John 4:23
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse emphasizes that true worship isn't about a specific location or ritual, but about an internal reality: worshiping the Father in spirit and truth. This means worship is a genuine, heartfelt communion driven by the Holy Spirit, reflecting God's own truthful nature, rather than just outward performance. The Father Himself is actively seeking people who will engage with Him in this deeply personal and authentic way.
Jesus is speaking with a Samaritan woman at a well, a conversation that moves from practicalities of drawing water to profound spiritual truths. After challenging her understanding of worship and revealing his knowledge of her past, Jesus explains that a new era of worship is dawning, one not tied to specific locations like Mount Gerizim or Jerusalem, but centered on an authentic connection with God.
Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that true worship isn't tied to a specific mountain or temple. So, what does make worship authentic?
Jesus ushers in a new era of worship, one that transcends physical locations and elaborate rituals. Before Jesus, worship was often tied to specific places like Mount Gerizim or the Temple in Jerusalem, and involved specific ceremonies. But Jesus declares that the 'hour is coming, and is now here' for a different kind of worship. This shift means that the true essence of worship isn't found in external forms, but in an internal reality.
God isn't passively waiting for worship; He's actively seeking it! What does this desire reveal about God and the kind of worship He values?
The verse concludes with a profound statement: 'for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.' This isn't just a statement about human initiative; it's about God's own longing and pursuit.
Understand the original words
alēthinos · Greek Adjective
Authentic, sincere, and divinely enabled worshippers who relate to God not merely through ritual or location, but through an internal transformation by the Holy Spirit.
pneuma · Greek Noun
Referring to the mode of worship that transcends external ordinances, facilitated by the Holy Spirit, who enables believers to connect with God in the inward man.
alētheia · Greek Noun
Refers to worship that is consistent with God's revealed character and the reality of Christ, devoid of hypocrisy, and aligned with the objective revelation of Scripture.
This verse emerges from a context of deep religious and ethnic division between Jews and Samaritans. Jesus' teaching here marks a pivotal shift, announcing a new era of worship that transcends the physical limitations and inherited animosities of the past.
Late 8th Century BC
Assyrian Deportation and Resettlement
The Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians, and many of its inhabitants were deported. They were replaced by people from other parts of the Assyrian Empire, leading to a mixed population and religious practices in the region of Samaria.
c. 5th Century BC
Samaritan Temple on Mount Gerizim
The Samaritans, who considered themselves descendants of the Israelite tribes, built their own temple on Mount Gerizim. This further solidified their religious separation from the Jews, who worshipped at the temple in Jerusalem.
c. 1st Century BC - 1st Century AD
Jewish-Samaritan Antagonism
Deep-seated animosity existed between Jews and Samaritans, marked by religious and ethnic conflict. This historical tension is evident in the Gospel accounts, where interactions between Jesus and Samaritans often highlight this divide.
c. AD 28-30— this verse
Jesus Encounters a Samaritan Woman
This passage emphasizes that true worship and service are not based on outward rituals or lineage, but on the 'spirit of God' and Christ, directly paralleling Jesus' teaching about worship in 'spirit and truth'.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20It highlights that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, implying that worship must be internal and from our very being, aligning with the 'in spirit' aspect of true worship.
Hebrews 10:19-22This passage describes our access to God through Jesus' sacrifice, allowing us to draw near with 'true hearts in full assurance of faith,' which is the essence of worshipping 'in truth'.
Isaiah 66:2This Old Testament prophecy speaks of God looking for those who are humble and tremble at His word, foreshadowing the kind of sincere and reverent worship that God seeks, as mentioned in John 4:23.
Romans 12:1-2It calls believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, which is a spiritual act of worship that reflects the inward transformation God seeks, connecting to worship 'in spirit and truth'.
calvinJohn 4:22-26: "Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews."
- You worship what you know not, we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24. God is a Spirit, and they who worship him ought to worship in spirit and in truth. 25. The woman saith to him, I know that the Messiah will come, w…
cambridgeJohn 4:23: "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him."
23 . the hour cometh ] As before, there cometh an hour . What follows, and it is now here , could not be added in John 4:21 . The local worship on Gerizim and Zion must still continue for a while; but there are already a few who are rising above these externals to the spirit of true worship, in which the opposition between Jew and S…
The verse emphasizes that true worship isn't about a specific location or ritual, but about an internal reality: worshiping the Father in spirit and truth. This means worship is a genuine, heartfelt communion driven by the Holy Spirit, reflecting God's own truthful nature, rather than just outward performance. The Father Himself is actively seeking people who will engage with Him in this deeply personal and authentic way.
Jesus is speaking with a Samaritan woman at a well, a conversation that moves from practicalities of drawing water to profound spiritual truths. After challenging her understanding of worship and revealing his knowledge of her past, Jesus explains that a new era of worship is dawning, one not tied to specific locations like Mount Gerizim or Jerusalem, but centered on an authentic connection with God.
Jesus is speaking with a Samaritan woman at a well, a conversation that moves from practicalities of drawing water to profound spiritual truths. After challenging her understanding of worship and revealing his knowledge of her past, Jesus explains that a new era of worship is dawning, one not tied to specific locations like Mount Gerizim or Jerusalem, but centered on an authentic connection with God.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about John 4:23 is available in the Sola app.
Jesus, traveling through Samaria, stops at Jacob's Well and speaks with a Samaritan woman. This conversation directly leads to Jesus' discourse on true worship, transcending geographical and ethnic boundaries.
c. AD 30-33
Early Spread of the Gospel
Following Jesus' ministry, ascension, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the early Christian movement began to spread. The concept of worship in 'spirit and truth' would have begun to take root among Jesus' followers.
"But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him." — The verse emphasizes that true worship isn't about a specific location or ritual, but about an internal reality: worshiping the Father in spirit and truth. This means worship is a genuine, heartfel…
