1 John 3:6

New Living Translation

Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
So whoever lives in Christ does not continue to sin. If they continue to sin, they have never really understood Christ and have never known him.

Revised Standard Version
No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
As many as byde in him synne not: whosoever synneth hath not sene him nether hath knowen him.

Hebrew Names Version
Whoever remains in him doesn't sin. Whoever sins hasn't seen him, neither knows him.

New American Standard Bible
No one who remains in Him sins continually; no one who sins continually has seen Him or knows Him.

New Century Version
So anyone who lives in Christ does not go on sinning. Anyone who goes on sinning has never really understood Christ and has never known him.

Update Bible Version
Whoever abides in him doesn't sin: whoever sins has neither seen him nor known him.

Webster's Bible Translation
Whoever abideth in him sinneth not: whoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

World English Bible
Whoever remains in him doesn't sin. Whoever sins hasn't seen him, neither knows him.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not; whosoever sinneth, seeth him not, neither knoweth him.

Weymouth's New Testament
No one who continues in union with Him lives in sin: no one who lives in sin has seen Him or knows Him.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Ech man that dwellith in hym, synneth not; and ech that synneth, seeth not hym, nether knew hym.

English Revised Version
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither knoweth him.

Berean Standard Bible
No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.

Contemporary English Version
and people who stay one in their hearts with him won't keep on sinning. If they do keep on sinning, they don't know Christ, and they have never seen him.

Amplified Bible
No one who abides in Him [who remains united in fellowship with Him—deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin. No one who habitually sins has seen Him or known Him.

American Standard Version
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither knoweth him.

Bible in Basic English
Anyone who is in him does no sin; anyone who is a sinner has not seen him and has no knowledge of him.

Complete Jewish Bible
So no one who remains united with him continues sinning; everyone who does continue sinning has neither seen him nor known him.

Darby Translation
Whoever abides in him, does not sin: whoever sins, has not seen him or known him.

International Standard Version
No one who remains in him goes on sinning. The one who goes on sinning hasn't seen him or known him.1 John 2:4; 4:8; 3 John 1:1:11;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And every one who in him abideth, sinneth not. And every one who sinneth, hath not seen him, nor known him.

Murdock Translation
And every one that abideth in him, sinneth not: and every one that sinneth, hath not seen him, nor hath known him.

King James Version (1611)
Whosoeuer abideth in him, sinneth not: whosoeuer sinneth, hath not seene him, neither knowen him.

New Life Bible
The person who lives by the help of Christ does not keep on sinning. The person who keeps on sinning has not seen Him or has not known Him.

New Revised Standard
No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him.

English Standard Version
No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Whosoeuer abideth in him, sinneth not: whosoeuer sinneth, hath not seene him, neither hath knowen him.

George Lamsa Translation
Whoever abides in him does not sin: and whoever sins has not seen him, neither known him.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Whosoever, in him, doth abide, is not sinning: whosoever is sinning, hath not seen him, and doth not understand him.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: and whosoever sinneth hath not seen him nor known him.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
As many as byde in hym, sinne not: whosoeuer sinneth, hath not seene him, neither knowen hym.

Good News Translation
So everyone who lives in union with Christ does not continue to sin; but whoever continues to sin has never seen him or known him.

Christian Standard Bible®
Everyone who remains in him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen him or known him.

King James Version
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

Lexham English Bible
Everyone who resides in him does not sin. Everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him.

Literal Translation
Everyone remaining in Him does not sin. Everyone sinning has not seen Him, nor known Him.

Young's Literal Translation
every one who is remaining in him doth not sin; every one who is sinning, hath not seen him, nor known him.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Who so euer abydeth in him, synneth not: who soeuer synneth, hath not sene him nether knowne him.

Mace New Testament (1729)
whosoever adheres to him, sinneth not: whosoever sinneth, hath not seen him, he does not know him.

New English Translation
Everyone who resides in him does not sin; everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him.

New King James Version
Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

Simplified Cowboy Version
If you ride for Jesus, you don't ride in sin. It's that simple. But those who continue to choose sin over Jesus do not ride for him or know him.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.

