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Translation
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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
Theophylact of Ohrid
Having said that God fulfills our requests that are in accordance with His will, the apostle now clearly expresses his desire concerning what we should ask for according to God's will. And since he spoke much, almost throughout the entire epistle, about love for one's brother and about the fact that God desires that we maintain love for our brother without hypocrisy, he now names as one of His desires, and the very best one, that when someone sees his brother sinning a sin that is not mortal, let him ask, and He will give him. …
Oecumenius
If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death; I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death. "If anyone sees his brother sinning." This is one will. For it is righteous to feel compassion for the brother who has sinned and to be of help for salvation. …
Cyprian
That remission cannot in the Church be granted unto him who has sinned against God (i.e., the Holy Ghost): In the Gospel according to Matthew: "Whosoever shall say a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world nor in the world to come." Also according to Mark: "All sins shall be forgiven, and blasphemies, to the sons of men; but whoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, but he shall be …
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
And this, perhaps, it is "to sin against the Holy Ghost:" i.e. through malice and envy to fight against brotherly charity after receiving the grace of the Holy Spirit: that sin which the Lord saith hath no forgiveness, either here or in the world to come. For the Lord in saying to the Pharisees, "Whosoever shall speak an evil word against the Son of Man," may have meant to warn them to come to the grace of God, and having received it, not to sin as they have now sinned. …
Bede
There is a sin unto death, etc. A great question arises here, because blessed John clearly shows that there are certain brothers for whom we are not instructed to pray, whereas the Lord even commands us to pray for our persecutors. This can only be resolved by admitting that there are some sins among the brothers which are more grievous than the persecution by enemies. …
Translation