Sin unto death
Intro
What is the sin unto death?
And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: (Deuteronomy 21:22 [KJV])
We see here that the sin worthy of death seems to be a sin that leads to the death penalty.
[16] If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
[17] All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
[18] We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
[19] And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
[20] And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
[21] Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
(I John 5:16-21 [KJV])
In John 5 the sin unto death [16] is discussed but it is not clearly stated what this sin is. But the chapter ends with the warning keep yourselves from idols. It also says that we shouldnt pray for them who commit the sin unto death [16].
King James Version (1769) with Strongs Numbers and Morphology: I Corinthians Chapter 5
[1] It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
[2] And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
[3] For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
[4] In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
[5] To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
[6] Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
[7] Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
[8] Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
[9] I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
[10] Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
[11] But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
[12] For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
[13] But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
Notice that the 1cor5 brother is not prayed for but just put away from among them without even Paul talking to the person. Paul describes it as deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh [5].
The six sins talked about in 1cor5 are fornicator, covetous, idolator, railer, drunkard and extortioner. These sins can all be seen as a kind of idolatry. Fornication is the idolatry of the female body or of lust. Covetous is idolatry of possessing things. Railer is idolizing your own tongue. Drunkard is idolizing the bottle. Extortion is mammon idolatry.
Looking at these sins I believe that they all had the death penalty in the old testament. Maybe not extortion unless but idolatry does and as a form of idolatry extortion could also be seen as death penalty offence.
Psalms 66:18 KJV
“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:”
Ezekiel 14:3 King James Bible
Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them?
God not listening to you could in the long run be seen as a sin unto death. So in that sense staying in some form of idolatry could lead to physical death.
Why is this warning there then in 1 John 5:21 that we should keep ourselves from idols. Probably because God can save anyone of his children if he chooses to out of any trouble.
Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 14:14 [KJV])