We will be examining the interpretations and explanations that abound regarding 1 John 5:16-17. Every imaginable sin has likely been named through the years as the sin unto death.
Usually, the foulest of sin is selected as that sin unto death.
Which sin is the sin unto death? Is it murder, incest, rape, sodomy, child abuse or something like idolatry? Is it one of what is commonly called “The Seven Deadly Sins?” Is it the sin of non-productivity, hypocrisy, scoffing at the things of God, carnality, defilement of the body, sexual immorality, or ingratitude? Is it blasphemy against God in general, Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost in particular? This study will endeavor to at least answer some of these questions.
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The background to 1 John 3:16
John wrote to defend Jesus against false prophets and give confidence to those who might have been shaken by the errors being propagated.
Gnosticism was already on the rise, and their doctrines encompassed at least two significant errors dealt with by John. 1) The denial of Jesus coming in the flesh. 2) The belief that the purity of the spirit could not be tarnished by deeds of the body.
The Gnostics believed they could practice immorality without it being "sin. “John was concerned that ultimately, following such doctrine would destroy the fellowship that Christians have God.
The themes running throughout 1 John 1:1 – 1 John 5:21
There are several themes that run through the Book of First John. Here are several of them: The nature of Jesus; True fellowship with God; True knowledge of God; True knowledge of salvation (as opposed to the false knowledge of the Gnostics); Abiding in Christ; Being born of God; Love; Walking in the light; The true nature of sin; and Prayer.
The context of 1 John 5:16
Prayer in circumstances of sin not unto death. From the context of the text, it can be seen that there are sins which we commit that do not require our immediate human death. Our sins may be committed in the flesh and/or in the spirit. There are many injustices and crimes that are perpetrated which allow for the offending party to make restitution and/or to serve time as the consequence for the sin - for which death is not the required remedy.
The Word of God states Jesus is willing to forgive those who speak against Him.
Matthew 12:31a, 32a: “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and
blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men:… And whosoever speaketh a word
against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him:….”
There were times that the Lord forgave the Israelites for worshipping idols - though they did bear the consequences for those actions - which sometimes included being led into by other nations.
When we commit sins that are not unto death, we must be very thankful that God forgives a broken and contrite spirit.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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We must also be thankful that God prescribes a just remedy our sins.
Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth
every son whom he receiveth.
Fellow believers are to pray for those committing sin not unto death. "If any man see his
brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he [God] shall give him life for
them that sin not unto death".
Let us consider in circumstances of sin unto death by a fellow believer . “If anyone sees his
brother committing that is not a sin unto death.” The term brother is reserved for other Christians. John says that everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves the child (I John 5:1). That is, such a one is my brother. He, like me, is a member of the family of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
The proposition of this study is that “sin unto death” as recorded in 1 John 5:16-17 is limited to Christians, and cannot refer to apostates, unbelievers, false believers, make believers, hypocrites, liars and the such.
Various views concerning the phrase “sin unto death” as found in 1 John 5:16.
One view regards it as some specific sin that is so terrible as to be unforgivable, such as suicide, murder, idolatry, or even adultery. This view (which has been held by many through the Christian centuries) gave rise to the Catholic distinctions between mortal and venial sins.
This is, perhaps, why some versions translate this as “sin which is mortal” and “sin which is not mortal.” This translation is unquestionably wrong and has no foundation to support it. To translate the passage thusly is nothing short of compromising with Catholicism. It should never be translated “mortal sin” for it has nothing to do with the question of salvation. There is no merit whatsoever in Scripture for distinguishing between mortal and venial sins - sins which can be forgiven (venial), and those which can never be forgiven (mortal). Scripture makes no such distinctions. As a matter of fact, “sin unto death” is not any one specific sin.
It is a particular type of sin that brings physical death. Sin unto death does not always bring immediate death. Sometimes death may be prolonged.
Other views are that the sin unto death is a specific sin, namely: It is the sin of murder. John pointed out that hatred is tantamount to murder; and murder is a sin which leads to the death penalty. Thus, one should not pray that a murderer be released from the death penalty.
Wrong: Paul consented unto the death of many, yet God forgave him and called him to be the apostle to the Gentiles. Moses and David also were involved in murder; yet both are acclaimed by Christ as having been tremendous servants of God. Neither Paul, Moses or David lost salvation, and none went to hell. Sin unto death has nothing to do with whether a person goes to heaven or to hell.
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It is the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matt. 12:22-32).
22Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb:
and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
23And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
24But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out
devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 25And Jesus knew their
thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is
brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall
not stand: 26And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how
shall then his kingdom stand? 27And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by
whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
28But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is
come unto you. 29Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and
spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil
his house. 30He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not
with me scattereth abroad. 31Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin
and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the
Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32And whosoever speaketh a
word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever
speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this
world, neither in the world to come.
Because of the Lord’s language that the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven; some have surmised that this is the sin unto death.
Wrong: The sin of blasphemy can be committed only by the unregenerate. No genuinely born-again believer can commit this sin for in so doing salvation will be lost and God would be made a liar. The truly born-again believer is neither a unbeliever nor a make believer.
Blasphemy can only by committed by those who have made a profession of faith but have never entered into new birth in Jesus Christ. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit can never be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. Blasphemy has to do with spiritual death while sin unto death as used in 1 John 5:16 is not spiritual death. Some call blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, “apostasy.”
It is the sin of apostasy. The apostate has heard the truth and even embraced it, then renounces what he knows to be true. This is similar to Hebrews 6 and the apostasy described there. In this view, the Gnostics had departed from truth and accepted a teaching that would condemn them. Thus, it is impossible to bring them back. It is not a temporary fall, the transgression of a commandment, nor is it to be overtaken in a fault. An apostate actually blasphemes the name of the Lord Jesus and the truths of the Christian faith. An apostate may blaspheme against Jesus and still be forgiven.
It is a sin persisted in, with a refusal to repent or confess it. Once repented of it is no longer unto death.
Wrong: Moses repented yet God took his life.
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It is a special form of sin which God brings judgment upon immediately. For example, God’s punishment of Ananias and Saphira in Acts 5 might be such a sin. This is partly correct and partly wrong. All sin unto death does not bring immediate death; but it does bring certain death.
It is a presumptuous sin, committed with full knowledge by the believer. The sin not unto death is a sin committed in ignorance, and for which one will be forgiven. Sin unto death is blatant sin with no regard for the clear, precise, explicit instructions of God.
Correct: The sin unto death is a particular type of sin --- it is not a particular sin.
The correct view, views death as used here as physical death. There is sin that a Christian can commit which will result in God taking him home in physical death. Certain examples of this sin unto death are given in Scripture which, if one studies them carefully, will reveal that particular element that is able to turn many sins into sin which is unto death.
All wrongdoing is sin and all unrighteousness is sin. Do not misunderstand that sin is sin, but there is sin which has a certain element about it, a certain characteristic which will result in physical judgment bringing physical death.
The implications of 1 John 5:16.
The text implies that when we pray for a brother or sister in Christ who has committed a sin
- not unto death, our prayers for that brother or sister should be that God will give them life
- that is, that God will allow them an opportunity to repent of their sins and that the brother or sister will properly respond with a broken and contrite spirit thus being returned to fellowship with God. It also implies that believers are under no command to pray for the brother committing sin unto death.
The common ground upon which sin unto death grows.
What, then, is the element that turns ordinary sin into this kind of sin? It is the element of wanton, presumptuous action in the face of clear knowledge that it is wrong. It is willfulness, a willful presumption to pursue something when you know that God has said it is wrong.
That is sin unto death, and the result is physical judgment. It is persistence in a determined course of action when you know that God has said it is wrong. That presumptuous persistence constitutes sin unto death.
Throughout the letter of First John, we are taught again and again about the necessity of not merely having a RELATIONSHIP but also FELLOWSHIP with God. Being saved brings ETERNAL life and ETERNAL relationship; but intimate fellowship brings ABUNDANT
life and ABUNDANT blessing. NEVER FORGET that the key to avoiding sin unto death is unrelenting, uninterrupted FELLOWSHIP with God. That statement needs to be repeated.
NEVER FORGET that the key to avoiding sin unto death is unrelenting, uninterrupted FELLOWSHIP with God. John gives four principles that will fan the flames of intimate fellowship with God.
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Know the Destructiveness of Sin (vv.16-17). Most sins do not lead to immediate death; however, all sin brings death. In vv.16-17 John writes three times of "sin not leading to death"
and once of "sin leading to death" as well as our responsibility to pray for those caught in sin.
Sin always brings about death. Rom.6:23 says specifically, "For the wages of sin is death."
To paraphrase, "Because sin we die." In the Garden of Eden, God told Adam "of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die" (Gen.2:17). At the Fall, Adam immediately died spiritually but his sin also eventually brought about physical death.
