Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 John 5:17

"All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death." — 1 John 5:17 (ASV)

Earlier John defined sin as “lawlessness” (3:4). Now he adds “unrighteousness” (NIV, “wrongdoing”; GK 94). Possibly some in the community, knowing that God’s children were not to sin (3:9–10), attempted to deal with the problem of Christians’ sinning by limiting sin to deliberate or lawless acts. If so, John will have none of it. All wrongdoing is sin, even when done by the children of God. But not all sin results in death. John aims first at honesty (cf. 1:8) and only then at resolution. Sin is not dealt with by denial but by confession and by community intercession (v.16). Where this intercession occurs, the divine life of God is present and fellowship with God occurs. Within this life and fellowship, the blood of Jesus Christ purifies believers from all sin (1:7).