1 John 3:8

He that committeth sin Better, as in 1 John 3:4, in order to bring out the full antithesis, He that doeth sin. -To do sin" is the exact opposite of -to do righteousness": as before, both substantives have the article in the Greek: see on 1 John 3:4. And, as before, the present participle indicates the habitualdoer of sin. Such an one has the devil as the source (ἐκ), not of his existence, but of the evil which rules his existence and is the main element in it. "The devil made no man, begat no man, created no man: but whoso imitates the devil, becomes a child of the devil, as if begotten of him. In what sense art thou a child of Abraham? Not that Abraham begat thee. In the same sense as that in which the Jews, the children of Abraham, by not imitating the faith of Abraham, are become children of the devil" (S. Augustine). It is one of the characteristics of these closing words of N. T. that they mark with singular precision the personality of Satan, and his relation to sin, sinners, and redemption from sin.

for the devil sinneth from the beginning Or, because from the beginning the devil sinneth. -From the beginning" stands first for emphasis. What does it mean? Various explanations have been suggested. (1) From the beginning of sin. The devil was the first to sin and has never ceased to sin. (2) From the beginning of the devil. This comes very near to asserting the Gnostic and Manichaean error of two co-eternal principles or Creators, one good and one evil. The very notion of sin involves departure from what is good. The good therefore must have existed first. To avoid this, (3) from the beginning of the devil as such, i.e. from the time of his becoming the devil, or (4) from the beginning of his activity;which is not very different from (3) if one believes that he is a fallen angel, or from (2) if one does not. (5) From the beginning of the world. (6) From the beginning of the human race. The first or last seems best. "The phrase -From the beginning" intimates that there has been no period of the existence of human beings in which they have not been liable to the assaults of this Tempter; that accusations against God, reasons for doubting and distrusting Him, have been offered to one man after another, to one generation after another. This is just what the Scripture affirms; just the assumption which goes through the book from Genesis to the Apocalypse." (Maurice.) Note the present tense: not he has sinned, but he is sinning; his whole existence is sin.

the Son of God In special contrast to those habitual sinners who are morally the children of the devil.

that he might destroy Literally, that he might unlooseor dissolveor undo. All destruction is dissolution. The metaphor here has probably nothing to do with loosening bonds or snares. It is a favourite one with S. John; - Destroythis sanctuary" (John 2:19). Comp. 1 John 5:18; John 7:23; John 10:35, where either notion, loosening or dissolving, is appropriate.

the works of the devil The sins (1 John 3:5) which he causes men to commit. Christ came to undothe sins of men.