Mark 9:38 (GNV)

Passage

Then Iohn answered him, saying, Master, we sawe one casting out deuils by thy Name, which followeth not vs, and we forbade him, because he followeth vs not.

Nearby Context

Mark 9:36 And he tooke a litle childe, and set him in the middes of them, and tooke him in his armes, and sayd vnto them,

Mark 9:37 Whosoeuer shall receiue one of such litle children in my Name, receiueth me: and whosoeuer receiueth mee, receiueth not me, but him that sent me.

Mark 9:38 Then Iohn answered him, saying, Master, we sawe one casting out deuils by thy Name, which followeth not vs, and we forbade him, because he followeth vs not.

Mark 9:39 But Iesus sayd, Forbid him not: for there is no man that can doe a miracle by my Name, that can lightly speake euill of me.

Mark 9:40 For whosoeuer is not against vs, is on our part.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "iohn", "answered", "saying", "master", "sawe", "casting", "deuils", and "name". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "iohn" and "answered", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 37's "Whosoeuer shall receiue one of such litle..." into verse 39's "But Iesus sayd Forbid him not for...", so "iohn" and "answered" 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 "iohn" and "answered" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.