John Calvin Commentary 1 John 4:1

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world." — 1 John 4:1 (ASV)

He returns to his former doctrine, which he had touched upon in the second chapter, for many (as is usual with new things) abused the name of Christ to serve their own errors. Some made a superficial profession of Christ, and when they obtained a place among his friends, they had more opportunity to injure his cause. Satan took occasion to disturb the Church, especially through Christ himself, for he is the stone of offense, against whom all necessarily stumble who do not keep to the right way, as shown to us by God.

But what the Apostle says consists of three parts:

1. He shows an evil dangerous to the faithful and, therefore, exhorts them to beware.

2. He prescribes how they were to beware: by making a distinction between the spirits.

3. He points out a particular error, the most dangerous to them, and therefore forbids them to hear those who denied that the Son of God appeared in the flesh.

We shall now consider each in order.

But though this reason is added in the passage—that many false prophets had gone out into the world—yet it is convenient to begin with it. The announcement contains a useful admonition, for if Satan had then already seduced many who under the name of Christ scattered their impostures, similar instances today ought not to terrify us.

For it is perpetually the case with the Gospel that Satan attempts to pollute and corrupt its purity by a variety of errors. Our own age has produced some horrible and monstrous sects, and for this reason many stand amazed. Not knowing where to turn, they cast aside all care for religion, for they find no more direct way of extricating themselves from the danger of errors.

In this, indeed, they act most foolishly, for by shunning the light of truth, they cast themselves into the darkness of errors. Let, therefore, this fact remain fixed in our minds: that from the time the Gospel began to be preached, false prophets immediately appeared. This fact will fortify us against such offenses.

The antiquity of errors keeps many, as it were, firmly bound, so that they dare not emerge from them. But John points out here all the internal evil that was then in the Church. Now, if impostors were then mixed with the Apostles and other faithful teachers, is it any wonder that the doctrine of the Gospel has long ago been suppressed, and that many corruptions have prevailed in the world? There is, then, no reason why antiquity should hinder us from exercising our liberty in distinguishing between truth and falsehood.

Believe not every spirit. When the Church is disturbed by discords and contentions, many, as has been said, being frightened, depart from the Gospel. But the Spirit prescribes to us a far different remedy: that the faithful should not receive any doctrine thoughtlessly and without discrimination. We ought, then, to take care that, being offended by the variety of opinions, we do not discard teachers and, along with them, the word of God. But this precaution is sufficient: that all are not to be heard indiscriminately.

The word spirit I take metonymically, as signifying one who boasts that he is endowed with the gift of the Spirit to perform his office as a prophet. For since it was not permitted for anyone to speak in his own name, nor was credit given to speakers except insofar as they were the organs of the Holy Spirit, God honored them with this name so that prophets might have more authority, as though he had separated them from mankind in general.

Those, then, were called spirits who, by giving only a language to the oracles of the Holy Spirit, in a manner represented him. They brought nothing of their own, nor did they come forth in their own name. The design of this honorable title was that God’s word should not lose the respect due to it through the humble condition of the minister, for God would have his word always be received from the mouth of man just as if he himself had appeared from heaven.

Here Satan interposed. Having sent false teachers to adulterate God’s word, he also gave them this name so that they might more easily deceive. Thus, false prophets have always been accustomed to superciliously and boldly claim for themselves whatever honor God had bestowed on his own servants. But the Apostle deliberately made use of this name, so that those who falsely claim God’s name would not deceive us by their masks, as we see today; for many are so dazzled by the mere name of a Church that they prefer, to their eternal ruin, to cling to the Pope rather than to deny him the least part of his authority.

We ought, therefore, to notice this concession, for the Apostle might have said that not every kind of person ought to be believed. But as false teachers claimed the Spirit, he allowed them to do so, while at the same time reminding them that their claim was frivolous and worthless unless they really demonstrated what they professed, and that those were foolish who, being astonished at the very sound of such an honorable name, dared not make any inquiry on the subject.

Try the spirits. Since all were not true prophets, the Apostle here declares that they ought to have been examined and tried. And he addresses not only the whole Church but also each of the faithful.

But it may be asked, where do we get this discernment? Those who answer that the word of God is the rule by which everything that men bring forward ought to be tried say something, but not the whole.

I grant that doctrines ought to be tested by God’s word. However, unless the Spirit of wisdom is present, having God’s word in our hands will be of little or no use, for its meaning will not appear to us. For instance, gold is tried by fire or touchstone, but this can only be done by those who understand the art, for neither the touchstone nor the fire can be of any use to the unskilled.

So that we may then be fit judges, we must necessarily be endowed with and directed by the Spirit of discernment. But since the Apostle would have commanded this in vain if no power of judging were supplied, we may with certainty conclude that the godly shall never be left destitute of the Spirit of wisdom regarding what is necessary, provided they ask for him from the Lord.

But the Spirit will only guide us to a right discrimination in this way: when we submit all our thoughts to God’s word. For it is, as has been said, like the touchstone; indeed, it ought to be considered most necessary for us, for only that doctrine which is drawn from it is true.

But here a difficult question arises: If everyone has the right and liberty to judge, can anything be established as certain, or will the whole of religion, on the contrary, be uncertain?

To this I answer that there is a twofold trial of doctrine: private and public. The private trial is that by which everyone settles his own faith, when he fully accepts that doctrine which he knows has come from God, for consciences will never find a safe and tranquil haven except in God.

Public trial refers to the common consent and order of the Church. For as there is danger that fanatics might rise up who may presumptuously boast that they are endowed with the Spirit of God, it is a necessary remedy that the faithful meet together and seek a way by which they may agree in a holy and godly manner. But as the old proverb is too true, “So many heads, so many opinions,” it is undoubtedly a unique work of God when he subdues our perversity and makes us think the same thing and agree in a holy unity of faith.

But what Papists under this pretense hold—that whatever has been decreed in councils is to be considered as certain oracles because the Church has once proved them to be from God—is extremely frivolous.

For though it is the ordinary way of seeking consent to gather a godly and holy council where controversies may be determined according to God’s word, yet God has never bound himself to the decrees of any council. Nor does it necessarily follow that as soon as a hundred bishops or more meet together in any place, they have duly called on God and inquired at his mouth what is true. In fact, nothing is clearer than that they have often departed from the pure word of God.

Therefore, in this case also, the trial that the Apostle prescribes ought to take place, so that the spirits may be proved.