September 11, 2025
“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. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.” (1 John 5:16, 17 KJV, emphasis added.)
What do we make of the passage of scripture? If there really is a sin that doesn’t cause or result in spiritual or eternal death? In Romans 6:23, we are told that the wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life. Is this a contradiction? Should Paul have said that the wages of some sins are death, but not all sins? What exactly is John teaching? John distinguishes between two categories of sin, and this is what I think he means:
1) Sin NOT unto death are transgressions which, though real sins, are not fatal to spiritual life if repented of. For these Christians, believers are encouraged to intercede, trusting that God grants life and forgiveness to those who repent.
2) Sin unto death is a kind of sin that leads to spiritual or eternal death and from which repentance is either absent or impossible, such as in Hebrews 6 and possibly Hebrews 10. John does not forbid prayer absolutely but indicates that such prayer may not be effective.
What is the problem?
Some Christians believe that certain sins are considered minor or lesser sins, which are still sins but not as serious as others. I think that is true, but it is taken to mean something unintended. Let me explain. I well remember my Roman Catholic training and the Catechism booklet we used with the priest. The Roman Catholic Church distinguishes between venial and mortal sins. Mortal sins are grave sins that kill eternal or spiritual life, and if not repented of, hell is the result. Purgatory is of no avail for unrepentant mortal sins. Venial sins do not kill eternal or spiritual life, only wound our relationship with God. A grave sin, if not known about, is a venial sin because of ignorance. These venial sins (impatience, minor lies, gossip, minor theft, laziness, worry, lesser dishonesty, getting only slightly drunk, and so on) are put away in the purgatorial fires for cleansing. The Catechism booklet said, by way of example, that getting slightly drunk is a venial sin while getting very drunk is a mortal sin. I wonder what that means in practical terms. In Catholic theology, sins unto death are considered mortal sins, while sins not unto death are classified as venial sins.
Moving into the Evangelical realm, if you are a Christian believer in eternal security or the perseverance of the saints, there is no sin unto spiritual or eternal death for the Christian. But the death might be physical. These individuals actually believe that Christians can sin to the point that God kills them and takes them to heaven. Take that, you unrepentant Christian sinner! If you are a Christian and you do not embrace eternal security, all unrepentant sin will cause you to miss out on heaven.
If you know your Bible, you will recognize that certain venial sins, as designated by the Roman Catholic Church, are also sins that the Bible warns against, which will prevent us from entering the Kingdom of heaven. Are you going to believe the Bible or the Roman Catholic Church? For instance, the Bible in 1 Corinthians 6:8-10 tells us that drunkenness (all of it from slightly drunk to falling drunk) will disqualify the Christian from inheriting the kingdom of God. Look it up. The same applies to those who steal, even if the amount may seem minor. There is no cutoff, such that anything less than $500.00 is a venial sin and anything more than $500.00 is a mortal sin. See also Ephesians 5 and Galatians 5.
The Bible actually distinguishes between sins of ignorance or unwitting sins and sins of presumption. Sins of ignorance, when discovered, must be atoned for and repented of. Sins of presumption resulted in immediate expulsion from the nation of Israel.
Many Christians believe that we are all born sinners, with a sinful nature that we will never conquer in this life. They actually believe that born-again Christians sin in thought, word, and deed daily. Yet these sinning saints are all going to heaven even if they never repent.
There is no doubt that some sins are worse than others. Stealing a candy bar from the store is not as bad as stealing a poor person’s bread. But all stealing is sinful. And all of it must be repented of and restitution made as is possible, or there is no forgiveness and pardon. Jesus recognized lesser and greater sins, which will be punished more severely.
It is critically important to remember that in this book of 1 John, we are told that those born of God do not sin and live righteous lives. Yet some Christians actually claim, with a straight face, that 1 John chapter 1 teaches that a genuine Christian walks in sin, all their life. But let us consider what the rest of 1 John teaches. Consider the following:
- “….but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” Chapter 2, verse 17.
- “If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that everyone who doeth righteousness is born of him.” Chapter 2, verse 29.
- “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” Chapter 3 verse 3.
- “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.” Chapter 3, verse 6.
- “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.” Chapter 3, verse 7.
- “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” Chapter 3 verse 8.
- “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him” and he cannot sin, because he is born of God”. Chapter 3, verse 9.
- “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” Chapter 3, verse 10.
