Mark 9:40 (DBY)

Passage

for he who is not against us is for us.

Nearby Context

Mark 9:38 And John answered him saying, Teacher, we saw some one casting out demons in thy name, who does not follow us, and we forbad him, because he does not follow us.

Mark 9:39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not; for there is no one who shall do a miracle in my name, and be able soon [after] to speak ill of me;

Mark 9:40 for he who is not against us is for us.

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

Mark 9:42 And whosoever shall be a snare to one of the little ones who believe [in me], it were better for him if a millstone were hung about his neck, and he 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.