# Is “Be in the world but not of the world” in the Bible?

> No. “Be in the world but not of the world” is not a Bible verse. It is a misquote of John 17:14-16.

Source: https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/be-in-the-world-but-not-of-the-world
By Andrew Kittridge · October 28, 2026

The line is a summary, not a quote. In John 17 Jesus asks the Father not to remove his followers from the world but to keep them from the evil one, because they are not from the world.

A misquote of John 17:14-16. Origin: A summary of Jesus’ prayer in John 17.

## The verse it misquotes

> I have given them your word, and the world hated them, because they are not from the world, just as I am not from the world. My request is not for you to remove them from the world, but for you to keep them from the evil one. They are not from the world, just as I am not from the world.
>
> — [John 17:14-16](https://www.lumin.faith/read/john/17#14) (Lumin Translation)

## What the Bible says instead

> I have given them your word, and the world hated them, because they are not from the world, just as I am not from the world. My request is not for you to remove them from the world, but for you to keep them from the evil one. They are not from the world, just as I am not from the world.
>
> — [John 17:14-16](https://www.lumin.faith/read/john/17#14) (Lumin Translation)

> Do not take on the pattern of this age. Instead, keep being transformed as your mind is made new, so that you can discern by testing what the will of God is: the good, the pleasing, and the perfect.
>
> — [Romans 12:2](https://www.lumin.faith/read/romans/12#2) (Lumin Translation)

## Common questions

### Is “Be in the world but not of the world” in the Bible?

No. “Be in the world but not of the world” is not a Bible verse. It is a misquote of John 17:14-16. The line is a summary, not a quote. In John 17 Jesus asks the Father not to remove his followers from the world but to keep them from the evil one, because they are not from the world.

### Where does “Be in the world but not of the world” come from?

A summary of Jesus’ prayer in John 17.

### What does the Bible say instead?

Read John 17:14-16, Romans 12:2. The line is a summary, not a quote. In John 17 Jesus asks the Father not to remove his followers from the world but to keep them from the evil one, because they are not from the world.

## More

- [Is “To err is human, to forgive divine” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/to-err-is-human-to-forgive-divine.md)
- [Is “God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/god-gives-his-hardest-battles-to-his-strongest-soldiers.md)
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- [Is “Dragon” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/dragon.md)
- [Is “Jehovah” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/jehovah.md)
- [Is “Sabbath” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/sabbath.md)
- [Is “Witch” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/witch.md)
- [Is “Spare the rod, spoil the child” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/spare-the-rod-spoil-the-child.md)
- [Check any word or a whole song](https://www.lumin.faith/bible-verse-checker)