1 John 3:4 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 John 3:4-10

The apostle, having alleged the believer's obligation to purity from his hope of heaven, and of communion with Christ in glory at the day of his appearance, now proceeds to fill his own mouth and the believer's mind with multiplied arguments against sin, and all communion with the impure unfruitful works of darkness. And so he reasons and argues, I. From the nature of sin and the intrinsic evil of it. It is a contrariety to the divine law: Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also (or even)... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 John 3:3-8

3:3-8 Anyone who rests this hope on him purifies himself as he is pure. Anyone who commits sin commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that he appeared that he might take away our sins and there is no sin in him. Anyone who abides in him does not sin. Anyone who sins has not seen him, and does not know him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He who does sin is of the devil, because the devil is a sinner... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 John 3:4

Whosoever committeth sin ,.... This, in connection with what follows, is true of any sin, great or small, but here designs a course of sinning, a wilful, obstinate, persisting in sin: transgresseth also the law ; not of man, unless the law of men is founded on, and agrees with the law of God, for sometimes to transgress the laws of men is no sin, and to obey them would be criminal; but the law of God, and that not the ceremonial law, which was now abolished, and therefore to neglect it,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 3:4

Sin is the transgression of the law - The spirit of the law as well as of the Gospel is, that "we should love God with all our powers, and our neighbor as ourselves." All disobedience is contrary to love; therefore sin is the transgression of the law, whether the act refers immediately to God or to our neighbor. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 3:4

Verse 4 4Whosoever committeth, or doeth, sin. The Apostle has already shown how ungrateful we must be to God, if we make but little account of the honor of adoption, by which he of his own goodwill anticipates us, and if we do not, at least, render him mutual love. He, at the same time, introduced this admonition, that our love ought not to be diminished, because the promised happiness is deferred. But now, as men are wont to indulge themselves more than they ought, in evils, he reproves this... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:1-12

Righteousness and sin in relation to children of God. I. RIGHTEOUSNESS INSEPARABLE FROM BEING CHILDREN OF GOD . 1 . -Present inner nature. 2 . Future glory. 3 . Action in view of the future. "And every one that hath this hope set on him purifieth himself, even as he [that One] is pure." The future glory is a matter of hope to us, arising out of our present consciousness of sonship, our present experience of assimilation to God. It is a hope that rests for... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:1-24

(1) The evidence of sonship. Righteousness. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:4

Once more the apostle turns from the positive to the negative. Having shown what birth from God involves, he goes on to show what it excludes. "Every one that doeth sin" evidently balances "every one that hath this hope" ( 1 John 3:3 ), and "to do sin" is the exact opposite of "to do righteousness" ( 1 John 2:29 ). Sin is lawlessness ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐστὶν ἡ ἀνομία . Both words having the article, the two terms are exactly equivalent—all sin is lawlessness, and all lawlessness is sin.... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:4-6

Dissuasives from sin. "Whosoever committeth sin, transgresseth also the Law," etc. The apostle, having stated that the influence of the hope of the Christian stimulates him to seek for moral purity, proceeds to present forcible reasons against the commission of sin. Of these reasons we have three chief ones in the text, and these are repeated, with some additional particulars, in 1 John 3:7-9 . I. SIN IS OPPOSED TO THE HOLY LAW OF GOD . "Every one that doeth sin... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:4-12

Sin is absolutely incompatible with Christ's work of redemption and our union with him ( 1 John 3:4-8 ), and also with being born of God, as is shown by the presence or absence of brotherly love ( 1 John 3:9-12 ). read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 John 3:4-10

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 John 3:3-8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 John 3:4

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 3:4

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 3:4

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:1-12

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:1-24

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:4

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:4-6

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:4-12

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