1 John 1:10

If we say (ean eipwmen). As in verses Mark 6 8 . We have not sinned (ouc amarthkamen). Perfect active indicative of amartanw. This is a denial of any specific acts of sin, while in verse Mark 8 we have the denial of the principle of sin. David Smith observes that the claim to personal perfectionism has two causes, one the stifling of conscience in making God a liar (pseusthn, the word used of the devil by Jesus in John 8:44 ), and the other ignorance of God's word, which is not in us, else we should not make such a claim.