The Meaning of 1 John 4:5 Explained

1 John 4:5

KJV: They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

YLT: They -- of the world they are; because of this from the world they speak, and the world doth hear them;

Darby: They are of the world; for this reason they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.

ASV: They are of the world: therefore speak they as of the world, and the world heareth them.

Discover 1 John 4:5

CONTEXT: What is the Context of 1 John 4:5?

MEANING: What does 1 John 4:5 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in 1 John 4:5 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in 1 John 4:5?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They  are  of  the world:  therefore  speak they  of  the world,  and  the world  heareth  them. 

What does 1 John 4:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The antichrists" teachings have an appeal to worldly minds because they come from the world and share the viewpoint of the world (cf. John 3:31). Heterodoxy has a greater appeal than orthodoxy because many religious movements are composed mainly of unsaved people who find false doctrine appealing.
"How can a man whose watchword is competition even begin to understand an ethic whose key-note is service?" [1]
"The term "world" (kosmos) is probably to be understood in two ways: as a system of thought antithetical to Christian belief and as a description of those members of the community who were led astray by the false teachers. That some members of the community were easily persuaded to forsake the truth of the gospel should not bewilder the faithful." [2]
"The word "world" has several nuances of meaning; in 1 John 4:3 it means more the area inhabited by men, but in 1 John 4:4 it refers rather to sinful mankind, while in 1 John 4:5 the stress is more on the sinful principle found in such people" [3]

Context Summary

1 John 4:1-11 - The Token Of God's Love
In those days the intense ferment of men's minds wrought many delusions and heresies which were fraught with temptation to young converts, and the Apostle wished to give tests for determining which voice spake from God. The confession of Jesus Christ as the Incarnate Word, a spirit of love and gentleness, and the willingness to abide in the doctrine of the Apostles, were signs that the speaker was commissioned by Christ.
Wouldst thou overcome the world? Let Christ enter, and the world will have no charms for thee. There is only one source of pure, divine love, and wherever that love is present, you know that the possessor has found its source in God. God's love is absolutely selfless. He loves the unloving to make them love, putting away their sin and perfecting their union with Himself. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 John 4

1  He warns them not to believe all who boast of the Spirit;
7  and exhorts to brotherly love

Greek Commentary for 1 John 4:5

Of the world [εκ του κοσμου]
As Jesus is not and as the disciples are not (John 17:14.). [source]
As of the world [εκ του κοσμου]
No “as” (ως — hōs), but that is the idea, for their talk proceeds from the world and wins a ready hearing. The false prophets and the world are in perfect unison. [source]
Of the world [ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου]
Proceeding from, as their source ( ἐκ ). Different from ἐκ τῆς γῆς fromthe earth (John 3:31), as marking the whole worldly economy morally considered. [source]
Speak they of the world [ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου λαλοῦσιν]
An ambiguous rendering, which might readily be interpreted “they speak concerning the world.” Literally it is: “they speak out of the world; i.e., the character of their utterances corresponds to their origin. Rev., “speak they as of the world.” The position of the world in the sentence is emphatic: “it is out of the world that they speak.” [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 John 4:5

John 3:31 Is above all [επανω παντων]
Ablative case with the compound preposition επανω — epanō See the same idea in Romans 9:5. Here we have the comments of Evangelist (John) concerning the last words of John in John 3:30 which place Jesus above himself. He is above all men, not alone above the Baptist. Bernard follows those who treat John 3:31-36 as dislocated and put them after John 3:21 (the interview with Nicodemus), but they suit better here. Of the earth John is fond of this use of εκ — ek for origin and source of character as in John 1:46; 1 John 4:5. Jesus is the one that comes out of heaven (ο εκ του ουρανου ερχομενος — ho ek tou ouranou erchomenos) as he has shown in 1:1-18. Hence he is “above all.” [source]

What do the individual words in 1 John 4:5 mean?

They of the world are because of this from out of the they speak and the world them listens to
αὐτοὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου εἰσίν διὰ τοῦτο ἐκ τοῦ λαλοῦσιν καὶ ὁ κόσμος αὐτῶν ἀκούει

κόσμου  world 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: κόσμος  
Sense: an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government.
διὰ  because  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: διά  
Sense: through.
τοῦτο  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
ἐκ  from  out 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐκ 
Sense: out of, from, by, away from.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: ὁ  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
λαλοῦσιν  they  speak 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἀπολαλέω 
Sense: to utter a voice or emit a sound.
κόσμος  world 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κόσμος  
Sense: an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government.
ἀκούει  listens  to 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.

What are the major concepts related to 1 John 4:5?

Loading Information...

Similar Scriptures for 1 John 4:5

John 8:23 [7]
John 17:14 [6]
Isaiah 30:10-11 [5]
John 17:16 [5]
John 3:31 [5]
2 Peter 2:2-3 [5]
Jeremiah 5:31 [4]
Micah 2:11 [4]
Revelation 12:9 [4]
Psalms 17:4 [4]
2 Timothy 4:3 [4]
read more (4)
Luke 16:8 [3]
Jeremiah 29:8 [3]
John 15:19-20 [3]
John 7:6-7 [3]
read less