We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
We are of God. 1 John 4:6 Let us see why; see whether it be for any other thing than charity. We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and of error: namely by this, that he that hears us has the spirit of truth; he that hears not us, has the spirit of error. Let us see what he advises, and let us choose rather to hear him advising in the spirit of truth, and not antichrists, not lovers of the world, not the world. If we are born of God,
We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us, &c. Even as Christ saith, "He that heareth you, heareth Me: he that despiseth you, despiseth Me," We, i.e, all the faithful, who have been born again in baptism, and are endued with charity. We, viz. the predestinated. 3d. And last: We, i.e, the Apostles. For, as Å’cumenius says to heresiarchs, who, he said, spoke of the world, and from the world—i.e, who teach worldly and carnal cupidity—to them he opposes the Apostles, who being born of God, and imbued with heavenly doctrine, and being sent by God, teach men to covet things spiritual, divine, and heavenly. Wherefore he who practically knows God, i.e, he who loves Him, heareth us, i.e, me John , and the rest of the Apostles, and Apostolic men. But he who does not love God, and therefore is not of God, but of the world, this man heareth not us. Wherefore he adds, By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error; by this, namely, "because he that heareth us hath the spirit of tr...
We (Christians) are of God, have received the Spirit; we, the apostles of Christ, were lawfully sent by him.
He that knoweth God, heareth us That is, they who love and serve God, and comply with the doctrine of his Son, Jesus Christ, hear and follow the doctrine which we were commissioned by him to teach.
He that is not of God, heareth us not. They are not of God, who refuse to hear and obey the voice of the Church and those whom Christ appointed to govern his Church, as hath been observed elsewhere.
By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Here St. John gives them the second general mark and rule, to preserve them and all Christians from errors and heresies to the end of the world. He that knoweth God, heareth us Apostles, whom he sent, and heareth our successors, invested with the same mission and authority, whom Christ sent, as his heavenly Father sent him, whom he appointed to govern his Church, and with whom he promised to remain to the end of the world. (Wi...
