Sorry dear friend but I respectfully disagree with your teachings as shown from the scriptures that disagree with you already. Lets make this very clear. I did not give a definition of sin it was God's Word verbatim that gave a definition of sin in 1 John 3:4 which says ... sin is the the transgression of the law. These are Gods' Word verbatim which agree with what James says in James 2:10-11 and Paul says in Romans 7:7 and Romans 3:20.
@Fervent has shown that the Epistle According to James, and according to Romans, does not disagree with his doctrine, but supports it: doctrine, which by the way represents the doctrine of most churches. A Lutheran, a Calvinist, a Methodist, an Orthodox Christian from Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Armenia or Ethiopia, an Assyrian and a Waldensian would all agree with him on this point.
There is also the serious issue of eisegetical verse selection which I do not see addressed, and the issue of attempting to avoid what the original Greek says by using a different translation.
It was you on the other hand that is trying to argue against Gods Word verbatim that sin is not the transgression of the law which is God's Word not my words. Sin is also defined as not believing and following Gods Word in Romans 14:23 so I do not think you can get an any wider biblical definition of what sin is.
Unless you reject St. Paul, legalism represents a failure to believe and follow the Sacred Scriptures and the Incarnate Word and is therefore sinful. See Galatians 3, which I will address subsequently.
You were also provided nearly every commentary I could think of on 1 John 3:4 which all disagree with you here.
Oh really? Where are the commentaries of the Church Fathers, like Origen, St. John Chrysostom, and Theodore of Mopsuestia? And, why is it that most of the commentaries available, such as those of John Wesley and John Calvin, actually do not disagree with
@Fervent but support him? Have you read these commentaries all the way through, on the subject even of John 1:3? Because it is critical to understand what is meant by commandment, which John Calvin’s commentary does a particularly good job explaining.
So sorry I do not believe you. For me only God's Word is true and we should believe and follow them. Ignoring God's Word does not make it disappear. It becomes our judge come judgement day according to John 12:47-48.
You are here making the dangerous mistake of confusing the Word of God (Jesus Christ) with sacred scripture, which contains the Word and is a verbal icon of the Word, and could be called the written word, but is not animate and cannot judge us; on judgement day even your own denomination says we will be judged by Christ Pantocrator, albeit with the peculiar doctrine of the Investigative Judgement which happens to coincide with the failed predictions of the Millerites as to the date of the second coming (something scripture warns us to not presume to know, or I would argue, predict).
But if Christ does judge us against the whole of scripture, we would be damned for any imperfection even if we adhered to the Law perfectly, as St. Paul points out.
This takes us to Galatians 3, which I will quote entirely, and not respond to any replies to any verses but only to the entire chapter, so as to preclude eisegesis:
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? 4 Did you experience so many things in vain?—if it really is in vain. 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?
6 Thus Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” 7 So you see that it is men of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are men of faith are blessed with Abraham who had faith.
10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be every one who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no man is justified before God by the law; for “He who through faith is righteous shall live”;12 but the law does not rest on faith, for “He who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed be every one who hangs on a tree”— 14 that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
The Promise to Abraham
15 To give a human example, brethren: no one annuls even a man’s will, or adds to it, once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many; but, referring to one, “And to your offspring,” which is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came four hundred and thirty years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance is by the law, it is no longer by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
The Purpose of the Law
19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained by angels through an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary implies more than one; but God is one.
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not; for if a law had been given which could make alive, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the scripture consigned all things to sin, that what was promised to faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 Now before faith came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until faith should be revealed. 24 So that the law was our custodian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a custodian; 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
