James 4:17
He, then, who knows what is right but fails to do it — that is sin in him.
Twentieth Century New Testament
In The King James Version
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
In Context
16But, as it is, you are constantly boasting presumptuously! All such boasting is wicked.
Cross References
John 9:41“If you had been blind,” replied Jesus, “you would have had no sin to answer for; but, as it is, you say ‘We can see,’ and so your sin remains.
John 15:22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have had no sin to answer for; but as it is, they have no excuse for their sin.
Romans 1:32Well aware of God’s decree, that those who do such things deserve to die, not only are they guilty of them themselves, but they even applaud those who do them.
Romans 7:13Did, then, a thing, which in itself was good, involve Death in my case? Heaven forbid! It was sin that involved Death; so that, by its use of what I regarded as good to bring about my Death, its true nature might appear; and in this way the Commandment showed how intensely sinful sin is.
Matthew Henry on James 4:12-17
Caution against Slander; Caution against Presumption. ( a. d. 61.) 11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? 13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get… Read the whole commentary →