1 John 5:14-17

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 John 5:14-17

Here we have, I. A privilege belonging to faith in Christ, namely, audience in prayer: This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us, 1 John 5:14. The Lord Christ emboldens us to come to God in all circumstances, with all our supplications and requests. Through him our petitions are admitted and accepted of God. The matter of our prayer must be agreeable to the declared will of God. It is not fit that we should ask what is contrary... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 John 5:14-15

5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have towards him, that, if we ask anything which is in accordance with his will, he hears us; and, if we know that he hears anything that we ask, we know that we possess the requests that we have made from him. Here are set down both the basis and the principle of prayer. (i) The basis of prayer is the simple fact that God listens to our prayers. The word which John uses for confidence is interesting. It is parrhesia ( Greek #3954 ).... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 John 5:16-17

5:16-17 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which is not a sin whose end is death, he will ask life for him and he will give it to him, that is, to those whose sin is not a sin whose end is death. There is a sin whose end is death. It is not about that that I mean he should ask. All wrongdoing is sin; but there is a sin whose end is not death. There is no doubt that this is a most difficult and disturbing passage. Before we approach its problems, let us look at its certainties. John... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 John 5:16-17

This passage speaks of the sin whose end is death and the sin whose end is not death. The Revised Standard Version translates "mortal" sin. There have been many suggestions in regard to this. The Jews distinguished two kinds of sins. There were the sins which a man committed unwittingly or, at least, not deliberately. These were sins which a man might commit in ignorance, or when he was swept away by some over-mastering impulse, or in some moment of strong emotion when his passions were... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 John 5:16-17

First of all, let us try to fix more closely the meaning of the mortal sin. In the Greek it is the sin pros ( Greek #4314 ) thanaton ( Greek #2288 ). That means the sin which is going towards death, the sin whose end is death, the sin which, if continued in, must finish in death. The terrible thing about it is not so much what it is in itself, as where it will end, if a man persists in it. It is a fact of experience that there are two kinds of sinners. On the one hand, there is the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 John 5:14

And this is the confidence that we have in him ,.... Either in God, to whom prayer is made; or in the Son of God, through whose blood and righteousness believers in him have confidence with God at the throne of grace; they can come with boldness and intrepidity, and use freedom and liberty of speech, as the word here used signifies; especially when they have the Spirit of Christ with them, and are under the sprinklings of the blood of Christ, and have a comfortable assurance of being heard... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 John 5:15

And if we know that he hear us ,.... As it may be assured he does hear and answer all such persons that ask according to his will: whatsoever we ask, we know , or are assured, that we have the petitions that we desired of him : for as it is the nature of that holy confidence, which believers have in God, to believe whatever they ask according to his will, in general, shall be grappled, so every request in particular; yea, before the mercy desired, or the favour asked for is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 John 5:16

If anyone see his brother sin ,.... Those who have such an interest at the throne of grace, and such boldness and freedom there, should make use of it for others, as well as themselves, and particularly for fallen believers; for a "brother"; not in a natural or civil sense, but in a spiritual sense, one that is judged to be born again, and belongs to the family and household of God, and is a member of a Gospel church; and so is under the watch, inspection, and care of the saints; and is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 John 5:17

All unrighteousness is sin ,.... All unrighteousness against God or man is a sin against the law of God, and the wrath of God is revealed against it, and it is deserving of death; yet all unrighteousness is not unto death, as the sins of David, which were unrighteousness both to God and man, and yet they were put away, and he died not; Peter sinned very foully, and did great injustice to his dear Lord, and yet his sin was not unto death; he had repentance unto life given him, and a fresh... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 5:14

This is the confidence - Παρῥησια , The liberty of access and speech, that if we ask any thing according to his will, that is, which he has promised in his word. His word is a revelation of his will, in the things which concern the salvation of man. All that God has promised we are justified in expecting; and what he has promised, and we expect, we should pray for. Prayer is the language of the children of God. He who is begotten of God speaks this language. He calls God Abba, Father, in... read more

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