1 John 1:10
New International Version
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

New Living Translation
If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

English Standard Version
If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Berean Standard Bible
If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.

Berean Literal Bible
If we should say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

King James Bible
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

New King James Version
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

New American Standard Bible
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

NASB 1995
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

NASB 1977
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Legacy Standard Bible
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

Amplified Bible
If we say that we have not sinned [refusing to admit acts of sin], we make Him [out to be] a liar [by contradicting Him] and His word is not in us.

Christian Standard Bible
If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If we say, “We don’t have any sin,” we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

American Standard Version
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Contemporary English Version
If we say we have not sinned, we make God a liar, and his message isn't in our hearts.

English Revised Version
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If we say, "We have never sinned," we turn God into a liar and his Word is not in us.

Good News Translation
If we say that we have not sinned, we make a liar out of God, and his word is not in us.

International Standard Version
If we say that we have never sinned, we make him a liar and his word has no place in us.

Majority Standard Bible
If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.

NET Bible
If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.

New Heart English Bible
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Webster's Bible Translation
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Weymouth New Testament
If we deny that we have sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Message has no place in our hearts.

World English Bible
If we say that we haven’t sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
if we may say, “We have not sinned,” we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Berean Literal Bible
If we should say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Young's Literal Translation
if we may say -- 'we have not sinned,' a liar we make Him, and His word is not in us.

Smith's Literal Translation
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Catholic Public Domain Version
If we claim that we have not sinned, then we make him a liar, and his Word is not in us.

New American Bible
If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

New Revised Standard Version
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And if we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not with us.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Godbey New Testament
If we may say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Haweis New Testament
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Mace New Testament
if we say that we have not sinned, we impeach his veracity, and discredit his word.

Weymouth New Testament
If we deny that we have sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Message has no place in our hearts.

Worrell New Testament
If we say, "We have not sinned," we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Worsley New Testament
but if we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Walking in the Light
9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.

Cross References
Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Proverbs 20:9
Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am cleansed from my sin”?

Ecclesiastes 7:20
Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

Psalm 14:3
All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

Psalm 51:5
Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.

Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

Isaiah 64:6
Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

Romans 3:10-12
As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. / There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. / All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

James 3:2
We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body.

1 Kings 8:46
When they sin against You—for there is no one who does not sin—and You become angry with them and deliver them to an enemy who takes them as captives to his own land, whether far or near,

Job 15:14-16
What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous? / If God puts no trust in His holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes, / how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water?

Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned.

Galatians 6:3
If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

John 3:19-20
And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. / Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.


Treasury of Scripture

If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

we say.

1 John 1:8
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Psalm 130:3
If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

we make.

1 John 5:10
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

Job 24:25
And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?

his word.

1 John 1:8
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

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 4:4
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

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1 John 1
1. He describes the person of Christ, in whom we have eternal life, by a communion with God;
5. to which we must adjoin by walking in the light.














If we say
This phrase introduces a hypothetical claim, reflecting a common rhetorical style in John's epistles. The Greek word "ἐὰν εἴπωμεν" (ean eipōmen) suggests a conditional statement, inviting readers to examine their own assertions about sin. Historically, this reflects early Christian communities grappling with Gnostic influences that denied the reality of sin.

we have not sinned
The Greek "οὐχ ἡμαρτήκαμεν" (ouch hēmartēkamen) is a perfect tense, indicating a completed action with ongoing effects. This phrase challenges any denial of personal sinfulness, a concept deeply rooted in the Jewish understanding of human nature as seen in the Old Testament. The denial of sin contradicts the biblical narrative of humanity's fall and need for redemption.

we make Him out to be a liar
The phrase "ψεύστην ποιοῦμεν αὐτόν" (pseustēn poioumen auton) is a strong accusation. To claim sinlessness is to contradict God's revelation about human nature and His declarations throughout Scripture, such as in Romans 3:23, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." This phrase underscores the gravity of denying sin, as it directly challenges God's truthfulness.

and His word is not in us
The Greek "καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν" (kai ho logos autou ouk estin en hēmin) emphasizes the absence of God's transformative truth in those who deny sin. "Logos" (λόγος) is a profound term, often referring to Christ Himself (John 1:1) or God's revealed truth. This phrase suggests that acknowledging sin is essential for God's word to dwell within us, aligning with the transformative power of Scripture and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Verse 10. - Once more we have no mere repetition, but a fresh thought. "We have not sin" (verse 8) refers to our natural condition; "we have not sinned" (verse 10) refers to definite acts. Note the climax: we lie (verse 6); we lead ourselves utterly astray (verse 8): we make God a liar (verse 10). The whole of God's dealing with man since the Fall, especially in the Incarnation, is based on the fact of man's innate sinfulness. To deny this fact, therefore, is to charge the God of light and truth with acting and maintaining a vast and persistent lie. It is difficult to see how this strong language can be reconciled with the Roman dogma of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary: why does not her "son" (John 19:26, 27) except her from its sweep? His word is not in us; i.e., we are cut off from all communication with him (John 5:38; John 8:31). "His Word" is the sum total of the Divine revelation. That which in itself is "the truth "(verse 8), when communicated to us is "his Word." How thoroughly the Church of England enters into the spirit of these verses (8-10) is shown by the fact that it appoints confession and absolution as part of public service every morning and evening throughout the year, as well as of every celebration of the Eucharist. As Bede points out, the Lord's Prayer itself, with the petition, "Forgive us our trespasses," is a conclusive answer to Pelagian opponents of St. John's doctrine.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
If
ἐὰν (ean)
Conjunction
Strong's 1437: If. From ei and an; a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.

we say
εἴπωμεν (eipōmen)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

we have not sinned,
ἡμαρτήκαμεν (hēmartēkamen)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 264: Perhaps from a and the base of meros; properly, to miss the mark, i.e. to err, especially to sin.

we make Him out to be
ποιοῦμεν (poioumen)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.

a liar,
ψεύστην (pseustēn)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5583: A liar, deceiver. From pseudomai; a falsifier.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

His
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 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.

word
λόγος (logos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3056: From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.

is
ἔστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

not
οὐκ (ouk)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

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.

us.
ἡμῖν (hēmin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.


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NT Letters: 1 John 1:10 If we say that we haven't sinned (1J iJ 1Jn i jn 1 jo)
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