Fathers

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What the Fathers say

1 John 3:9

Eastern Fathers

Theophylact of Ohrid

Everyone who commits sin, because he sins, is of the devil and is called a son of the devil, as the Apostle Paul said to Elymas: "son of the devil! will you not cease to pervert the straight ways of the Lord?" (Acts 13:10). Evidently, he who is born of God, being a son of God, does not sin; because his seed is of God, that is, either the Spirit, Whom we received through the gift of which we were deemed worthy, and Who, abiding in us, makes our mind not to admit sin, or else Christ Himself, Who, dwelling in believers, makes them sons …

Commentary on 1 John ↗

Oecumenius

Everyone who is born of God does not sin, because His seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this, the children of God and the children of the Devil are obvious. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. …

Commentary on 1 John ↗

Clement of Alexandria

He says, "Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin, for His seed remains in him;" that is, His word in him who is born again through faith.

From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus ↗

Western Saints

Augustine of Hippo

"Whosoever is born of God, sinneth not, because His seed remaineth in him." The "seed" of God, i.e. the word of God: whence the apostle saith, "I have begotten you through the Gospel." "And he cannot sin, because he is born of God." Let him tell us this, let us see in what we cannot sin. "In this are manifested the children of God and the children of the devil. …

Ten Homilies on 1 John 5 ↗

Bede

Everyone who is born of God does not commit sin, etc. However, this is not said of every sin: for if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves (1 John 1), but of the violation of charity, which one who has the seed of God, that is, the word of God, by which he is reborn, cannot commit within himself. For following this, he manifests it, saying:

Commentary on the Catholic Epistles ↗