1 John 1 · Verse 6

1 John 1:6

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1 John 1:6, King James Version

1 John 1:6 in other translations

BSBIf we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
WEBIf we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie and don’t tell the truth.
ASVIf we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
YLTif we may say--‘we have fellowship with Him,' and in the darkness may walk--we lie, and do not the truth;
DARBYIf we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not practise the truth.
BBEIf we say we are joined to him, and are walking still in the dark, our words are false and our acts are untrue:
WebsterIf we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

What does 1 John 1:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
6. say--profess. have fellowship with him--(1Jo 1:3). The essence of the Christian life. walk--in inward and outward action, whithersoever we turn ourselves [Bengel]. in darkness--Greek, "in the darkness"; opposed to "the light" (compare 1Jo 2:8, 11). lie--(1Jo 2:4). do not--in practice, whatever we say. the truth--(Ep 4:21; Joh 3:21).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 6. If we say that we have fellowship with him. If we reckon ourselves among his friends, or, in other words, if we profess to be like him: for a profession of religion involves the idea of having fellowship with God, 1Jn 1:3, and he who professes that should be like him.

And walk in darkness. Live in sin and error. To "walk in darkness" now commonly denotes to be in doubt about our religious state, in contradistinction from living in the enjoyment of religion. That is not, however, probably the whole idea here. The leading thought is, that if we live in sin, it is a proof that our profession of religion is false. Desirable as it is to have the comforts of religion, yet it is not always true that they who do not are not true Christians, nor is it true by any means that they intend to deceive the world.

We lie. We are false professors; we are deceived if we think that we can have fellowship with God, and yet live in the practice of sin. As God is pure, so must we be, if we would be his friends. This does not mean necessarily that they meant to deceive, but that there was an irreconcilable contradiction between a life of sin and fellowship with God.

And do not the truth. Do not act truly. The profession is a false one. Compare Jn 3:22. To do the truth is to act in accordance with truth; and the expression here means that such an one could not be a Christian. And yet how many there are who are living in known sin who profess to be Christians! How many whose minds are dark on the whole subject of religion, who have never known anything of the real peace and joy which it imparts, who nevertheless entertain the belief that they are the friends of God, and are going to heaven! They trust in a name, in forms, in conformity to external rites, and have never known anything of the internal peace and purity which religion imparts, and in fact have never had any true fellowship with that God who is light, and in whom there is no darkness at all. Religion is light; religion is peace, purity, joy; and though there are cases where for a time a true Christian may be left to darkness, and have no spiritual joy, and be in doubt about his salvation, yet still it is a great truth, that unless we know by personal experience what it is to walk habitually in the light, to have the comforts of religion, and to experience in our own souls the influences which make the heart pure, and which bring us into conformity to the God who is light, we can have no true religion. All else is but a name, which will not avail us on the final day.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 If we say that we have fellowship - Having fellowship, κοινωνια, communion, with God, necessarily implies a partaking of the Divine nature. Now if a man profess to have such communion, and walk in darkness - live an irreligious and sinful life, he lies, in the profession which he makes, and does not the truth - does not walk according to the directions of the Gospel, on the grace of which he holds his relation to God, and his communion with him. The Gnostics, against whose errors it is supposed this epistle was written, were great pretenders to knowledge, to the highest degrees of the Divine illumination, and the nearest communion with the fountain of holiness, while their manners were excessively corrupt.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 John 1:5-10

A message from the Lord Jesus, the Word of life, the eternal Word, we should all gladly receive. The great God should be represented to this dark world, as pure and perfect light. As this is the nature of God, his doctrines and precepts must be such. And as his perfect happiness cannot be separated from his perfect holiness, so our happiness will be in proportion to our being made holy. To walk in darkness, is to…

Read the full comment on 1 John 1:5-10 →

1 John 1:6 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἐὰνeanIfG1437
εἴπωμενeipōmenwe shall sayG2036
ὅτιhotithatG3754
κοινωνίανkoinōnianfellowshipG2842
ἔχομενechomenwe haveG2192
μετ᾽met᾽withG3326
αὐτοῦautouHimG846
καὶkaiand yetG2532
ἐνeninG1722
τῷtōtheG3588
σκότειskoteidarknessG4655
περιπατῶμεν,peripatōmenmay walk,G4043
ψευδόμεθαpseudomethawe lieG5574
καὶkaiandG2532
οὐounotG3756
ποιοῦμενpoioumenwe do practiceG4160
τὴνtēntheG3588
ἀλήθειαν·alētheiantruth;G225

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 John 1:6

  • 1 John 2:4

    He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

  • 1 John 4:20

    If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

  • John 3:19-21

    And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

  • John 8:12

    Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

  • Proverbs 4:18-19

    But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

  • 1 John 1:10

    If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

  • Proverbs 2:13

    Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

  • John 12:35

    Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

  • 2 Corinthians 6:14-16

    Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

  • John 12:46

    I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

  • Psalms 5:4-6

    For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

  • James 2:14

    What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
If.
8,10; 2:4; 4:20; Mt 7:22; Jas 2:14,16,18; Re 3:17,18
fellowship.
3; Ps 5:4-6; 94:20; 2Co 6:14-16
walk.
2:9-11; Ps 82:5; Pr 2:13; 4:18,19; Joh 3:19,20; 11:10; 12:35,46
we lie.
10; 4:20; Joh 8:44,45; 1Ti 4:2
do not.
Joh 3:21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 John 1:5

    This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

  • 1 John 1:6

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

  • 1 John 1:7

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

Read all of 1 John 1

1 John 1:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Si nosotros dijéremos que tenemos comunión con él, y andamos en tinieblas, mentimos, y no hacemos la verdad;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Si nous disons que nous avons communion avec lui, et que nous marchions dans les ténèbres, nous mentons et nous ne pratiquons pas la vérité;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wenn wir sagen, daß wir Gemeinschaft mit ihm haben, und wandeln in der Finsternis, so lügen wir und tun nicht die Wahrheit.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Si dixerimus quoniam societatem habemus cum eo, et in tenebris ambulamus, mentimur, et veritatem non facimus.