1 John 3:8 (DRB)

Passage

He that committeth sin is of the devil: for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God appeared, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Nearby Context

1 John 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: and whosoever sinneth hath not seen him nor known him.

1 John 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you. He that doth justice is just, even as he is just.

1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil: for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God appeared, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God committeth not sin: for his seed abideth in him. And he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1 John 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. Whosoever is not just is not of God, or he that loveth not his brother.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "purpose", "committeth", "devil", "sinneth", "beginning", "appeared", and "might". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "purpose" and "committeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "Little children let no man deceive you..." into verse 9's "Whosoever is born of God committeth not...", so "purpose" and "committeth" belong inside that flow. In 1 John context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "purpose" and "committeth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.