1 John 3:8

Contextual Overview

⁴Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. ⁴ Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. ⁴ Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. ⁴Sin is just a word we use for doing anything that goes against what the Boss told us to do. ⁴ Everyone who is a sinner goes against the law, for sin is going against the law. ⁴ Every one that practises sin practises also lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. ⁴ Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness. ⁴ Whosoever committeth sin, transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law. ⁴ Every one who is guilty of sin is also guilty of violating Law; for sin is the violation of Law. ⁴ Whosoeuer committeth sinne, transgresseth also the lawe: for sinne is the transgression of the law.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

He that: 1 John 3:10, 1 John 5:19,*Gr: Matthew 13:38, John 8:44, Ephesians 2:2

for: 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 1:6

this purpose: 1 John 3:5, Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 27:1, Mark 1:24, Luke 10:18, John 12:31, John 16:11, Romans 16:20, Colossians 2:15, Hebrews 2:14, Revelation 20:2, Revelation 20:3, Revelation 20:10, Revelation 20:15

Reciprocal: Numbers 21:9 - when he Judges 14:6 - rent him Isaiah 5:7 - he looked Isaiah 40:10 - with strong hand Isaiah 49:25 - Even Daniel 9:24 - finish Micah 7:19 - subdue Zechariah 3:2 - the Lord said Matthew 6:13 - deliver Matthew 12:29 - General Mark 3:27 - General Mark 5:7 - that Mark 7:29 - General Mark 7:30 - she found Luke 1:71 - we Luke 3:7 - O generation Luke 4:34 - art Luke 8:28 - I beseech Luke 8:35 - and found Luke 11:22 - General John 1:34 - this John 3:8 - so John 6:70 - and one John 8:34 - Whosoever John 8:38 - and ye Acts 10:38 - healing Acts 13:10 - thou child Acts 26:18 - and from Romans 1:3 - his Son Galatians 2:17 - are found Colossians 1:13 - the power 1 Timothy 1:15 - that James 3:15 - devilish 1 Peter 1:20 - but 1 Peter 5:8 - the devil 1 John 1:2 - was manifested 1 John 3:4 - committeth 1 John 3:12 - of Revelation 12:9 - the Devil

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which Yahweh God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"

Genesis 3:1
And the serpent was suttiller then euery beast of the fielde which ye lord God hadde made, and he sayde vnto the woman: yea, hath God saide, ye shall not eate of euery tree of the garden?

Genesis 3:1
The snake was the most clever of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. The snake spoke to the woman and said, "Woman, did God really tell you that you must not eat from any tree in the garden?"

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?"

Genesis 3:1
But and the serpent was feller than alle lyuynge beestis of erthe, whiche the Lord God hadde maad. Which serpent seide to the womman, Why comaundide God to you, that ye schulden not ete of ech tre of paradis?

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more subtill then any beast of the field, which the LORD God had made, and he said vnto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of euery tree of the garden?

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He that committeth sin is of the devil,.... Not everyone that sins, or commits acts of sin, then every man is of the devil, because no man lives without the commission of sin; but he who makes sin his constant business, and the employment of his life, whose life is a continued series of sinning, he is of the devil; not as to origin and substance, or by proper generation, as some have literally understood the words; but by imitation, being like him, and so of him their father, doing his lusts, living continually in sin, as he does, and so resemble him, as children do their parents; and hereby also appear to be under his government and influence, to be led captive by him at his will, and so to belong to him, and such as will have their part and portion with him in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, so living and dying:

for the devil sinneth from the beginning; not of his creation, for he was made by God a pure and holy creature; but from the beginning of the world, or near it, at least from the beginning of man's creation; for he not only sinned by rebelling against God himself, and by drawing in the rest of the apostate angels into the rebellion with him, but by tempting man, as soon as created, to sin against God: what was his first and particular sin is not certain, whether pride or envy, or what; seems to be, his not abiding in the truth, or an opposition to the truth of the Gospel, respecting the incarnation of the Son of God, mentioned in the following clause; see John 8:44; however, he has been continually sinning ever since: he "sinneth"; he is always sinning, doing nothing else but sin; so that he that lives a vicious course of life is like him, and manifestly of him:

for this purpose the Son of God was manifested; in human nature, as in 1 John 3:5; whence it appears that he was the Son of God before his incarnation, and so not by it; he did not become so through it, nor was he denominated such on account of it; he was not made the Son of God by it, but was manifested in it what he was before; and for this end:

that he might destroy the works of the devil; and the devil himself, and all his dominion and power, and particularly his power over death, and death itself; and especially the sins of men, which are the works of the devil, which he puts them upon, influences them to do, and takes delight in; and which are destroyed by Christ, by his sacrifice and death, being taken, carried, removed away, finished, and made an end of by him; 1 John 3:5- :.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He that committeth sin - Habitually, willfully, characteristically.

Is of the devil - This cannot mean that no one who commits any sin, or who is not absolutely perfect, can be a Christian, for this would cut off the great mass, even according to the belief of those who hold that the Christian may be perfectly holy, from all claim to the Christian character. But what the apostle here says is true in two senses:

1. That all who commit sin, even true believers, so far as they are imperfect, in this respect resemble Satan, and are under his influence, since sin, just so far as it exists at all, makes us resemble him.

(2)All who habitually and characteristically sin are of the devil.” This latter was evidently the principal idea in the mind of the apostle. His object here is to show that those who sinned, in the sense in which it would seem some maintained that the children of God might sin, could have no real evidence of piety, but really belonged to Satan.

For the devil sinneth from the beginning - The beginning of the world; or from the first account we have of him. It does not mean that he sinned from the beginning of his existence, for he was made holy like the other angels. Notes, Jude 1:6. The meaning is, that he introduced sin into the universe, and that he has continued to practice it ever since. The word sinneth here implies continued and habitual sin. He did not commit one act of sin and then reform; but he has continued, and still continues, his course of sin. This may confirm what has been already said about the kind of sin that John refers to. He speaks of sinning habitually, continuously, willfully; and anyone who does this shows that he is under the influence of him whose characteristic it has been and is to sin.

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested - Became incarnate, and appeared among people, 1 John 3:5. Compare the notes at 1 Timothy 3:16.

That he might destroy the works of the devil - All his plans of wickedness, and his control over the hearts of people. Compare the Matthew 8:29 note; Mark 1:24 note; Hebrews 2:14 note. The argument here is, that as the Son of God came to destroy all the works of the devil, he cannot be his true follower who lives in sin.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 8. He that committeth sin is of the devil — Hear this, also, ye who plead for Baal, and cannot bear the thought of that doctrine that states believers are to be saved from all sin in this life! He who committeth sin is a child of the devil, and shows that he has still the nature of the devil in him; for the devil sinneth from the beginning-he was the father of sin, brought sin into the world, and maintains sin in the world by living in the hearts of his own children, and thus leading them to transgression; and persuading others that they cannot be saved from their sins in this life, that he may secure a continual residence in their heart. He knows that if he has a place there throughout life, he will probably have it at death; and, if so, throughout eternity.

For this purpose — ειςτουτο. For this very end-with this very design, was Jesus manifested in the flesh, that he might destroy, ιναλυση, that he might loose, the bonds of sin, and dissolve the power, influence, and connection of sin. See note on 1 John 3:3.