All unrighteousness is sin, yet there is sin that does not lead to death.
Parallel translations
- WEB All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.
- KJV All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
- NKJV All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.
- NASB All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.
- NLT All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
All wrongdoing is sin, yet not every sin leads to death. Sin must be taken seriously, but not all sin is beyond the reach of prayer and grace.
Overview
John clarifies that every act of unrighteousness is genuinely sin, refusing to minimize it. At the same time, he reassures that ordinary sins among believers do not bring spiritual ruin but can be met with confession, forgiveness, and intercession. This balance guards against both laxity toward sin and despair over it.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 1 Jn 3:4Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness.
- Jas 1:15Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
- 1 Jn 5:16If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he should ask God, who will give life to those who commit this kind of sin. There is a sin that leads to death; I am not saying he should ask regarding that sin.
- Jas 4:7–10Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
- Ezek 18:26–32If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, he will die for this. He will die because of the iniquity he has committed.
- 1 Jn 2:1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
- Deut 12:32See that you do everything I command you; do not add to it or subtract from it.
- Isa 1:18“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.
- Deut 5:32So be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or to the left.
- Rom 5:20–21The law came in so that the trespass would increase; but where sin increased, grace increased all the more,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Jesus is the Word of life made manifest, the propitiation for our sins, the Son in whom is eternal life — 'that you may know that you have eternal life.'
How 1 John 5:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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