1 John 3:6
New International Version
No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

New Living Translation
Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.

English Standard Version
No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.

Berean Standard Bible
No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.

Berean Literal Bible
Anyone abiding in Him does not sin; anyone sinning has not seen Him, nor has he known Him.

King James Bible
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

New King James Version
Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

New American Standard Bible
No one who remains in Him sins continually; no one who sins continually has seen Him or knows Him.

NASB 1995
No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.

NASB 1977
No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.

Legacy Standard Bible
No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or has come to know Him.

Amplified Bible
No one who abides in Him [who remains united in fellowship with Him—deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin. No one who habitually sins has seen Him or known Him.

Christian Standard Bible
Everyone who remains in him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen him or known him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Everyone who remains in Him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen Him or known Him.

American Standard Version
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither knoweth him.

Contemporary English Version
and people who stay one in their hearts with him won't keep on sinning. If they do keep on sinning, they don't know Christ, and they have never seen him.

English Revised Version
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither knoweth him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Those who live in Christ don't go on sinning. Those who go on sinning haven't seen or known Christ.

Good News Translation
So everyone who lives in union with Christ does not continue to sin; but whoever continues to sin has never seen him or known him.

International Standard Version
No one who remains in union with him keeps on sinning. The one who keeps on sinning hasn't seen him or known him.

Majority Standard Bible
No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.

NET Bible
Everyone who resides in him does not sin; everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him.

New Heart English Bible
Whoever remains in him does not sin. Whoever sins hasn't seen him, neither knows him.

Webster's Bible Translation
Whoever abideth in him sinneth not: whoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

Weymouth New Testament
No one who continues in union with Him lives in sin: no one who lives in sin has seen Him or knows Him.

World English Bible
Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him and doesn’t know him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
everyone who is remaining in Him does not sin; everyone who is sinning, has not seen Him, nor known Him.

Berean Literal Bible
Anyone abiding in Him does not sin; anyone sinning has not seen Him, nor has he known Him.

Young's Literal Translation
every one who is remaining in him doth not sin; every one who is sinning, hath not seen him, nor known him.

Smith's Literal Translation
Every one remaining in him sins not: every one sinning has not seen him, nor known him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Whosoever abideth in him, sinneth not; and whosoever sinneth, hath not seen him, nor known him.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Everyone who abides in him does not sin. For whoever sins has not seen him, and has not known him.

New American Bible
No one who remains in him sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him.

New Revised Standard Version
No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Whoever abides in him does not sin: and whoever sins has not seen him, neither known him.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
No one who remains in him commits sin, and no one who sins has seen him, neither has he known him.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Whoever abides in him, sins not. Whoever sins, has neither seen him nor known him.

Godbey New Testament
No one abiding in him is sinning: every one sinning does not see him, nor know him.

Haweis New Testament
Every one who abideth in him, doth not sin; every one who sinneth hath not seen him, nor known him.

Mace New Testament
whosoever adheres to him, sinneth not: whosoever sinneth, hath not seen him, he does not know him.

Weymouth New Testament
No one who continues in union with Him lives in sin: no one who lives in sin has seen Him or knows Him.

Worrell New Testament
Every one that is abiding in Him sins not; whosoever sins has not seen Him nor known Him.

Worsley New Testament
Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, nor known Him.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Children of God
5But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him. 7Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.…

Cross References
John 15:4-5
Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. / I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.

Romans 6:1-2
What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? / Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?

1 John 2:4
If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

1 John 1:6
If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

Galatians 5:16-17
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. / For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want.

1 Peter 2:22
“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”

Romans 8:9-10
You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. / But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!

John 8:34-36
Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. / A slave does not remain in the house forever, but a son remains forever. / So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Colossians 3:3-5
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. / When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. / Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.

Hebrews 10:26
If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains,

1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, / nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 4:22-24
to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; / to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; / and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Matthew 7:21-23
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. / Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ / Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’

2 Peter 2:20-22
If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse than it was at first. / It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then to turn away from the holy commandment passed on to them. / Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”


Treasury of Scripture

Whoever stays in him sins not: whoever sins has not seen him, neither known him.

abideth.

1 John 2:28
And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

John 15:4-7
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me…

whosoever.

1 John 3:2,9
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is…

1 John 2:4
He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

1 John 4:8
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

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1 John 3
1. He declares the singular love of God toward us, in making us his sons;
3. who therefore ought obediently to keep his commandments;
11. as also to love one another as brothers.














