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1 John 4:1-3 – Test the Spirits
Here is an example of where we let familiar words in the verse itself define the more unfamiliar words. Testing the spirits is testing the prophets. Also through this method we learn what a prophet is – one who speaks directly by the Spirit (or claimed spirits) through the prophet. Since John was dealing with Gnostics who claimed supernatural knowledge, that is probably the explanation for John’s terminology in using “spirit.”
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