They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Parallel translations
- WEB They are not of the world even as I am not of the world.
- BSB They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
- NKJV They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
- NASB They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
- NLT They do not belong to this world any more than I do.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus repeats that his disciples are not of the world, just as he is not of the world. Their identity is defined by their union with him.
Overview
By restating this truth, Jesus emphasizes that believers belong to a different realm and allegiance than the fallen world. Their citizenship is heavenly, derived from Christ himself. This separation is not geographic but spiritual and moral, and it forms the basis for both the world's hostility (v. 14) and the disciples' need for sanctification and protection (vv. 15, 17).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- John 17:14I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 17:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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