John 14:17

the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jesus speaks to his disciples during the Farewell Discourse, between the promise of another Advocate (14:16) and the assurance of not leaving them as orphans (14:18).

The words — ἀληθεῖα (alētheia, "truth") is not a quality the Spirit possesses but the defining name by which the Spirit is identified; κόσμος (kosmos, "world") marks the group excluded by the criterion of neither seeing nor knowing.

The thread — The Spirit-within motif runs from Ezekiel 36:27 (Spirit put within to cause obedience) through John 16:13 (Spirit of truth guiding into all truth) to 1 John 2:27 (the anointing remains in you, no external teacher needed).

Why it lands — The verse forces a binary: either you know the Spirit by His indwelling presence, or you are on the side that neither sees nor knows Him; there is no neutral position.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Cross-references

Ezekiel 36:27 And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.
John 16:13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.
1 John 2:27 And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.
John 15:26 When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.
1 John 4:6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.
1 Corinthians 2:14 The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
2 Timothy 1:14 Guard the treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;