1 John 1:6

1 John 1:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
• New International Version (NIV)If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.
• English Standard Version (ESV)If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
• New King James Version (NKJV)If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

Context of 1 John 1:6

4And these things we write to you, that your joy may be full. 5This then is the message which we have heard from him, and declare to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1 John 1:6 word by word

ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι κοινωνίαν ἔχομεν μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῷ σκότει περιπατῶμεν, ψευδόμεθα καὶ οὐ ποιοῦμεν τὴν ἀλήθειαν·Read the interlinear

• Ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• sayεἶπονepō · to sayG2036
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• fellowshipκοινωνίαkoinōnia · participationG2842
• withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• walkπεριπατέωperipateō · to walkG4043
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• darknessσκότοςskotos · darknessG4655
• lieψεύδομαιpseudomai · to lieG5574
• doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• notοὐou · noG3756
• truthἀλήθειαalētheia · truthG225

Cross-references for 1 John 1:6

• 1 John 1:8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
• 1 John 2:4He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
• 1 John 4:20If a man saith, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
• Matthew 7:22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out demons? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
• James 2:14Whatdoth itprofit, my brethren, though a man saith he hath faith, and hath not works? can faith save him?
• Revelation 3:17Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
• 1 John 1:3That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
• Psalms 5:4For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
• Psalms 94:20Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?
• 2 Corinthians 6:14Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
• 1 John 2:9He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
• Psalms 82:5They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
• Proverbs 2:13Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
• Proverbs 4:18But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more to the perfect day.
• John 3:19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men have loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
• John 11:10But if a man walketh in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

Commentaries on 1 John 1:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6If we say that we have fellowship - Having fellowship, , communion, with God, necessarily implies a partaking of the Divine nature. Now if a man profess to have such communion, and walk in darkness - live an irreligious and sinful life, he lies, in the profession which he makes, and does not the truth - does not walk according to the directions of the Gospel, on the grace of which he holds his relation to God, and his communion with him. The Gnostics…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6If we say that we have fellowship uith him - If we reckon ourselves among his friends, or, in other words, if we profess to be like him: for a profession of religion involves the idea of having fellowship with God, (compare the notes at 1 John 1:3), and he who professes that should be like him. And walk in darkness - Live in sin and error. To “walk in darkness” now commonly denotes to be in doubt about our religious state, in contradistinction from living…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-10Verses 5-10 A message from the Lord Jesus, the Word of life, the eternal Word, we should all gladly receive. The great God should be represented to this dark world, as pure and perfect light. As this is the nature of God, his doctrines and precepts must be such. And as his perfect happiness cannot be separated from his perfect holiness, so our happiness will be in proportion to our being made holy. To walk in darkness, is to live and act against religion…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6This is the first of several times when John challenges the claims of the Gnostics. These teachers had separated themselves from the fellowship of the apostles, so they were living in spiritual darkness. They claimed to have fellowship with God, but they did not show God’s character, which is light. Jesus warned the Jewish leaders of his day not to let the light they believed they had become darkness (Matthew 6:23). Their religious beliefs kept them from…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. say--profess. have fellowship with him--(1Jo 1:3). The essence of the Christian life. walk--in inward and outward action, whithersoever we turn ourselves [Bengel]. in darkness--Greek, "in the darkness"; opposed to "the light" (compare 1Jo 2:8, 11). lie--(1Jo 2:4). do not--in practice, whatever we say. the truth--(Ep 4:21; Joh 3:21).Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 1:6

• Blindness
• Confession
• Darkness
• Fellowship
• Holiness
• Hypocrisy
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Deceive
• Fellowship
• Forgiveness of sin
• Light
• Unction
• Walk
• Johannine Theology
• John, the Epistles of
• John, the First Epistle General of

Commentaries on 1 John 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings