1 John 4:5 (GNV)

Passage

They are of this worlde, therefore speake they of this world, and this world heareth them.

Nearby Context

1 John 4:3 And euery spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God: but this is the spirit of Antichrist, of whome ye haue heard, how that he should come, and nowe already he is in this world.

1 John 4:4 Litle children, ye are of God, and haue ouercome them: for greater is he that is in you, then he that is in this world.

1 John 4:5 They are of this worlde, therefore speake they of this world, and this world heareth them.

1 John 4:6 We are of God, he that knoweth God, heareth vs: he that is not of God, heareth vs not. Heereby knowe wee the spirit of trueth, and the spirit of errour.

1 John 4:7 Beloued, let vs loue one another: for loue commeth of God, and euery one that loueth, is borne of God, and knoweth God.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "Litle children ye are of God and..." into verse 6's "We are of God he that knoweth...", so "world" and "worlde" belong inside that flow. In 1 John context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

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