Blasphemy of the Spirit
“Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matt. 12:31-32). These words of Jesus can tighten up one’s stomach with heaps of uneasiness. Many believers who have stumbled in thought, word, and deed often wrongly worry with fears of having committed this sin. The blasphemy of the Spirit is really a serious sin committed in unbelief.
The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is really not about a Christian losing their salvation. Jesus is not speaking to His followers; rather, He is addressing those Pharisees who attributed His works to Beelzebub (Matt. 12:22-29). These were not followers of Jesus who apostatized; rather, they were the antagonist to His ministry. They grumbled about the disciples picking grain of wheat plants and eating them on the Sabbath, since it violated their rules on keeping the Sabbath, but Moses never made such a prohibition, God ultimately sought for obedience rather than sacrifice, and the Son of Man, being the Lord of the Sabbath, rules the Sabbath (Matt. 12:1-8). It was far more important for Christ to do something good such as physically healing a person’s lame hand than to simply follow a set of rules on the way one should keep the Sabbath (Matt. 12:9-15).
Jesus responds to the unbelieving Pharisees, pointing out first that their reasoning was flawed, since it would be counterproductive for Satan to do the kinds of works that that Christ was doing, as His works were intended to expand the kingdom of God. He then warns that they were in danger of committing blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. He also distinguishes the blasphemy that could be forgiven as opposed to the blasphemy that could not be forgiven. D. A. Carson explains the difference: “Within the context of the larger argument the first sin is rejection of the truth of the gospel (but there may be repentance and forgiveness for that), whereas the second sin is rejection of the same truth in full awareness that that is exactly what one is doing—thoughtfully, willfully, and self-consciously rejecting the work of the Spirit even through there can be no other explanation of Jesus’ exorcisms than that” [1].
Jesus warned the unbelieving Pharisees that they were endanger of committing the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit; yet, the Lord says nothing to communicate that such a sin could only be committed during the epoch of His earthly ministry. The blasphemy being spoken about was a willful, persistent, rejection of the work and ministry of Christ.
Many people blaspheme Jesus Christ but Spirit opens their eyes to see the error of their way, they repent, and God forgives them. There are, however, instances when people cannot receive God’s forgiveness because they reject in the most severe way the vey way to obtaining God’s forgiveness—Jesus Christ. It is neither for lack of evidence nor love. It is not that they do not understand the message, and it is not that some church folks rubbed them the wrong way. Instead, some love the darkness rather than the light. Some would come face to face with Christ, turn away, and never look back. They persist in their unbelief and enter into the judgment of eternal condemnation.
Notes:
1. D.A. Carson, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 8, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), 291-292.
The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is really not about a Christian losing their salvation. Jesus is not speaking to His followers; rather, He is addressing those Pharisees who attributed His works to Beelzebub (Matt. 12:22-29). These were not followers of Jesus who apostatized; rather, they were the antagonist to His ministry. They grumbled about the disciples picking grain of wheat plants and eating them on the Sabbath, since it violated their rules on keeping the Sabbath, but Moses never made such a prohibition, God ultimately sought for obedience rather than sacrifice, and the Son of Man, being the Lord of the Sabbath, rules the Sabbath (Matt. 12:1-8). It was far more important for Christ to do something good such as physically healing a person’s lame hand than to simply follow a set of rules on the way one should keep the Sabbath (Matt. 12:9-15).
Jesus responds to the unbelieving Pharisees, pointing out first that their reasoning was flawed, since it would be counterproductive for Satan to do the kinds of works that that Christ was doing, as His works were intended to expand the kingdom of God. He then warns that they were in danger of committing blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. He also distinguishes the blasphemy that could be forgiven as opposed to the blasphemy that could not be forgiven. D. A. Carson explains the difference: “Within the context of the larger argument the first sin is rejection of the truth of the gospel (but there may be repentance and forgiveness for that), whereas the second sin is rejection of the same truth in full awareness that that is exactly what one is doing—thoughtfully, willfully, and self-consciously rejecting the work of the Spirit even through there can be no other explanation of Jesus’ exorcisms than that” [1].
Jesus warned the unbelieving Pharisees that they were endanger of committing the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit; yet, the Lord says nothing to communicate that such a sin could only be committed during the epoch of His earthly ministry. The blasphemy being spoken about was a willful, persistent, rejection of the work and ministry of Christ.
Many people blaspheme Jesus Christ but Spirit opens their eyes to see the error of their way, they repent, and God forgives them. There are, however, instances when people cannot receive God’s forgiveness because they reject in the most severe way the vey way to obtaining God’s forgiveness—Jesus Christ. It is neither for lack of evidence nor love. It is not that they do not understand the message, and it is not that some church folks rubbed them the wrong way. Instead, some love the darkness rather than the light. Some would come face to face with Christ, turn away, and never look back. They persist in their unbelief and enter into the judgment of eternal condemnation.
Notes:
1. D.A. Carson, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 8, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), 291-292.
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