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Blasphemy Against The Holy Spirit

by Micky Galloway

“Therefore I say unto you, Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven” (Matthew 12:31). In Mark’s account we read, “but whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” (Mark 3:29). What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and why is this an unpardonable sin?

Definition: The word “blasphemy” (blasphemia) means, “Impious and reproachful speech injurious to the divine majesty” (Thayer), in this context it denotes an attitude of “defiant irreverence.” There is always the idea of hurt or injury involved in blasphemy; the speaker intends to do harm or speak evil of one. To speak against any of the revealed attributes of God, Christ or the Holy Spirit is to blaspheme. To speak irreverently of the word of God, one is certainly speaking blasphemy. “To rail upon, reject, refuse, misrepresent, and pervert the words or works of the Holy Spirit is to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit” (H. Leo Boles, The Holy Spirit, page 155).

Blasphemy is illustrated many times in the history of Israel. David’s sin with Bathsheba gave occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme His name (II Samuel 12:14). Israel blasphemed Jehovah (Isaiah 65:7). Sennacherib, King of Assyria, defied Jehovah and blasphemed the God of Israel (II Kings 19:6-22).

There are numerous warnings in the New Testament against the sin of blasphemy. We must be careful not to give occasion for others to blaspheme. Paul warned the Romans regarding the sinful inconsistencies of the Jews, “For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you, even as it is written” (Romans 2:24). Paul commanded the older women to teach the younger women “(to be) sober-minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed” (Titus 2:5). See also I Timothy 6:1; I Timothy 1:13; Acts 26:11.

Context: Matthew’s account of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit includes verses twenty-four through thirty-two. Mark’s account includes verses twenty-two through twenty-nine. In both accounts, Jesus had demonstrated his divinity by healing one who was demon-possessed. The Pharisees (certain scribes who had come from Jerusalem to Galilee, Mark 3:22) had attributed His power to Beelzebub, “the prince of the demons.” Jesus answered this charge by convicting them of their inconsistency. If “Satan cast out Satan” or, as stated by Mark, if “Satan hath risen up against himself, and is divided,” he cannot stand. Furthermore, if it was true that their “sons” cast out demons (a claim Jesus does not grant), and demons were cast out only by “Beelzebub,” then it would follow that their “sons” also exercised diabolical power. Their argument was to deny that Jesus was able to cast out demons by the “Spirit of God” (“finger of God”, Luke 11:20). Indeed, it was by the power of God that Jesus had entered into the strong man’s (Satan’s) house and plundered his goods. These scribes had willfully and deliberately assigned to diabolical origins what Jesus was actually doing, in spite of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Then Mark sounds the warning, “but whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” (“eternal damnation” KJV) (Mark 3:29). Matthew states it, “Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven” (Matthew 12:31).

Why is this a sin that cannot be forgiven?

Jesus made it very clear that every other sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven. “And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come” (Matthew 12:32). To speak against Jesus in the flesh was a terrible thing, but it was an evil that could be forgiven. Many, through ignorance or prejudice, spoke against Jesus, yet would repent of their evil and receive forgiveness. Peter denied the Lord in his hour of trial (Mark 14:66-72) and repented. He received forgiveness, was restored and later was able to strengthen others (cf Luke 22:31-32). Paul was “before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious…” and considered himself as chief of sinners (I Timothy 1:13-15), yet he marvels at the mercy and forgiveness that was extended to him.

Yet, Jesus said that the person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit places himself beyond the reach of forgiveness.

“There could be no reason why speaking against the Christ should be less fatal than speaking against the Holy Spirit, or that speaking against the Holy Spirit, should be more mortal than speaking against Jesus Christ, except for one thing: the element of time, of dispensation, of the gospel age, and of the Holy Spirit’s testimony. The rejection of Christ during his earthly and personal ministry was not final. But the repudiation of the Holy Spirit in the dispensation of his testimony to ‘reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment’ (John 16:8), would be the final act of rejection. Jesus was speaking of the present with reference to himself, and of the future as it applied to the Holy Spirit” (Foy Wallace, The Mission And Medium Of The Holy Spirit, page 110).

The Holy Spirit is the agent of divine revelation (cf II Samuel 23:2; John 15:26; 16:13; Ephesians 6:17; II Peter 1:21). It is through the Spirit revealed word that we come to know God, our need for redemption through Christ and what we must do to receive that redemption. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable because it begins with an evil heart that deliberately repudiates the Spirit’s testimony, therefore consciously rejecting the truth that brings salvation. Jesus said this will not be forgiven “neither in this world, nor in that which is to come.” That is, it will NEVER be forgiven. One in this condition will never be forgiven because he is unwilling to follow the conditions of pardon. The only sin that God is unwilling to forgive is the sin man is unwilling to repent of. One can become so calloused, he will not even hear the truth. It is interesting that the apostle Paul mentioned blaspheming the word of God in Titus 2:5 and blaspheming the doctrine in I Timothy 6:1. There could be no practical distinction between blaspheming the Spirit and blaspheming the word of the Spirit. There is no power to save apart from the gospel (Romans 1:16-17). “Today if ye shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts…” (Hebrews 3:7).

A Sin Unto Death.

John says, “If any man see his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask, and (God) will give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: not concerning this do I say that he should make request. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death” (I John 5:16-17). Unlike the previous text of Matthew 12:31-32 and Mark 3:29, here John is speaking of a “brother” who sins. The context indicates that a “brother,” a child of God, may commit sin. It is not a single sin under consideration that is unto death, nor a single sin that is not unto death. John speaks much in this epistle about forgiveness. For example, “If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:6-9). If indeed the Lord will forgive every sin that a brother confesses (I John 1:9), yet there is a sin which the Lord will not forgive (I John 5:16-17), then it would follow that the sin which the Lord will not forgive, the “sin unto death,” is simply any sin, all sin that a brother will not confess. The brother who sins with no restraint, rebellious persistence and without feelings that lead to repentance, the brother who will not turn away from the habitual practice of sin, cannot effectually pray or be prayed for. He, like the scribes of Mk. 3, has rejected the path that leads to pardon. It is useless to pray for him. He lives in the possibility of impending doom. His sin is a malady of heart that rejects the only cure and closes heaven’s door. However, if my brother sins and manifests a desire to repent, I must pray on his behalf. “Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working” (James 5:16).

Conclusion: It is a fearful thing for man to reject God or his truth. All truth that pertains to the salvation of man came through the Holy Spirit. To reject the truth of God is to reject the words of the Holy Spirit, thus to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. We need not fear that we may have, at one time or another, inadvertently committed this sin. It is not a sin that one slips into, but one that is done in open defiance of God. The Gospel is God’s power to save (Romans 1:16). It is the seed of the kingdom (Luke 8:11). But we must have an honest and good heart to receive it (Luke 8:15). “He that hath an ear, let him hear…”

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