1 John 1:6

6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.

1 John 1:6 in Other Translations

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.

6 If we claim that we experience a shared life with him and continue to stumble around in the dark, we're obviously lying through our teeth - we're not living what we claim.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

6 If we say, "We have a relationship with God" and yet live in the dark, we're lying. We aren't being truthful.

6 If we say, "We have fellowship with Him," and walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth.

6 Suppose we say that we share life with God but still walk in the darkness. Then we are lying. We are not living by the truth.

1 John 1:6 Meaning and Commentary

1 John 1:6

If we say that we have fellowship with him
The Alexandrian copy reads, "for if we say": that is, if any profess to be partakers of the divine nature, to be like unto God, and to have communion with him, to have the light of his countenance, and the discoveries of his love:

and walk in darkness;
in the darkness of sin, ignorance, and unbelief, or are in a state of unregeneracy and blindness; whose understandings are darkened, and they know not God in Christ, nor have any true sight and sense of themselves, their sin and danger; and are ignorant of Christ and his righteousness, and the way of salvation by him; and are strangers to the Spirit of God, and the work of his grace; and are unacquainted with the truths of the Gospel; and not only so, but go on in darkness more and more; prefer it to the light, love it, and the works of it; have fellowship with them, and choose them; take pleasure in the ways of sin and wickedness, and continue, and walk on in them; if such persons pretend to fellowship with God, they are liars:

we lie;
it cannot be, it is a contradiction, the thing is impossible and impracticable; what communion hath light with darkness? or what fellowship can the throne of iniquity, or those in whom sin reigns, have with God? for God is light, and were they partakers of him, or like unto him, or had communion with him, they would consequently be in the light, and not in darkness, and much less walk in it; wherefore they are liars,

and do not the truth:
they do not say the truth, nor act according to it; they do not act uprightly or sincerely, but are hypocrites, and pretend to that which they have not; and if they did the truth, they would come to the light, and not walk in darkness; see ( John 3:21 ) .

1 John 1:6 In-Context

4 We write this to make our joy complete.

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Cross References

• 1. John 3:19-21; John 8:12; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 5:8; 1 John 2:11
• 2. John 3:19-21; 1 John 2:4; 1 John 4:20