Test the Spirits: Confessing Jesus Christ Come in the Flesh
John tells believers not to believe every spirit. Spiritual claims must be tested because “many false prophets are gone out into the world.” The immediate christological test is confession that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. This continues the opening emphasis on what was heard, seen, and handled and directly opposes a teaching that separates authentic knowledge of God from the real incarnation of the Son. The passage also stands in the older biblical tradition that commands God’s people to test prophetic claims rather than being impressed by signs or religious language alone. John names the opposing spirit “antichrist” and again says it is already in the world. Yet the readers are not left fearful: “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” Discernment is anchored in the apostolic confession and God’s presence in his people.