1 John 4:5

1 John 4:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
• New International Version (NIV)They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.

Context of 1 John 4:5

3But if someone does not agree to say that about Jesus, he does not have God's Spirit. That person has a spirit that comes from the enemy of Christ. You have heard that this enemy of Christ would come among us. Now this spirit is already here in the world. 4My little children, you belong to God. You have won against those people with a false message. You have been able to do that because God's Holy Spirit is in you. He is more powerful than the spirit that belongs to this world. Those false prophets belong to this world. Their message comes from the ideas of people of this world. So the people of this world believe what they teach. 6But we belong to God. Everyone who knows God believes our message. But anyone who does not belong to God does not believe it. So that is how we know if someone's message comes from God's Spirit or not. God's Spirit brings us a true message, but false spirits tell lies. 7My friends, we should all love each other. It is God who makes us able to love other people. Everyone who loves other people has become a child of God. That person knows God.

1 John 4:5 word by word

αὐτοὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου εἰσίν· διὰ τοῦτο ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου λαλοῦσιν καὶ ὁ κόσμος αὐτῶν ἀκούει.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Theyαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• the worldὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
• thereforeδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• ·οὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• speak theyλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• hearethἀκούωakouō · to hearG191

Cross-references for 1 John 4:5

• Psalms 17:4I have watched people do bad things. But I have obeyed your commands. I have not joined with cruel people to do what they do.
• Luke 16:8Jesus then said, ‘The servant in the story was not honest. But his master spoke well about what he had done. It would help the servant later in his life. People that do not obey God think carefully. They know how to do well with people who are like themselves. But people who live in God's light often think less carefully.
• John 3:31The one who comes from above is greater than all things. A person who comes from the earth belongs to the earth. A person like that speaks only about things that belong to the earth. But the one who comes from heaven is greater than all things.
• John 7:6So Jesus said to them, ‘It is not the right time for me yet. For you, any time is right.
• John 8:23Jesus answered, ‘You belong to the things down here in the world. But I have come from above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world.
• John 15:19If you belonged to this world, this world's people would love you. They would love you because you would belong with them. But I chose you so that you would be separate from this world's people. You do not belong with them, so they hate you.
• John 17:14I have given your message to them. The world's people have hated them because they do not belong to the world. They do not belong to the world, in the same way that I do not belong to the world.
• Revelation 12:9Michael and his angels threw the great dragon out of heaven. The dragon is called the Devil or Satan. He is the snake who has been there since long ago. He tells lies to deceive the whole world. They threw him down to the earth, together with all his angels.
• Isaiah 30:10They say to the seers, ‘Do not see any more visions!’ They say to the prophets, ‘Do not tell us messages about what is right! Tell us nice things, even if they are not true.
• Jeremiah 5:31The prophets speak messages that are not true. The priests make their own rules for people to obey. And my people love to live like this! But when all this comes to an end, my people will be helpless!’
• Jeremiah 29:8Yes, the Lord Almighty, Israel's God, says, ‘Some of the prophets and the other people use magic to tell you what will happen in the future. Do not let them deceive you with their lies. Do not listen to the dreams that they tell you about.
• Micah 2:11When a person speaks false messages to you, then you believe them. They might say that you would have plenty of wine and strong drink. That is the message that you would like!’
• 2 Timothy 4:3Do this, because a time will come when people will not listen to God's true message. Instead, they will want to hear all kinds of new messages that will make them happy. So they will find many teachers for themselves who will tell them what they want to hear.
• 2 Peter 2:2Many people will believe these false teachers. They will live in a bad way, like the false teachers. As a result, other people will say bad things against God's true way to live.

Commentaries on 1 John 4:5

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5They are of the world - This was one of the marks by which those who had the spirit of antichrist might be known. They belonged not to the church of God, but to the world. They had its spirit; they acted on its principles; they lived for it. Compare the notes at 1 John 2:15. Therefore speak they of the world - Compare the notes at John 3:31. This may mean either that their conversation pertained to the things of this world, or that they were wholly…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5The viewpoint of the world is shaped by evil and stands in opposition to God (2:15–17).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. of the world--They derive their spirit and teaching from the world, "unregenerate human nature, ruled over and possessed by Satan, the prince of this world" [Alford]. speak they of the word--They draw the matter of their conversation from the life, opinions, and feelings of the world. the world heareth them--(Joh 15:18, 19). The world loves its own.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 4:5

• Minister, Christian
• Righteousness

In the dictionaries

• Benevolence
• Fear
• Love
• Perfect
• Johannine Theology
• John, the Epistles of
• world, worldly

Commentaries on 1 John 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings