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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadWilliam Burkitt Notes and Observations - 1 John 5:16 - 5:16
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Our apostle informed us in the foregoing verse of the comfort which believers have in their prayers for themselves, all that is requested by them is granted by God: now in the verse before us he relates the benefit which others receive by their prayers as well as themselves, assuring them, that if any of them did pray for an offending brother, they should be heard in what they desired, unless the person they prayed for had sinned the unpardonable sin, the sin unto death, by which we are to understand apostacy from the Christian religion unto idolatry, as appears from the following words, Keep yourselves from idols, which caution has no manner of dependence upon what went before, unless we understand the sin unto death in this sense; or if (with others) he call it the sin against the Holy Ghost, it comes to the same; for what is that sin but a renouncing of Christianity, denying the truth of the Christian faith, after illumination and conviction by the Holy Ghost, and maliciously persecuting the sincere professors of it?
Here note, 1. That a believer is not to hide his eyes from observing, but may and ought to take notice of the sins and miscarriages of his brethren: If any man see his brother sin, which he cannot do if he he neglect to observe him.
Note, 2. That a believer discerning and observing the sin of his brother, may and ought to pray for him. Let him ask, that is, importune God on his behalf.
Note, 3. That a believer's prayers may prevail with God for us, when our own prayers will not prevail for ourselves. Let him ask, and he shall give him life, temporal life at least, and upon his repentance and faith eternal life also.
Note, 4. That the state of some wicked men may be such, that were it certainly known, it might be a Christian's duty to cease praying for them. There is a sin unto death, that is, which doth not only deserve death, as all sin doth, and bespeak a person in a state of death, but a sin that argues a person to be twice dead, dead in respect of unregeneracy, and dead in respect of wilful and sinful apostacy. I do not say that ye shall pray for it, that is, for the person guilty of it, seing God never intends to forgive it.
Lord! how deplorable is the condition of those whose sins are past prayers, who give over praying for themselves, and others are stopt from praying for them! How sad is it, when the Lord shuts up the hearts of any of his from praying for us! It shews the sin of that man to be apprehended as being the sin unto death, when the faithful cease praying for him.
Yet note, 5. The apostle doth not here explicitly and simply forbid praying for such wretched persons, but only says, I do not say that ye shall pray for them; that is, I cannot give you any encouragement to pray for such, nor dare I promise you any good success in praying for them who have sinned unto death. I do not say; that is, I give you no warrant, I lay you under no command, I can give you no promise, that your prayers for such shall be heard and answered.