1 JOHN 3:8 — KING JAMES VERSION 0
“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil — habitual sinning (poieo hamartia) aligns one with the devil (diabolos), who sinned from the beginning (arche). Christ's appearance (phaneroō) aimed at the destruction (lyo) of evil's works. Cosmic opposition between Christ and Satan frames moral choices.
Church Fathers on 1 John 3:8
“He that does sin, is of the devil, because the devil sins from the beginning.” 1 John 3:8 “Is of the devil:” ye know what he means: by imitating the devil. For the devil made no man, begot no man, created no man: but whoever imitates the devil, that person, as if begotten of him, becomes a child of the devil; by imitating him, not literally by being begotten of him. In what sense are you a child of Abraham, not that Abraham begot you? In the same sense as the Jews, the…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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