God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Parallel translations
- WEB God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
- BSB God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”
- NKJV God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
- NASB God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
- NLT For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
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
Because God is spirit, those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. The nature of God determines the nature of acceptable worship.
Overview
Jesus states a foundational truth: God is spirit, not confined to any place or material form. Therefore worship must be inward and genuine, energized by the Holy Spirit and conformed to the truth made known in Jesus. This reorients worship from external location to spiritual reality centered on Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Theme
- Worship"God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
Cross-references · 11
- 2 Cor 3:17Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
- Matt 15:8–9This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
- Phil 3:3For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
- Ps 51:17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
- Isa 57:15For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
- 1 Sam 16:7But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
- 1 Tim 1:17Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
- Ps 66:18If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
- Ps 50:23Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
- 2 Cor 1:12For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
- Ps 50:13–15Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
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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 4:24 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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