But there is more even in this small book. Check it out for yourself. Therefore, John is not contradicting himself by saying that there is a venial type of sin not unto death. In other words, he is not saying that Christians can sin, most especially presumptuous sins, without forfeiting eternal life, as most Christians mistakenly believe. Are you with me so far?
According to ChatGPT, “the debate about this passage has always centered on what qualifies as the ‘sin unto death.’ Several views exist:
– Persistent apostasy (deliberate turning away from Christ). Hebrews 6 and 10.
– Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31–32).
– Hardened, unrepentant sin after full knowledge of truth (compare Hebrews 10:26–27).
– Some early Christians also associated it with mortal sins that sever communion with Christ if not repented of.” Let us briefly examine the teachings of the early church.
Early Church Fathers (Before Augustine)
Irenaeus (c. 180 AD, Against Heresies, Book IV)
Irenaeus speaks of sins that exclude from the kingdom (mortal) and others that, though real, are less grave: “There are some sins which are remitted to men, and some which are not remitted. For to those who commit blasphemy against the Spirit, it is not remitted, and to those who fall away after faith.” (Against Heresies, IV.27.2). He equates “sin unto death” with blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and final apostasy.
Tertullian (c. 200 AD, On Modesty, ch. 19)
Tertullian, while strict, makes the same distinction: “There is a sin unto death, concerning which John also says that it shall not be prayed for. Every other sin, if repented of, may obtain pardon from God… but there remains no room for pardon in the case of idolaters, blasphemers, and persecutors.” For him, the “sin unto death” is grave, deliberate sin like idolatry or denying Christ under persecution.
Origen (c. 250 AD, Commentary on Romans, 5.10)
Origen acknowledges lesser and greater sins: “Some sins are mortal, killing the soul, while others are venial, which are forgiven more easily. John himself distinguishes these when he says there is a sin unto death.” Origen links “unto death” to sins that sever grace entirely (apostasy, blasphemy, willful rebellion).
Cyprian of Carthage (c. 250 AD, Treatise on the Lapsed, 28–29)
Cyprian addresses Christians who denied Christ under persecution: “He who blasphemes against the Holy Ghost, who denies Christ, who betrays his brethren, sins a sin unto death.” He applies the passage to apostates who refused repentance, though he also taught that the truly penitent could be restored after confession.
Athanasius (c. 295–373 AD, Letters to Serapion)
In his writings, Athanasius identifies the “sin unto death” with the final rejection of Christ and obstinate unbelief.
Summary of Patristic Understanding
- Common View: The “sin unto death” was generally seen as apostasy, blasphemy against the Spirit, or deliberate ongoing rebellion against God, rather than ordinary failings of believers.
- “Sins not unto death” included moral lapses and failings that could be forgiven upon repentance.
- The early Fathers emphasized the seriousness of unrepentant sin but consistently allowed that repentance brings forgiveness, even for grave sins, unless one utterly rejects the Spirit of God.
Conclusions
Sins not unto death are those sins, small or great, that are confessed and forsaken. The idea that sins only need to be confessed is fatally flawed. There is no mercy/pardon without confession and forsaking/stopping the sinful behavior.
Sins unto death are those sins, small or great, which are not repented of (confessed and forsaken). There are individuals whose hearts become so hardened that no one can convince them to repent of their rebellion against God. For these lost souls, repentance becomes impossible (Hebrews 6). They have sinned unto death.
If this is true, and I believe that it is, there are multitudes of professing Christians who will be eternally disappointed on the final day. Listen to what Jesus said.
“Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, (those who profess to be Christians but are not) shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven (only Christians who do the will of God are righteous and saved). Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you depart from me, ye that work iniquity (those Christians who refuse to stop sinning and are practicing lawlessness).” Matthew 7:21-23, KJV emphasis added.
If our faith doesn’t yield obedience to the will and law of God, it is not saving faith but the faith of devils. Faith without works of righteousness is dead. Faith without faithfulness is dead. Jesus said that even those who prophesy and perform mighty works, such as casting out demons, will be rejected if they do not cease from sin. I do not know how it could be clearer.
The problem is not that the truth is hidden. The problem is that few Christians believe what they read. They have been taught to read into verses such as this one, their own presuppositions, such as we are born sinners who will never stop sinning, and not even God, in His grace, can give us victory over sin in this life.
The good news is that there need not be sin unto death for any of us. Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world. We can do all things through Christ, including living a life of righteousness and forsaking our sins. Believe it.
