Is the sin dealt with in 1 John 5:16 the same kind of situation as the sin in 1 Corinthians?
Yes. First John 5:16 addresses the same kind of situation as the sin in 1 Corinthians: sin within the church that can be a sin unto death. The difference is degree; the First John case is probably not as gross, though it still requires church discipline for restoration.
Les explains that 1 John 5:16 is dealing with pretty much the same kind of situation as the sin in 1 Corinthians, though probably not as gross. Both involve sin in the church and the possibility of a sin unto death. He points out that John speaks of a sin not unto death and a sin unto death. For a believer who goes into deep, open sin that people generally know about, God has mandated first and foremost a disciplinary action on the part of the church to restore such a one to fellowship. Earlier, Les notes that God may take these kinds of believers out of their physical existence, but they do not lose their salvation. The believing community is never to pray for the death of someone like that.
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.
More Questions
How is the sin in 1 John 5 not unto death different from the sin in 1 Corinthians?
The sins John describes as not unto death are not as gross as the sin Paul deals with in Corinthians, though it is still sin in the church.