Mark 9:40 (KJV)

Passage

For he that is not against us is on our part.

Nearby Context

Mark 9:38 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.

Mark 9:39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.

Mark 9:40 For he that is not against us is on our part.

Mark 9:41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

Mark 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "against" and "part". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "against" and "part", 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 "part" 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" and "part" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.