4:1 可爱的诸位，不要凡神就信，但要考验那些神是否出于天主，因为有许多假先知来到了世界上。
Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 4:2 你们凭此可认出天主的神：凡明认耶稣为默西亚，且在肉身内降世的神，便是出于天主；
This is how you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh be longs to God, 4:3 凡否认耶稣的神，就不是出于天主，而是属于假基督的；你们已听说过他要来，现今他已在世界上了。
and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus does not belong to God. This is the spirit of the antichrist that, as you heard, is to come, but in fact is already in the world. 4:4 孩子们，你们出于天主，且已得胜了他们，因为那在你们内的，比那在世界上的更大。
You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them, for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 4:5 他们属于世界，因此讲论属于世界的事，而世界就听从他们。
They belong to the world; accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world, and the world listens to them. 4:6 我们却是出于天主的；那认识天主的，必听从我们；那不出于天主的，便不听从我们：由此我们可以认出真理的神和欺诈的神来。
We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us, while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit. 4:7 可爱的诸位，我们应该彼此相爱，因为爱是出于天主；凡有爱的，都是生于天主，也认识天主；
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. 4:8 那不爱的，也不认识天主，因为天主是爱。
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. 4:9 天主对我们的爱在这事上已显出来：就是天主把自己的独生子，打发到世界上来，好使我们借着他得到生命。
In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. 4:10 爱就在于此：不是我们爱了天主，而是他爱了我们，且打发自己的儿子，为我们做赎罪祭。
In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. 4:11 可爱的诸位，既然天主这样爱了我们，我们也应该彼此相爱。
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. 4:12 从来没有人瞻仰过天主；如果我们彼此相爱，天主就存留在我们内，他的爱在我们内才是圆满的。
No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us. 4:13 我们所以知道我们存留在他内，他存留在我们内，就是由于他赐给了我们的圣神。
This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit. 4:14 至于我们，我们却曾瞻仰过，并且作证：父打发了子来作世界的救主。
Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world. 4:15 谁若明认耶稣是天主子，天主就存在他内，他也存在天主内。
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God. 4:16 我们认识了，且相信了天主对我们所怀的爱。天主是爱，那存留在爱内的，就存留在天主内，天主也存留在他内。
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. 4:17 我们内的爱得以圆满，即在于此：就是我们可在审判的日子放心大胆，因为那一位怎样，我们在这世界上也怎样。
In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world. 4:18 在爱内没有恐惧，反之，圆满的爱把恐惧驱逐于外，因为恐惧内含着惩罚；那恐惧的，在爱内还没有圆满。
There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. 4:19 我们应该爱，因为天主先爱了我们。
We love because he first loved us. 4:20 假使有人说：我爱天主，但他却恼恨自己的弟兄，便是撒谎的；因为那不爱自己所看见的弟兄的，就不能爱自己所看不见的天主。
If anyone says, "I love God," but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 4:21 我们从他蒙受了这命令：那爱天主的，也该爱自己的弟兄。
This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.