Here in 1 John 5, the apostle wants us to know that although all sins cause physical death eventually, there are some sins that cause immediate physical death. Some believers die before their time. They disobey, rebel, and refuse to hear the voice of God to the point they no longer serve His purposes on earth, so He takes them home to heaven. This doesn’t mean He doesn’t love them; it means they have cut short their usefulness and He can no longer use them.
Above all God desires FELLOWSHIP with His children. If we won’t fellowship with Him here on earth, He may take us home early so He can have fellowship with us in heaven.
There is much preaching and teaching today on God’s love, yet there is little preaching and teaching on the severity of God’s love. God loves us so much He refuses to let us throw our lives away. He will not let us destroy our lives and the lives of others, so He takes us home first. We need to know not only the love of God but also the warnings of God and the severity of His judgment!
You might be tempted to think, "I know this is wrong, but I’m only hurting myself." That’s not true. As a believer you are not only related to God but to all His family; therefore, sin hurts Him and the rest of His family.
1 Corinthians 12:26 "And if one member suffers, all the members suffer
with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it."
Three times in these two verses, John tells us there is "sin not leading to death." Most of our sins fall into this category. Sometimes we sin out of ignorance or ingrained habit. We are to
"confess" these sins and receive forgiveness and cleansing.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
You might ask, "How do you know a sin is not a sin leading to death?" The answer is: “You are still breathing!”
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Know that "All unrighteousness is sin:" 1 John 3:17. All sin is harmful and destructive. The question might be asked, “Does this still happen?" Yes! We often do not recognize causes of suffering and death because we are not aware of the circumstances.
In the examples that will be mentioned in Part 3, the sins are not the same. What then turns an ordinary sin into "sin leading to death?" The common thread is premeditated disobedience and rebellion in the face of God with the clear knowledge that it is wrong.
Although death does not always come immediately every Christian must know that sometimes it does. Not all sickness and not all premature deaths are because of willful sin, but some are.
" All unrighteousness is sin, ..." That which stands between a sinner and fellowship with God is their sin. Fellowship is made possible in redemption and maintained through confession, 1 John 1:9. However, there are times when confession comes too late and repentance is not accepted.
Know the physical and spiritual outcome of sin. Know what the Bible has to say about sin.
It must first be stated that all sin, from the merit and legal sense of it, that is, as God has judged, is unto death. The first part of verse 17 declares that "All unrighteousness is sin" .
And we know that by our very nature we are all unrighteous.
1 John 5:16-17 There is a sin unto death….and…there is a sin not unto
death.
Therefore, God has judged that because of our sin, we have missed mark of righteousness.
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
We have also been judged to die for our sin of unbelief if we do not by faith receive Jesus Christ as Savior.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 6:23a "For the wages of sin is death."
Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the
curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things
which are written in the book of the law to do them.
Examples of sins not unto death
Consider Young Christians. Look again at what John said, “If anyone sees his brother committing sin which is not unto death….” This type of sin arises largely out of ignorance 12
with no understanding of the implications of it, and no awareness of how bad it is. Of sin not unto death, it is said, “he will ask, and God will give him life...”
Young Christians often stumble into things they are not aware of. They do not understand what they are getting into, and they do not realize the danger. If you see your brother committing that kind of sin, ask of God, and God will give life for those whose sin is not unto death. God will withhold the judgment of physical weakness and grant opportunity for the renewal of life.
Note King Hezikiah. You can see that in the Old Testament in the case of King Hezekiah.
During a very unwise moment Hezkiah allowed the King of Babylon to send visitors into his palace to investigate all that was going on and to see the riches of the palace.
The prophet Isaiah warned Hezekiah that these men only wanted to see how much money he had and whether or not it was worth sending an army to take it. Isaiah said, “You have sold yourself into the hands of the Babylonians.”
As a result of that King Hezekiah received a sentence of death from God. God told him to prepare himself, to get everything ready, because he was going to die. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, prayed, and beseeched the Lord. Hezekiah’s prayer of confession and repentance was heard. God stopped the prophet Isaiah as he was going out the door, having delivered the sentence of death, and said, “Return to the King. I have granted him fifteen more years of life.”
As a sign that it would happen, the sundial in the garden went backward ten degrees. That is an example of God granting for those who do not commit a sin that is unto death. Repentance reverses the judgment. Those who willfully determine to go in a way that is wrong commit sin which is unto death, and when they do God says do not pray for that.
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Observations