John 4:24

King James Version (KJV)

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Translations

John 4:24 - Amplified Bible

God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship {Him} in spirit and in truth (reality).

John 4:24 - American Standard Version

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

John 4:24 - Bible in Basic English

God is Spirit: then let his worshippers give him worship in the true way of the spirit.

John 4:24 - Darby Bible

God [is] a spirit; and they who worship him must worship [him] in spirit and truth.

John 4:24 - English Standard Version

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

John 4:24 - King James Version

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

John 4:24 - La Biblia de las Americas

Dios es espìritu, y los que le adoran deben adorarle en espìritu y en verdad.

John 4:24 - The Message

John 4:24 - New American Standard Bible

~"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

John 4:24 - Nueva Biblia Latinoamericana de Hoy

~"Dios es espìritu, y los que Lo adoran deben adorar en espìritu y en verdad."

John 4:24 - World English Bible

God is a Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

John 4:24 - Young's Living Translation

God [is] a Spirit, and those worshipping Him, in spirit and truth it doth behove to worship.`

John 4:24 - Additional Comments

See other notes on worship in Matthew 2:11, Psalm 100.
The Hebrew word for worship originally meant to depress, to cause to sink to a lower position. It is placing yourself in a position below another. It means to stretch out with face on the ground in adoration or submission, to humbly acknowledge God as superior in every way.
What is true worship? Where and when are we to worship? How are we to worship?
Worship occurs when your heart bows down to God. In your spirit, you lift Yahweh up as your God, as the Owner and Ruler of your life, as the One you serve. You humbly set yourself aside, and lift Him up as King. You lift Him up is a sense of wonder, awe, reverence (Psalm 8:3-4).
Worship is not a matter of style or technique, but of going before God in adoration and submission.
Some examples of worship:
- Abraham practiced isolating himself to worship (Gen 22:5)
- God asked Moses to come up by himself to worship, and the elders of Israel to remain behind and worship (Ex 24:1-2)
- Nebuchadnezzar decreed that only the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be worshipped (Dan 3:28)
- The wise men came to worship the Christ (Matt 2:1-2)
- The angels worship Him (Heb 1:6)
How are we to worship?
- We are to worship nothing else beside the one true God (2 Kings 17:35, Matt 4:9-10)
- We are not to worship angels or other men (even canonized "saints", and Mary the mother of Jesus) (Rev 22:8-9)
- We are only to worship with the truth of Jesus as the Christ (John 4:23-24) (some may be sincere, but sincerely wrong)
- We can worship in song (Psa 66:4), in humble kneeling (Psa 95:6), with trembling (Psa 96:9), etc.
- We can worship at His holy hill (Psa 99:9), in church (Psa 132:7), anywhere (Psalm 96:11-13, Acts 17:24-25).
Bottom line - Jn 4:24 - "those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
There is only One who is worthy of worship.
In a secular worldview, we find the opposite of true worship - the worship of anything but God. Anything else can be king, can reign in someone's life. We find people everywhere serving these foreign kings - money, possessions, leisure, sexual passions, sports, family, work, even good causes like orphanages.
Everyone gives their heart to something. What is your heart drawn to? What stirs your soul? God alone is worthy to be in the center of our hearts.

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