Whoever remains in him doesn't sin. Whoever sins hasn't seen him, neither knows him.
whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him: The same tense of the verb is used and could be translated, "whosoever keeps on sinning...." It indicates a habit of life. This person "hath not seen" nor "known him" (that is, the Lord). "Seen" is eoraken, meaning "to see with discernment" (Wuest, I John 148). "Known" speaks of knowledge by experience. Since these verbs are in the perfect tense, some authorities seem to think that this passage signifies one who has never at any time seen the Lord spiritually or known Him in intimate fellowship. Woods disagrees with this view, saying,