What is the meaning of 1 John 5:16? What is the sin the leads to death? In this post, we examine a few viewpoints on the different interpretations and which one seems to stand out the most to me.
Throughout the epistle of 1 John, the theme of sinning is mentioned (1:7-10; 2:2, 12; 3:3-5; 4:10). The believer is not without sin (1:8), but they are neither characterized by an ongoing sinful lifestyle (3:8-9; 5:18). Believers are instructed to pray for a “brother” committing a sin, but discouraged from “praying for those who sin ‘leads to death.’”[1] But what is the “sin unto death?” The main interpretations will be examined, and an argument for physical death viewpoint will be made to show that it is the most logical and consistent interpretation.
The first interpretation sees the “sin unto death” as referring to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This view is based on Jesus’ words against the Pharisees, who committed such a sin (Matt 12:32) when they claimed that Jesus’ works were done by Satan, not by the Holy Spirit. Jesus responded by saying such a sin will never be forgiven and they are guilty of an eternal sin (Mark 3:29). While this view does correlate other Scripture passages of people hardening their hearts (1 Sam 2:25; Heb 12:16-17), John probably does not have Jesus’ reference to blasphemy in mind.[2] Also, how could John call a hardened sinner a brother?[3]
A second viewpoint interprets this passage to mean a total rejection of the Gospel, and is supported by the context of 1 John and the apostasy texts of Hebrews (Heb 6:4-6; 10:2627). The sin is identified with the false teachers who left the true faith (2:19). They refused to believe that Jesus came in the flesh and was the Son of God, and therefore John discourages and forbids prayer for them.[4] This view suggests that a true Christian cannot apostatize because a believer cannot persist in sin due to God’s seed remaining in them (3:9) and God protects them from Satan’s harm (5:18).5 Thus, if someone does fall away, they were never a true believer in the first place much like the false teachers.
The final view says a Christian may sin so severely that God judges that sin with physical death. Most sins are not the fatal type of sins, so the Christian is instructed to pray for the sinner and God will help them.[5] John uses two different words for “ask” close together. First, he uses aiteo to indicate if a Christian sees a brother sinning, they may pray or make a request for them.[6] The second use is erotao, which is used to ask a question or for something. This means a Christian is not to be concerned with which sins are punishable by death as long as he is able to recognize the ones that are not.[7] If a believer does not repent and obey God’s will, He may discipline at first. But if the disobedience persists, He may remove them from this world.[8] The sin leading to death seems to be a flagrant violation of the sanctity of the Christian community.[9] All sin is hateful to God, but Scripture provides examples where sin is punished with death, including: Nadab and Abihu (Lev 10:1-7), Korah and his clan (Num 16), Achan (Josh 6-7), Uzzah (2 Sam 6), Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11), and Corinthian believers who abused the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11).[10] The “sin unto death” is not one specific sin, rather it is a kind of sin.
Christians should pray for other believers who are sinning (Jas 5:14-20), and God will hear those prayers and discipline His child (Heb 12:6). However, there may come a time when God decides the unrepentant should be punished with physical death, and the prayers of a believer will not be effective. While each viewpoint has its own difficulties, based on the corresponding Scriptural evidence, the best interpretation is that “sin unto death” is willful and continuous sin punishable by physical death to the unrepentant believer.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Akin, Daniel L. “1 John.” In The New American Commentary: 1, 2, 3 John, vol. 38, 21-216. Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2010.
Brown, Raymond E. The Epistles of John, vol. 30. New York: Doubleday, 1982.
Hanna, Kenneth. From Gospels to Glory: Exploring the New Testament. Bloomington, IN: Westbow Press, 2015.
Hodges, Zane C. “1 John.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2, 881-904. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985.
Radmacher, Earl D., Ronald B. Allen, and H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary. Nashville: Nelson, 1999.
Toussaint, Stanley. “Module 6 – Video 9: 1 John 4:7-5:21.” Lecture, Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, TX, accessed September 24, 2016.
Walls, David and Max Anders. “1 John 5.” In Holman New Testament Commentary: 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2, & 3 John, Jude, vol. 11, 219-232. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999.
Wiersbe, Warren W. The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol 2. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1996.
[1] Kenneth Hanna, From Gospels to Glory: Exploring the New Testament (Bloomington, IN: Westbow Press, 2015), 454.
[2] Daniel L. Akin, “1 John,” in The New American Commentary: 1, 2, 3 John, vol. 38 (Nashville:
Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001), 209.
[3] David Walls and Max Anders, “1 John 5,” in Holman New Testament Commentary: 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2, & 3 John, Jude, vol. 11 (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 225.
[4] Raymond E. Brown, The Epistles of John, vol. 30 (New York: Doubleday, 1982), 618. 5 Akin, “1 John,” 210.
[5] Zane C. Hodges, “1 John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures,
eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 902.
[6] Stanley Toussaint, “Module 6 – Video 9: 1 John 4:7-5:21,” (lecture, Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, TX, accessed October 30, 2016).
[7] Ibid.
[8] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1996), 530.
[9] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Nelson, 1999), 1716.
[10] Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary,530.