1 John 4:1

Revised Standard Version (RSV-CI)

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Cross References

1 Kings 13:18

And he said to him, “I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water.’ ” But he lied to him.

Proverbs 14:15

The simple believes everything, but the prudent looks where he is going.

Jeremiah 14:14

And the Lord said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name; I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.

Jeremiah 23:16

Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes; they speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.

Jeremiah 5:31

the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?

Mark 13:21

And then if any one says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it.

Luke 12:57

“And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?

Luke 21:8

And he said, “Take heed that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them.

Acts 17:11

Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Acts 20:29

I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;

1 Corinthians 12:10

to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

1 Corinthians 14:29

Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.

1 Thessalonians 5:20

do not despise prophesying,

1 Thessalonians 5:21

but test everything; hold fast what is good,

2 Thessalonians 2:2

not to be quickly shaken in mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

1 Timothy 4:1

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,

2 Timothy 3:13

while evil men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived.

2 Peter 2:1

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

1 John 2:18

Children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come; therefore we know that it is the last hour.

1 John 2:7

Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.

2 John 1:7

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.

3 John 1:11

Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. He who does good is of God; he who does evil has not seen God.

Revelation 2:2

“ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear evil men but have tested those who call themselves apostles but are not, and found them to be false;