The precise meaning of ἁμαρτία πρὸς θάνατον (sin leading to death) in 1 John 5:16 has continued to evade scholars. The difficulties are myriad. Understanding what John is saying requires ascertaining 1) whether the one sinning is a believer or and unbeliever, 2) the nature of life and death in this context, and 3) the identity of sin itself. There are numerous proposals for each of these choices. The dichotomy in the first category is clear. In the second category, one must decide whether the death is physical or spiritual and whether the life is physical or eternal. For the third category, there are five common proposals for the identity of the sin leading to death. First, it is a deliberate or “high-handed” sin. Second, it is a mortal sin. Third, it is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Fourth, it is apostasy. Finally, it is a persistent continuance in sin that has led to a physical discipline from God.
In each of aforementioned positions, the resulting death is viewed as affecting only the one who commits the sin. Thus, the sin leads to death only for the sinner. It is the contention of this paper that this is a mistake. The “death” that results from this sin is one that affects others within the Johannine community. Specifically, John is portraying the secessionists as bringing spiritual death into the community through their deceptive teaching that has departed from the Gospel. They are those that hate their brothers and are thus murderers. Ultimately, they do this because they are children of the Devil.
To prove this thesis, this paper will demonstrate the textual links between 1 John 5:16-17, 1 John 3:11-15, and John 8:39-47. 1 John 3:11-15 should influence one’s understanding of the sense of death in 1 John 5:16-17. 1 John 3:11-15 is clearly drawn from John 8:39-47, as evidenced by the unique use of ἀνθρωποκτόνος (murderer), the reference to the early Genesis narrative through the use of ἀρχή (beginning), and the common concern with spiritual parentage. This demonstrates that John is drawing a parallel between the secessionists and the Pharisees and ultimately, the Devil. Furthermore, this connection suggests that ἀνθρωποκτόνος, for John, is not concerned with physical death, but rather it refers to the spiritual death that results from deception. Through their teaching, the secessionists are leading members of the community to death.
Thus, the broader Johannine context demonstrates that the sin that leads to death is the deceptive false teaching of those who oppose Christ and his truth. The teaching of the secessionists results in spiritual death, not just for them, but for those within the community that believe their message.