Mark 1:23 (KJV)

Passage

And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,

Nearby Context

Mark 1:21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.

Mark 1:22 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.

Mark 1:23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,

Mark 1:24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.

Mark 1:25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "And they were astonished at his doctrine..." into verse 24's "Saying Let us alone what have we...", so "Spirit" and "synagogue" 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 "Spirit" and "synagogue" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.