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No oneπᾶς οὐwhoὁhas been bornγεγεννημένοςofἐκGodτοῦ θεοῦcommitsποιεῖsin,ἁμαρτίανbecauseὅτιhis seedσπέρμα αὐτοῦremainsμένειinἐνhim;αὐτῷandκαὶhe cannotοὐ δύναταιkeep on sinning,ἁμαρτάνεινbecauseὅτιhe has been bornγεγέννηταιofἐκGod.τοῦ θεοῦ
1 John 3:9
Study it in the app“No one who has been born of God commits sin, because his seed remains in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.”
With the Greek beneath
1 John 3:9, word by word
- has been bornγεγεννημένοςgegennēmenos
be begotten
Giving life as God does: becoming God's children.
Where else “gegennēmenos” appears- Godθεοῦtheou
God
The Creator and Lord of all, the one God of Israel.
Where else “theou” appears- commitsποιεῖpoiei
practice
To put into practice, like God's will.
Where else “poiei” appears- sinἁμαρτίανhamartian
sin
Doing what God does not want, and the guilt it leaves.
Where else “hamartian” appears- his seedσπέρμαsperma
seed
What is sown in the ground so that a plant will grow.
Where else “sperma” appears- remainsμένειmenei
remain
To stay joined to someone: "abide in me".
Where else “menei” appears- he cannotδύναταιdynatai
can, be able
Can, be able.
Where else “dynatai” appears- keep on sinningἁμαρτάνεινhamartanein
sin
Sin: fail God, do what he forbids.
Where else “hamartanein” appears
Translation note
“His seed”: it can be understood as the new life God gives, or as his word.
The context
8Whoever commits sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil.
9 · This verse (above)
10By this the children of God and the children of the devil are evident: no one who does not do righteousness is of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
To study 1 John 3 in a group
1. What it says
What does verse 1 say the Father has given us, and what does it say we will be when he appears (v. 1-2)?
2. What it means
John says not to love "in word or with the tongue, but in deed and truth" (v. 18). What does that contrast show?
3. How I live it
What concrete act of love could you do today for someone in need (v. 17-18)?