No one who remains in Him
The phrase "remains in Him" is derived from the Greek word "μένω" (meno), which means to abide, stay, or continue. This concept of abiding is central to Johannine theology, emphasizing a deep, ongoing relationship with Christ. In the historical context of the early church, this abiding was a call to steadfastness amidst false teachings and persecution. To "remain in Him" suggests a life characterized by faithfulness and intimacy with Jesus, reflecting a transformative union that influences every aspect of a believer's life.

keeps on sinning
The Greek verb here is "ἁμαρτάνει" (hamartanei), which is in the present tense, indicating a continuous or habitual action. This does not imply that a believer will never sin, but rather that a lifestyle of persistent, unrepentant sin is incompatible with a genuine relationship with Christ. Historically, this was a critical point for the early church, distinguishing true followers of Christ from those who merely professed faith without evidence of transformation. Theologically, it underscores the transformative power of grace that not only forgives but also empowers believers to overcome sin.

No one who continues to sin
This phrase reiterates the previous point, using the Greek "ἁμαρτάνων" (hamartanōn), again emphasizing ongoing, habitual sin. The repetition serves to stress the seriousness of the issue. In the scriptural context, John is addressing a community where false teachers were promoting a distorted view of sin and grace. The apostle's message is clear: true knowledge of Christ results in a changed life. This is a call to self-examination and repentance, urging believers to align their lives with the holiness of God.

has seen Him or known Him
The verbs "seen" (ἑώρακεν, heōraken) and "known" (ἔγνωκεν, egnōken) are perfect tense in Greek, indicating a completed action with ongoing results. To "see" and "know" Christ is to have a profound, experiential understanding of His nature and work. Historically, this reflects the apostolic witness and the transformative encounters with the risen Christ. In a broader scriptural context, it echoes the intimate knowledge of God that is available through the Holy Spirit. This knowledge is not merely intellectual but relational, leading to a life that mirrors the character of Christ.

Verse 6. - Every one that abideth in Christ ipso facto sinneth not; for, if he sins, he ceases to abide in him. Just in so far as he abides, he does not sin. Or it may mean that be who abides in Christ cannot deliberately and habitually sin. But then would not St. John have written, "He that abideth in Christ abideth not in sin"? But the main difficulty is in the second half. In what sense is it true that every one that sinneth hath not seen Christ? In the main two explanations are given.

(1) The Greek perfect expresses the present and permanent result of a past action, and is often equivalent to a present. No doubt; and all would be easy if we had only to deal with ὤγνωκε, which means, "he hath come to know," equivalent to "he knoweth." But does ἑώρακε ever mean "he seeth," as Alford suggests as the best rendering for a version? If St. John simply means that whoever sins thereby ceases to see and know Christ, he would hardly express himself thus.

(2) The fact of the man's sinning proves that his perception and knowledge have been imperfect, if not superficial, or even imaginary; just as the fact of Christians leaving the Church proves that they never were really members of it (1 John 2:19). This explanation is preferable. In verse 2 we were told that seeing God will make us like God; and similarly, to see and know Christ make us like Christ. Whoever is unlike Christ, to that extent has not seen nor come to know him. The best of us, it may be, have seen but the hem of his garment.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
No one
πᾶς (pas)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

who
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

remains
μένων (menōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3306: To remain, abide, stay, wait; with acc: I wait for, await. A primary verb; to stay.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

Him
αὐτῷ (autō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

keeps on sinning.
ἁμαρτάνει (hamartanei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 264: Perhaps from a and the base of meros; properly, to miss the mark, i.e. to err, especially to sin.

No one
πᾶς (pas)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

who
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

continues to sin
ἁμαρτάνων (hamartanōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 264: Perhaps from a and the base of meros; properly, to miss the mark, i.e. to err, especially to sin.

has seen
ἑώρακεν (heōraken)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3708: Properly, to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly; by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear.

Him
αὐτὸν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

[or]
οὐδὲ (oude)
Conjunction
Strong's 3761: Neither, nor, not even, and not. From ou and de; not however, i.e. Neither, nor, not even.

known
ἔγνωκεν (egnōken)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1097: A prolonged form of a primary verb; to 'know' in a great variety of applications and with many implications.

Him.
αὐτόν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.


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NT Letters: 1 John 3:6 Whoever remains in him doesn't sin (1J iJ 1Jn i jn 1 jo)
1 John 3:5
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