Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 11
January 28, 1960
NUMBER 37, PAGE 12-13a

English Versions Compared On I John 3:9

Luther W. Martin, St. James, Mo.

Those who teach the man-made doctrine of "Once in grace, always in grace", sometimes attempt to use 1 John 3:9 as a scriptural basis for their error, due to the somewhat unfortunate rendering in the King James Version and a few others. We list below a substantial number of different translations of this passage, in order to show the correct exegesis.

(1) "Every one who is begotten of God committeth not sin; for God's seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been begotten of God." The corrected English New Testament, Samuel Lloyd, 1905 edition.

(2) "No one who is a child of God is habitually guilty of sin. A God-given germ of life remains in him, and he cannot habitually sin — because he is a child of God." R. F. Weymouth translation, ninth impression, not dated.

(3) "No one who is born of God makes a practice of sinning, because the God-given life-principle (footnote — seed) continues to live in him, and so he cannot practice sinning, because he is born of God." C. B. Williams Translation, 1950 edition.

(4) "Every one born from God does not practice sin; because His principle of life continues in him: and he does not value sinning, because he has been born from God." Ferrar Fenton Translation, 1946 edition.

(5) "Anyone who is a son of God does no sin, because he still has God's seed in him; he is not able to be a sinner, because God is his Father." New Testament in Basic English, April 1944 edition.

(6) "Everyone who has been horn from God does not practice sin, because His reproductive seed remains in such one, and he cannot keep sinning, because he has been born from God." New World Translation, 1950 edition.

(7) "Whoever is born of God does not commit sin because God's seed is in him; and he cannot sin because he is born of God." G. M. Lamsa Translation, 1940 edition.

(8) "No one who has been begotten by God practices sin; because his seen abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been begotten by God." Wilson's Emphatic Diaglott, 1873 edition.

(9) "Whoever is a child of God cannot go on sinning, because his seed is abiding in him; and he cannot go on sinning because he is a child of God." Helen B. Montgomery Translation, 1924 edition.

(10) "Whosoever has been begotten of God is not doing sin, because His seed abideth in him, and he is not able to be sinning because he has been begotten of God." E. L. Celmentson Translation, 1938 edition.

(11) "No one who has received the new Life from God lives sinfully, because the very nature of God dwells within him; and he cannot live in sin, because he has received the new Life from God." Twentieth Century New Testament, Revised Edition, 1904.

(12) ". . . every one who hath been begotten of God, sin he doth not, because his seed in him doth remain, and he is not able to sin, because of God he hath been begotten." Robert Young Translation, 1862 edition.

(13) "Not anyone that has been begotten of God practices sin, because his seed in him abides, and he is not able to sin, because of God he has been begotten." G. R. Berry Interlinear Translation, 1897 edition.

(14) ". . . and if a man is born of God, he does not live sinfully, he is true to his parentage; he cannot be a sinner, if he is born of God." Ronald Knox Translation, 1951 edition.

(15) "No one who is a child of God sins, because the life-germ implanted by God abides in him, and so, he cannot sin. He is a child of God." Kleist-Lilly Translation, 1954 edition.

(16) "Whoso is born of God doth not sin, because the seed of God abideth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." Westminster Version, 1948 edition.

(17) "No one who has derived his Life from God acts sinfully, because God's very nature is always within him; and he cannot live in sin, because he has derived his Life from God." Twentieth Century New Testament, Tentative Edition. 1901.

(18) "Whoever has been begotten of God does not work sin; because his seed remains in him: and he can not sin, because he has been begotten of God." H. T. Anderson translation, 1866 edition.

(19) "Whoever has been begotten of God does not commit sin; because his seed abides in him; and he can not sin, because he has been begotten of God." American Bible Union version, improved edition, not dated.

(20) "Whosoever has been begotten of God doeth no sin; because his seed (Footnote — 'What God implanted') abideth in him. And, because he has been begotten of God, he cannot sin." Cunnington's Translation, revised edition, 1935.

(21) "Whosoever is born of God doeth no sin; because his seed abideth in him. And, because he is born of God, he cannot sin." Western New Testament, translated by E. E. Cunnington, 1926 edition.

(22) "Whosoever hath been born of God is not committing sin, because a seed of him within him abideth; and he cannot be committing sin, because of God he hath been born." .1. B. Rotherham Translation, 1897 edition.

(23) "Every one who has been begotten of God does not go on sinning, because his seed remains in him, and he can not go on sinning because he has been begotten of God." George Swann Translation, 1947 edition.

(24) "Whoever has been begotten by God, does not work sin; because his seed abides in him; and he can not sin, because he has been begotten by God." Living Oracles Translation, 14th edition, 1882.

(25) "Whoever has been begotten of God does not practice sin, because his seed abides in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been begotten of God." Darby's Translation, third edition, 1884.

(26) "Whosoever is borne of God, sinneth not: for his seed remayneth in him, and he cannot sinne, because he is borne of God." (Marginal note: "Seed, that is the holigoost.") William Tyndale Translation, 1534 edition.

(27) "Every one that is born of God, doth not commit sin: for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." English Translation from Latin Vulgate with Archbishop John McCloskey's approbation.

(28) "Everyone who has been born of God commits no sin, for a sperm divine remains within him; having been born of God, he cannot practise sinning." Berkeley Version, August 1947 edition.

(29) "Every one who is begotten of God is not doing sin, seeing that His seed is remaining in him, and he cannot sin, seeing that he has been begotten of God." Concordant Version, 1927 edition.

(30) "Whoever is born of God does not abide in sin; for his seed remains in him: and he is without sin, because he is born of God." The Authentic Version, 1951 edition.

(31) "Whoever is born of God committeth not sin, for His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin because he is born of God." Samuel Sharpe Translation, fourth edition, 1859.

(32) "Every one begotten by God does not commit sin; for His seed remains in him and he cannot sin, because he is begotten by God." The Book of Books, 1938 edition.

(33) "Every one born of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God." Numeric New Testament, 1954 edition.

(34) "No one born of God commits sin; for God's nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God." Revised Standard Version, 1946 edition.

(35) "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." King James Version, 1611 A.D.

(36) "Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God." American Standard Version, 1901 A. D.

(37) "Everyone having been begotten of God does not sin, because seed of him remains; and he cannot to sin, because of God he has been begotten." Alfred Marshall Interlinear Translation, 1958.

(38) "Whosoever is born of God commits no sin, because His Seed remains in him; and he cannot sin because he is born of God." F. A. Spencer Translation, 1951 edition.

(39) "Whoever is born of God does not commit sin; because his seed abides in him and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." Revised Challoner-Rheims Version, 1941 edition.

(40) "Whosoever is born of God, committeth not sin: for his seed abideth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." Rheims New Testament, 1914 edition.

(41) "No one who is a child of God commits sin, for God's nature remains in his heart, and he cannot sin, because he is a child of God." Edgar J. Goodspeed Translation, July 1926 edition.

(42) "Anyone who is born of God does not commit sin, for the offspring of God remain in Him, and they cannot sin, because they are born of God." James Moffatt Translation, not dated.

(43) "No one that has been born of God commits sin, for his seed continues in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God." L. A. Sawyer Translation, 1858 edition.

(44) "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed abideth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." John Wesley Translation, 1938 edition.

(45) "Whoever is horn of God does not commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, for he is begotten of God." The Authentic New Testament, H. J. Schonfield Translation, 1956 edition.

Copies of each of the above translations are contained in my own library. You are urged to preserve this issue of The Gospel Guardian, in order that you may have continued access to these renderings of I John 3:9.

In the event some reader would like to see similar collections of other passages in print, please contact this writer.