Contextual Overview

⁴ Everyone who sins is breaking God's law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. ⁵ And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. ⁶ Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. ⁷ Dear children, don't let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. ⁸ But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ Those who have been born into God's family do not make a practice of sinning, because God's life is in them. So they can't keep on sinning, because they are children of God. ¹⁰ So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

abideth: 1 John 2:28, John 15:4-7

whosoever: 1 John 3:2, 1 John 3:9, 1 John 2:4, 1 John 4:8, 1 John 5:18, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 2 Corinthians 4:6, 3 John 1:11

Reciprocal: Ezekiel 3:21 - if thou Hosea 6:6 - the 1 John 1:8 - say 1 John 2:6 - he

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, "Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?"

Genesis 3:2
"Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden," the woman replied.

Genesis 3:12
The man replied, "It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it."

Genesis 3:14
Then the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live.

Genesis 3:15
And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel."

Genesis 3:17
And to the man he said, "Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.

Genesis 3:19
By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return."

Genesis 6:2
The sons of God saw the beautiful women and took any they wanted as their wives.

Genesis 39:7
and Potiphar's wife soon began to look at him lustfully. "Come and sleep with me," she demanded.

Joshua 7:21
Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Whosoever abideth in him,.... As the branch in the vine, deriving all light, life, grace, holiness, wisdom, strength, joy, peace, and comfort from Christ; or dwells in him by faith, enjoys communion with him as a fruit of union to him; and stands fast in him, being rooted and grounded in him, and abides by him, his truths and ordinances, takes up his rest, and places his security in him, and perseveres through him:

sinneth not; not that he has no sin in him, or lives without sin, but he does not live in sin, nor give up himself to a vicious course of life; for this would be inconsistent with his dwelling in Christ, and enjoying communion with him:

whosoever sinneth; which is not to be understood of a single action, but of a course of sinning:

hath not seen him, neither known him; that is, he has never seen Christ with an eye of faith; he has never truly and spiritually seen the glory, beauty, fulness, and suitableness of Christ, his need, and the worth of him; he has never seen him so as to enjoy him, and have communion with him; for what communion hath Christ with Belial, or light with darkness, or righteousness with unrighteousness? 2 Corinthians 6:14, nor has he ever savingly known him, or been experimentally acquainted with him; for though he may profess to know him in words, he denies him in works.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Whosoever abideth in him - See 1 John 2:6. The word here employed (μένων menōn) properly means to remain, to continue, to abide. It is used of persons remaining or dwelling in a place, in the sense of abiding there permanently, or lodging there, and this is the common meaning of the word, Matthew 10:11; Matthew 26:38; Mark 6:10; Luke 1:56, “et saepe.” In the writings of John, however, it is quite a favorite word to denote the relation which one sustains to another, in the sense of being united to him, or remaining with him in affection and love; being with him in heart and mind and will, as one makes his home in a dwelling. The sense seems to be that we have some sort of relation to him similar to that which we have to our home; that is, some fixed and permanent attachment to him. We live in him; we remain steadfast in our attachment to him, as we do to our own home. For the use of the word in John, in whose writings it so frequently occurs, see John 5:38; John 6:56; John 14:10, John 14:17; Joh 15:27; 1 John 2:6, 1Jo 2:10, 1 John 2:14, 1 John 2:17, 1Jo 2:27-28; 1 John 3:6, 1Jo 3:24; 1 John 4:12-13, 1 John 4:15-16. In the passage before us, as in his writings generally, it refers to one who lives the life of a Christian, as if he were always with Christ, and abode with him. It refers to the Christian considered as adhering steadfastly to the Saviour, and not as following him with transitory feelings, emotions, and raptures.

(See the supplementary note at Romans 8:10. We abide in Christ by union with him. The phrase expresses the continuance of the union; of which see in the note as above. Scott explains, “whoever abides in Christ as one with him and as maintaining communion with him. ‘)

It does not of itself necessarily mean that he will always do this; that is, it does not prove the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, but it refers to the adherence to the Saviour as a continuous state of mind, or as having permanency; meaning that there is a life of continued faith in him. It is of a person thus attached to the Saviour that the apostle makes the important declaration in the passage before us, that he does not sin. This is the third argument to show that the child of God should be pure; and the substance of the argument is, that “as a matter of fact” the child of God is not a sinner.

