Reading for August 3rd

Read 1 John 4.1-6. In 4.1-6: The Christological test of abiding in the Spirit. Inspired prophetic speech is not enough. Believers must test the spirits to distinguish the spirit of truth from the spirit of error (4.6), the spirit of the antichrist (4.3), the spirit at work in false prophets (4.1), and the spirit of this world. The denial that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh manifests the antichrist (see 2.18). Those who know the Spirit of God listen to us (see Jn 8.42-47; 10.3-5, 14, 26-27), and whoever listens to us recogizes the spirit of truth (see Jn 14.17; 15.26; 16.13; compare 1 Jn 5.6). The "spirit of falsehood," the Jewish idom for Greek spirit of error, appears alonside the "spirit of truth" in the ancient Jewish texts from Qumran (Dead Sea scrolls). Comments or Questions..