with its immediate perception in that something. Rev., by this.
The spirit of error (to pneuma thv planhv). The phrase occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. Compare pneumasi planoiv misleading spirits, 1 Tim. iv. 1.
