1 John 5:17

πᾶσα�. A warning against carelessness about breaches of duty, whether in ourselves or in others. All such things are sin and need the cleansing blood of Christ (1 John 1:9; 1 John 2:2). Here, therefore, is a wide enough field for brotherly intercession. The statement serves also as a farewell declaration against the Gnostic doctrine that to the enlightened Christian declensions from righteousness involve no sin. Comp. the definition of sin as lawlessness in 1 John 3:4.

ἔστιν ἁμαρτία οὐ πρὸς θάν. As before, there is sin not unto death. Luther has etliche Sünde here; eine Sünde in 1 John 5:16 : Wiclif, Purvey, Tyndale, Cranmer and the Genevan omit the indefinite article here, although they insert it in 1 John 5:16. While the preceding statement is a warning against carelessness, this is a warning against despair, whether about ourselves or about others. Not all sin is mortal:—an answer by anticipation to the heathen rigour of Stoicism and to the unchristian rigour of Montanism and Novatianism.

Note the change in 1 John 5:16-17 from ἁμαρτ. μὴ πρὸς θάν. (in a supposed case) to ἁμαρτ. οὐ π. θ. (in a statement of fact). Tertullian, the Vulgate, Harcleian Syriac, and Thebaic omit the negative and read et est peccatum (or delictum) ad mortem.