4. The fact that none of the other explanations is entirely satisfactory leads one to wonder whether John may not be speaking just of physical death inflicted on a Christian by God as a result of a Christian’s persisting in some deliberate sin. Certainly there are examples of such judgments. Ananias and Sapphira are two (Acts 5:1-11). A number of references in 1 Corinthians suggest others (5:5; 11:30). In speaking of the ministry of intercession John may therefore be saying that in some cases God will not turn back a physical judgment upon one of His disobedient children, no matter how much another Christian prays. So he does not say that prayer must be made in such a situation, although, we note, he does not forbid it.
The objection to this view is that “life” must mean spiritual life and that, therefore, “death” must mean spiritual death. But John is not necessarily making that distinction. For example, if the brother is a true Christian brother he is already alive spiritually; and the prayer would be, not so much that God would give him more spiritual life, but that he might have life in abundance, as we might say. If this is in view, then physical death is not such an improper opposite.
The difficulty with a discussion such as this is that it becomes strangely fascinating to certain Christians, so much so that they tend to spend all their time on the exception (the sin unto death) and not on the central message of the passage. Whatever the interpretation we give to the exception, therefore, we must always bear in mind that it is the exception and that the burden laid upon us by John is to pray for any believer whom we see falling into sin.
Moreover, we must not even be quick to note the exceptional case, even assuming that we have been able to decide what the nature of such a case is. Here the example of Jesus’ prayer for Peter should make us cautious. Peter had spent three years with Jesus; but at the time of Christ’s arrest, when asked by a servant girl and others if he knew Christ and was His disciple, Peter denied the Lord with oaths and cursings. We might say, if we did not know the end of the story, that if anyone had ever sinned unto death, certainly Peter had. Yet Peter did not die, either physically or spiritually. He had a lifetime of useful service. Moreover, far from refusing to pray for him, Jesus actually interceded for him: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:31-32).
We do not need encouragements not to pray. That comes naturally. But we need great encouragements to pray, particularly for others. In this responsibility we are greatly encouraged by John’s teaching and by the example of the Lord Jesus Christ in His prayer for Peter.
