1 John 5 16

1 John 5:16 kjv

If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

1 John 5:16 nkjv

If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.

1 John 5:16 niv

If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that.

1 John 5:16 esv

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life ? to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that.

1 John 5:16 nlt

If you see a fellow believer sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it.

1 John 5 verses

1 John 5 16 Meaning

This verse delineates two categories of sin among believers, with distinct implications for intercessory prayer. Firstly, if a believer observes a fellow Christian committing a sin "not leading to death," the observer is commanded to pray for that sinning brother. This intercession is promised to result in God granting "life"—meaning restoration, repentance, and renewed spiritual vitality—to the one who sinned. Secondly, the verse unequivocally states that "there is a sin leading to death." For this specific category of sin, the apostle John explicitly instructs that one should not pray. This implies a sin of such gravity and unrepentance that prayer for the individual is deemed unfruitful, often associated with a final, deliberate rejection of God and His truth.

1 John 5 16 Context

First John is an epistle written to assure believers of their salvation and fellowship with God, challenge them to walk in the light and obey God's commands, and counter false teachings emerging within the early Christian community. These false teachers often denied the true humanity of Jesus, promoted libertine practices, or denied the existence of sin among those with "knowledge." Throughout the letter, John stresses the reality of sin, the necessity of confessing it, and the provision of forgiveness through Jesus' blood. He also strongly differentiates between genuine believers who "practice righteousness" and those who persist in sin, or deny essential Christian truths. Within this framework, 1 John 5 speaks about the assurance of salvation through faith in Christ and the confidence believers have in prayer according to God's will (1 Jn 5:13-15). Verse 16 directly follows this discussion on confident prayer, specifically addressing its limits concerning fellow believers and their sins, thus connecting the believer's responsibility to love one another with their prayer life, especially in light of the threats posed by apostasy or severe unrepentance.

1 John 5 16 Word analysis

• "If anyone sees his brother" (Ean tis idē ton adelphon autou):

  • "If" (ean): Introduces a third-class conditional clause, implying a potential future event that is probable or possible. It's a real possibility within the community.
  • "sees" (idē): Implies not just casual observation, but discerning recognition or understanding of the nature of the sin.
  • "his brother" (ton adelphon autou): Refers to a fellow believer, a member of the Christian community, establishing the context as inter-church relations and shared faith. This distinguishes it from sins by unbelievers.

• "committing a sin not leading to death" (hamartanonta mē pros thanaton):

  • "committing" (hamartanonta): A present participle, denoting ongoing action or habitual practice. It doesn't mean a single, isolated act, but the state of being caught in or actively engaging in sin.
  • "a sin" (hamartian): Generic term for any transgression or missing the mark.
  • "not leading to death" (mē pros thanaton): The pivotal phrase. "Death" here refers to spiritual separation from God, severe divine chastisement, or even physical death for grave, unrepented sin, but primarily a condition beyond the possibility of spiritual recovery and repentance for believers. This refers to any sin that does not irrevocably separate one from the possibility of repentance and restoration of fellowship with God. It suggests these are "garden variety" sins common among believers, capable of being repented of and forgiven.

• "he shall ask, and God will give him life" (aitēsei, kai dwsei autō zōēn):

  • "he shall ask" (aitēsei): Can be interpreted as an imperative ("let him ask") or a future indicative acting as a command ("he will ask," implying he is obligated to). It emphasizes the prescribed action: intercessory prayer.
  • "God will give" (Theos [implied] dwsei): The subject "God" is understood. God is the one who answers prayer and grants life.
  • "life" (zōēn): Here signifies restoration of fellowship, spiritual health, and renewed communion with God, specifically for the one who sinned, enabling them to turn from their sin. It's not necessarily physical life, but spiritual vitality.

• "for those who commit sin not leading to death" (tois hamartanousin mē pros thanaton):

  • This phrase clarifies that the "life" granted is for those who are "committing sin not leading to death," reiterating the group for whom intercession is effective.

• "There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that one should pray for that." (Estin hamartia pros thanaton; ou peri ekeinou legō hina erōtēsē):

  • "There is a sin leading to death" (estin hamartia pros thanaton): Declares the existence of a distinct, fatal category of sin. This "death" typically refers to an irremediable spiritual state, where an individual has fully turned away from God, making genuine repentance humanly impossible. It could encompass apostasy (abandoning the faith after knowing truth) or definitive blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. In some interpretations, it includes grave, unrepentant sin that God punishes with physical death (e.g., Ananias and Sapphira, or unholy communion in Corinth).
  • "I do not say that one should pray for that" (ou peri ekeinou legō hina erōtēsē): This is a powerful, explicit prohibition. John, an apostle, sets a clear boundary for intercessory prayer. This does not mean God cannot forgive it (God is always able), but that the person has hardened their heart beyond the point of receptiveness to repentance that would warrant prayer from the community. It's about the state of the sinner, not God's capacity for mercy. It could also refer to the point where divine judgment has already sealed the outcome.

