I John 5:16-17

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“If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.”

What is the difference between “sin unto death” and “sins not unto death”? Do these verses teach the Catholic doctrine that categorizes sin into venial and mortal?

Romans 6:23 shows that, until repentance, all sin brings the death penalty, and this is the key here. Since Christians are never to judge others, what does this passage mean?

Basically, if, to all observers, a sin is obviously unrepented of, to the point that the offending person no longer has any desire to either believe or serve God, or be in His Church, then it is a sin unto death, and it is not to be prayed for by others. Such a person no longer has any interest in repenting or overcoming sin. Short of that truly awful condition, Christians should pray for other Christians involved in sin. This includes enemies, who have left the Church but who may think that they are still serving God (Matt. 5:44).