I John 5:16-17-do these verses teach 'mortal sin'?

[Diane_Windsor]

I John 5:16-17

The verses above seem to teach that there is a concept of mortal vs. venial sin. That is, there are some sins that a Christian can commit, and if they died without confessing and repenting of that sin they would go to Hell.

Is this a valid interpretation of this verse?

TIA

diane

 

[Yebo]

Greetings from a sunny South Africa

"Sin unto death" has generated numerous explanations and arguments. One of these views argues that the phrase describes sin resulting in physical death. In contrast thereto another interpretation suggests that "sin not unto death" refers to the actions of false teachers including individuals who had been exposed to the true gospel of Jesus Christ and openly rejected it.

According to a footnote in my Bible the following is proposed:

" "Sin unto death": John may be thinking of the sins he has urged against throughout the epistle: refusal to accept Christ as God’s incarnate Son, habitual disobedience to God’s commands, and consistent failure to love others. These are marks of an unregenerate person; John is not commanding (though he is also not forbidding) that prayer be offered for such people.

"Sin not unto death": These would be sins that do not mark deliberate and persistent rebellion against God. These are the sins every Christian finds himself subject to and must struggle against. In themselves, unlike "sin unto death," they do not constitute apostasy from biblical truth or failure to trust obediently in Christ. Forgiveness and reconciliation with God is, therefore, a possibility. Persistent prayer can make it a reality."

I trust this will assist you in understanding the verse in question.

Be BLESSED by the BEST and stay within the confinements of PEACE

 

[Harry the Heretic]

It was mentioned elswhere that it could be refering to suicide, though I think it is blashemy against the holy Spirit.

 

[St. Worm2]

Many commentaries have been written on this passage. Perhaps the one you would be most interested in, in this case at least, is "The Jerome Biblical Commentary", written by Roman Catholic scholars. Here, from the section on 1 John 5:16-17, the commentary states:

16-17. A most appropriate prayer for the Christian is for the forgiveness of his brother’s sins, that God “may give him life” when he has put himself in danger of eternal death; this prayer serves as a good example of what is “according to his will.” The author does not counsel prayer, however, for one who has sinned “unto death,” for the presumption is that it is not according to God’s will to pardon such a person. all unrighteousness is sin, but there is a sin not unto death: By a sin “unto death” the author evidently means some extraordinary sin (not necessarily specified in his own mind or in those of his readers) so terrible to contemplate that forgiveness, morally speaking, cannot be expected (cf. Str-B 3, 779). He does not mean simply mortal sin as distinguished from venial sin, for the “sins not unto death” in this context also include mortal sins. It is possible that he has in mind the activity of the “Antichrists” previously mentioned (2:18-29). The NT singles out various sins as being in such a category apart (cf. Mk 3:29 par.; Heb 6:4-8; 10:26-31).



Brown, R. E., Fitzmyer, J. A., & Murphy, R. E. (1996, c1968). The Jerome Biblical commentary. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.

Hope that helps!!

 

[christian-only]

All sin leads to spiritual death. Rom 6:23
Not all sin lead to physical death. (This is just obvious if you read the Law. Not all sins were punished by stoning, etc.)

(1 John 5:16-17) If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto [PHYSICAL] death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto [PHYSICAL] death. There is a sin unto [PHYSICAL] death: I do not say that he shall pray for it [BECAUSE THE PERSON IS ALREADY DEAD AND THEIR FATE DECIDED]. {17} All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto [PHYSICAL] death.

 

[Crispie]

Greetings from a sunny South Africa

"Sin unto death" has generated numerous explanations and arguments. One of these views argues that the phrase describes sin resulting in physical death. In contrast thereto another interpretation suggests that "sin not unto death" refers to the actions of false teachers including individuals who had been exposed to the true gospel of Jesus Christ and openly rejected it.

According to a footnote in my Bible the following is proposed:

" "Sin unto death": John may be thinking of the sins he has urged against throughout the epistle: refusal to accept Christ as God’s incarnate Son, habitual disobedience to God’s commands, and consistent failure to love others. These are marks of an unregenerate person; John is not commanding (though he is also not forbidding) that prayer be offered for such people.

"Sin not unto death": These would be sins that do not mark deliberate and persistent rebellion against God. These are the sins every Christian finds himself subject to and must struggle against. In themselves, unlike "sin unto death," they do not constitute apostasy from biblical truth or failure to trust obediently in Christ. Forgiveness and reconciliation with God is, therefore, a possibility. Persistent prayer can make it a reality."

I trust this will assist you in understanding the verse in question.

Be BLESSED by the BEST and stay within the confinements of PEACE

From what I see that is the best way to explain it.