John 4:21

21 Jesus said to her, " Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you and your people will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.

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John 4:21 Meaning and Commentary

John 4:21

Jesus saith unto her, woman, believe me
In what I am now going to say, since you own me to be a prophet:

the hour cometh;
the time is at hand; it is very near; it is just coming:

when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem,
worship the Father;
that is, God, whom the Jews, and so the Samaritans, knew under the character of the Father of all men, as the Creator and preserver of them; for not God as the Father of Christ, or of the saints by adopting grace, is here intended, which this ignorant woman at least had no knowledge of: and the reason of our Lord's speaking after this manner, signifying, that she need not trouble herself about the place of worship, was, partly, because in a little time Jerusalem, and the temple in it, would be destroyed, and not one stone left upon another; and that Samaria, and this mountain of Gerizim, with whatsoever edifice might be upon it, would be laid desolate, so that neither of them would continue long to be places of religious worship; and partly, because all distinction of places in religion would entirely cease; and one place would be as lawful, and as proper to worship in, as another; and men should lift up holy hands, and pray, and offer up spiritual sacrifices in every place, even from the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same, ( Malachi 1:11 ) .

John 4:21 In-Context

19 The woman said, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet.
20 Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you and your people say that it is necessary to worship in Jerusalem."
21 Jesus said to her, "Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you and your people will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
22 You and your people worship what you don't know; we worship what we know because salvation is from the Jews.
23 But the time is coming—and is here!—when true worshippers will worship in spirit and truth. The Father looks for those who worship him this way.
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