Mark 9:40 (ASV)

Passage

For he that is not against us is for us.

Nearby Context

Mark 9:38 John said unto him, Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followed not us.

Mark 9:39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man who shall do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me.

Mark 9:40 For he that is not against us is for us.

Mark 9:41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink, because ye are Christ`s, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

Mark 9:42 And whosoever shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it were better for him if a great millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "against". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "against" and "Christ", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 39's "But Jesus said Forbid him not for..." into verse 41's "For whosoever shall give you a cup...", so "against" and "Christ" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "against" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.