Sinneth not - There has been much difference of opinion in regard to this expression, and the similar declaration in 1 John 3:9. Not a few have maintained that it teaches the “doctrine of perfection,” or that Christians may live entirely without sin; and some have held that the apostle meant to teach that this is always the characteristic of the true Christian. Against the interpretation, however, which supposes that it teaches that the Christian is absolutely perfect, and lives wholly without sin, there are three insuperable objections:

(1) If it teaches that doctrine at all, it teaches that all Christians are perfect; “whosoever abideth in him,” “whosoever is born of God,” “he cannot sin,” 1 John 3:9.

(2) This is not true, and cannot be held to be true by those who have any just views of what the children of God have been and are. Who can maintain that Abraham, or Isaac, or Jacob; that Moses, David, or Job; that Peter, John, or Paul, were absolutely perfect, and were never, after their regeneration, guilty of an act of sin? Certainly they never affirmed it of themselves, nor does the sacred record attribute to them any such perfection. And who can affirm this of all who give evidence of true piety in the world? Who can of themselves? Are we to come to the painful conclusion that all who are not absolutely perfect in thought, word, and deed, are destitute of any religion, and are to be set down as hypocrites or self-deceivers? And yet, unless this passage proves that “all” who have been born again are absolutely perfect, it will not prove it of anyone, for the affirmation is not made of a part, or of what any favored individual may be, but of what everyone is in fact who is born of God.

(3) This interpretation is not necessary to a fair exposition of the passage. The language used is such as would be employed by any writer if he designed to say of one that he is not characteristically a sinner; that he is a good man; that he does not commit habitual and willful transgression. Such language is common throughout the Bible, when it is said of one man that he is a saint, and of another that he is a sinner; of one that he is righteous, and of another that he is wicked; of one that he obeys the law of God, and of another that he does not. John expresses it strongly, but he affirms no more in fact than is affirmed elsewhere. The passage teaches, indeed, most important truths in regard to the true Christian; and the fair and proper meaning may be summed up in the following particulars:

(a) He who is born again does not sin habitually, or is not habitually a sinner. If he does wrong, it is when he is overtaken by temptation, and the act is against the habitual inclination and purpose of his soul. If a man sins habitually, it proves that he has never been renewed.

(b) That he who is born again does not do wrong deliberately and by design. He means to do right. He is not willfully and deliberately a sinner. If a man deliberately and intentionally does wrong, he shows that he is not actuated by the spirit of religion. It is true that when one does wrong, or commits sin, there is a momentary assent of the will; but it is under the influence of passion, or excitement, or temptation, or provocation, and not as the result of a deliberate plan or purpose of the soul. A man who deliberately and intentionally does a wrong thing, shows that he is not a true Christian; and if this were all that is understood by “perfection,” then there would be many who are perfect, for there are many, very many Christians, who cannot recollect an instance for many years in which they have intentionally and deliberately done a wrong thing. Yet these very Christians see much corruption in their own hearts over which to mourn, and against which they earnestly strive; in comparing themselves with the perfect law of God, and with the perfect example of the Saviour, they see much in which they come short.

(c) He who is born again will not sin finally, or will not fall away. “His seed remaineth in him,” 1 John 3:9. See the notes at that verse. There is a principle of grace by which he will ultimately be restrained and recovered. This, it seems to me, is fairly implied in the language used by John; for if a person might be a Christian, and yet wholly fall away and perish, how could it be said with any truth that such a man “sinneth not;” how that “he doth not commit sin;” how that “his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin?” Just the contrary would be true if this were so.

Whosoever sinneth - That is, as explained above, habitually, deliberately, characteristically, and finally. - Doddridge. “Who habitually and avowedly sinneth.”

Hath not seen him, nor known him - Has had no just views of the Saviour, or of the nature of true religion. In other words, cannot be a true Christian.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 6. Whosoever abideth in him — By faith, love, and obedience.

Sinneth not — Because his heart is purified by faith, and he is a worker together with God, and consequently does not receive the grace of God in vain. See note on 1 John 3:3.

Hath not seen him — It is no unusual thing with this apostle, both in his gospel and in his epistles, to put occasionally the past for the present, and the present for the past tense. It is very likely that here he puts, after the manner of the Hebrew, the preterite for the present: He who sins against God doth not see him, neither doth he know him-the eye of his faith is darkened, so that he cannot see him as he formerly did; and he has no longer the experimental knowledge of God as his Father and portion.