Word-Group Analysis:

• "Sin not leading to death" vs. "Sin leading to death": These two phrases form the central theological distinction in the verse. The former refers to sins committed by true believers that, while requiring repentance and confession (cf. 1 Jn 1:9), do not signify a final, irreparable break with God or apostasy. The latter signifies a more profound and ultimate rejection of Christ, the Spirit, or saving truth, or such persistent unrepentance that leads to definitive spiritual ruin or divine judgment including physical death. The contrast defines the boundaries of appropriate intercessory prayer.
• "He shall ask, and God will give him life": This highlights the power and efficacy of intercessory prayer within the believing community. It underscores divine provision for restoration for those caught in "lighter" sins, showing God's grace extended through the prayer of a righteous person. It demonstrates that prayer for a erring brother is an act of love and part of mutual spiritual accountability.
• "I do not say that one should pray for that": This stark instruction is not an arbitrary limitation but reflects a profound spiritual reality concerning those who have crossed a point of no return. It acknowledges that prayer, even with faith, cannot compel a person's free will to repent if they have definitively hardened their heart against God's Spirit or rejected Him utterly after experiencing truth. It suggests a situation where repentance is humanly unreachable due to profound spiritual alienation or that God's judgment is irrevocably set.

1 John 5 16 Bonus section

The nature of the "sin leading to death" has been a significant point of theological discussion throughout history. While interpretations vary between a sin causing physical death (divine judgment for egregious unrepentant behavior in the church) and apostasy/blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (leading to spiritual irremediability), the prevailing scholarly view leans toward the latter, aligning with other warnings in Hebrews against falling away after experiencing God's truth. This sin is often understood not as an accidental transgression, but as a deliberate, ultimate, and decisive renunciation of Christ and His work, or such a profound spiritual insensitivity that it precludes repentance. It's crucial to understand that John is not suggesting we withhold prayer based on arbitrary human judgment, but rather based on the observed spiritual condition and hardened heart of the individual, which signals they are beyond a human capacity to be reasoned or prayed back to repentance. The absence of prayer for such a state acknowledges the spiritual boundary that the individual has willfully crossed, demonstrating that while God's power to forgive is infinite, His respect for human choice is also fundamental. This verse serves as a sober warning regarding the dangers of spiritual hardening and apostasy.

1 John 5 16 Commentary

1 John 5:16 is a nuanced passage guiding the prayer life of believers concerning fellow Christians in sin. It provides a divine classification of sin into two categories based on their outcome in relation to "death," informing where intercession is appropriate and where it is not advised. The "sin not leading to death" refers to common transgressions that believers might fall into, which, while needing repentance, do not sever their fundamental relationship with God. For such sins, John urges intercession, assuring that God will grant "life"—restoration and a renewed walk—to the sinning individual, highlighting the communal responsibility of Christians. This practice affirms God's commitment to forgive and restore those who genuinely repent.

Conversely, the "sin leading to death" is distinct and represents a severe spiritual condition. The context of John's entire epistle points strongly toward apostasy—a deliberate, conclusive rejection of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, or a hardened turning away from known truth, especially among those who once claimed faith. Such a state implies a heart hardened beyond human means of repentance, rendering prayer for their spiritual return futile from a human perspective. It could also refer to unrepentant sin that merits divine physical judgment (as seen in the Old Testament and some New Testament instances like Ananias and Sapphira, or sickness and death in Corinth due to disrespect for the Lord's Supper). John's directive not to pray for this sin doesn't imply God cannot forgive it, but that the individual has moved beyond a point of receptivity to God's grace for repentance. The instruction guides the intercessor's understanding of futility in a specific spiritual case, not limiting God's omnipotence, but acknowledging the profound spiritual state of the person.

Practical usage:

• Pray fervently for believers caught in patterns of sin that are not outright rejection of Christ, understanding that God desires their restoration.
• Exercise spiritual discernment concerning the nature of a fellow believer's sin, particularly in light of their confession of faith and desire for repentance.
• Recognize that for those who have overtly abandoned Christ or display blatant, unrepentant blasphemy against the Spirit, our prayers should shift to God's perfect justice and sovereignty, acknowledging that some have definitively rejected grace.