The basic problem here is that of the two kinds of sin mentioned by John. He obviously could assume that his audience knew what he was writing about, and therefore he had no need to explain what he meant. Presumably, therefore, he did not mean anything particularly recondite. We may begin by noting that the terminology used here, sin that leads to death, is found in a number of Jewish writings, but there it refers to sins which lead to the physical death of the sinner.20 Although the New Testament