1 John 4:3

Confesseth not. John now gives a negative test for discerning between the true and false teachers. He sees only two classes — those who confess Christ and those who do not.

Jesus Christ. Important textual evidence may be cited (cf. p. 10) for the omission of “Christ” and of the phrase “is come in the flesh.” The clause then reads, “every spirit that confesseth not Jesus,” and places an emphasis upon the confession of a person rather than of a creed. The textual variants make no significant change in the meaning of the passage, for both renderings refer to the teachers who fail to glorify the divine-human Jesus.

Is not of God. See on verses 1, 2. There is no neutral ground in the great controversy. Those who hear proclaimed the message of the divinity and humanity of Christ, and who deliberately reject and oppose the teaching of the incarnation, belong to the evil one and are under his control, no matter how free they may feel themselves to be (see on Matt. 12:30; 1 John 3:10).

This. That is, the failure to confess Jesus.

That spirit. The word “spirit” is justifiably supplied in the KJV, since in the Greek construction the neuter pronoun to, translated “that,” refers to the neuter noun pneuma, “spirit.” The word “spirit” may here be interpreted as either (1) the spirit that dwells in antichrist does not confess Jesus, or (2) the nonconfession of Jesus is a typical characteristic of antichrist. Perhaps both meanings are intended.

Antichrist. See on 1 John 2:18-23.

Ye have heard. The apostle reminds his readers that they have already been instructed on much of what he is saying (cf. on 1 John 2:18).

It should come. Literally, “it is coming,” the same form as appears in 1 John 2:18. The clause that follows shows that John is emphasizing the present sense of the verb to remind the believer that the prophecy concerning antichrist was even then, already, being fulfilled.