Bible Strands
1 John 3:5
But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The author John addresses believers, invoking their existing knowledge before contrasting Christ’s sinless nature with the reality of ongoing lawlessness.
The words — ἐφανερώθη (ephanerōthē) translates as "appeared" and ἁμαρτίας (hamartias) as "sins," structuring the declaration that Christ was manifested for the explicit purpose of removing sins.
The thread — This appearance to bear sin connects directly to 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 9:28, and 1 Peter 2:24, which all record Christ’s singular manifestation to take away or carry sin.
Why it lands — The text states Christ appeared to remove sins and possesses none in Himself, which requires the reader to abandon lawlessness and cease normalizing sin while claiming union with Him.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
Cross-references
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
- Hebrews 9:28 so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.
- 1 Peter 2:24 He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”
- 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit,
- Hebrews 9:26 Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
- John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
- Isaiah 53:4 Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.
- Titus 2:14 He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
- 1 John 1:7 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 cleanses us from all sin.
- 1 John 4:9 This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.