Mark 9:40

Study note

Setting — Jesus addresses His disciples in Mark 9 immediately after they tried to stop an outsider from casting out demons in His name. He speaks to correct their assumption that ministry outside their direct control is illegitimate.

The words — The Greek οὐκ ἔστιν καθ᾽ ἡμῶν (ouk estin kath' hēmōn) translates literally to "is not against us." Jesus uses this phrase to establish a baseline for recognizing shared opposition to spiritual evil.

The thread — The text states that whoever is not against them is for them, while Matthew 12:30 and Luke 11:23 record the reverse formulation: whoever is not with Jesus is against Him. These parallel passages frame the same principle of allegiance, with Mark 9:40 applying it to recognize allies among non-disciples.

Why it lands — The verse commands readers to cease policing others' spiritual work and to identify common ground against opposition. It requires practical cooperation and the rejection of sectarian exclusivity.

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.