Several years ago I spoke with a student who was paralyzed by the fear that she had committed the unforgivable sin because of some terrible words she had spoken. Her concern stemmed from Matthew 12:31: “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.” Had she perhaps committed the unforgivable sin?
It is unlikely that this young woman committed the unforgivable sin. She loved the Lord and wanted her life to please Him. But she apparently did not understand what blasphemy against the Holy Spirit was, and this made her worry that she might have committed the unforgivable sin. What is blasphemy against the Spirit? What is the unpardonable sin?
Let me first give a definition. Blasphemy against the Spirit – the unpardonable sin – iscurrenthardening of your heartagainst the Holy Spirit who is trying to lead you to repentance from sin and faith in Christ. Moreover, it is a matter ofhartbeemanifests itselfin yourord.
Let's look together at the central passage in the discussion, Matthew 12:24-37. Mark the words I havefed. Note especially that the bold words indicate that Jesus is addressing a fundamental condition of the heart, not just some sinful words.
24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only through Beelzebub the ruler of the demons.”25And when Jesus knew their thoughts, He said to them, “Every kingdomdivided against itselfis destroyed; and every city or housedivided againstwon't even stand.26When Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; How then will his kingdom stand?27If I know that Beelzebub casts out demons, who do your sons cast out? For this reason they will be your judges.28But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.29Or how can anyone enter the strong man's house and take away his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he wants to plunder his house.30 He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters.31Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven to men, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.32Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.33 Either make the tree good and its fruits good, or make the tree bad and its fruits bad; for the tree is known by its fruits.34Vanbrood of vipers, how can you,being angry, speak what is good? Because the mouth speaksof what fills the heart.35The good man bringsfrom his good treasurewhat is good; and the evil man bringsfrom his evil treasurewhat's wrong36But I say to you that for every careless word that men speak, they will answer for it on the day of judgment.37Because through your words you will bejustified, and by your words you will be tooconvicted."
Note in particular that in this passage and other expressions there are many absolutist statements that refer to the basic state of one's heart in Matthew 12:24-37.
Notice it the same wayfedwords in the parallel passage in Luke 12:8-10:
8"And I say to you:anyone who confesses me to men. The Son of Man will also confess him to the angels of God;9 but he who denies me to menwill be denied before the angels of God.10And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.”
Again, the underlined words help us identify that the question is not about a wayward, hateful, or blasphemous word, but about the basic state of one's heart toward God.
Furthermore, there are clear parallels between Matthew 12:24-37 (quoted above) and John the Baptist's words to the religious leaders in Matthew 3:7-8:
7 But when he saw manyPhariseesand the Sadducees who were baptized, he said to them,adders, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 That's whypays offin accordance with repentance...'
Careful readers of the Bible must not only pay attention to details in immediate contexts, they must pay attention to ideas already introduced by a biblical writer. Before Matthew included Jesus' comments about blasphemy against the Spirit and the unpardonable sin, he had used the language ofaddersInpays offas compared toPhariseesthrough the words of John the Baptist. Matthew expected his readers to remember these words when they arrived at Matthew 12. Since Matthew 3:7-8 is about repentance ("bearing fruit according to repentance"), we must keep the theme of repentance in mind as we try to determine its nature. the blasphemy against the Spirit/the unpardonable sin in Matthew 12:33.
A concept that Matthew also expects you to listen to as you read his Gospel is the theme of “fruit.” He first introduces this theme in the words of John the Baptist just noted (3:8, also 3:10), and develops it considerably when he includes Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (7:15-20 ). , it integrates. the same fruit theme in the passage we are mainly thinking about today (12:33), again in the parable of the earth (13:23) and finally in a judgment passage that, not surprisingly, focuses again on the Pharisees' inability to produce fruit to bring (21:43). The point for Matthew is that whatever is in people's hearts begins to manifest itself in the way people live and speak ("fruit").
Another valuable observation is that this statement of Jesus is likely intertextually linked to Numbers 15:30-31: “But whoever does anything defiant, whether he is a native or a foreigner, blasphemes the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from among his people. Because he has despised the word of the Lord..." Craig Blomberg comments on Matthew 12:33: "Old Testament listeners will remember the laws that labeled particularly rebellious sin as blasphemy and seemingly unforgivable ( see especially sinwith a high handof Numbers 15:30-31) – the open, deliberate, and persistent rejection of God and His commandments.”[1]Notice Blomberg's connection between defiant sin and blasphemy, which brings us right into the language of Matthew 12:31. The implication is that one who has committed the unpardonable sin does not accidentally say a certain number of words, but deliberately rejects the Lord. Note also that Numbers 15:31 adds, “because he despised the word of the Lord.” It is not just about a word that passes one's lips, but about a more fundamental attitude of contempt for what God has revealed.
It should also be noted that the biblical description of the Holy Spirit convicting individuals of sin helps us understand why blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is such a serious problem. Blaspheming the Holy Spirit does not simply mean saying something bad about the Holy Spirit (or anything else for that matter), but is a persistent rejection of the convicting work of the Spirit, whose job it is to expose our sins and convince us. lead to receiving sins. Christ. Jesus says of the Holy Spirit in John 16:8, “And when He comes, He will convict the world of sin and righteousness and judgment.” My former teacher and then Talbot colleague, Mike Wilkins, writes, “This also goes along with the Spirit's role in convicting people of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). As long as you reject the Spirit, you can never find forgiveness of sins."[2]
So the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Spirit is not a wayward word uttered in a moment of anger. Nor is it another dramatic sin, like murder, suicide or adultery. There is no indication in Matthew 12 that Jesus had such sins in mind. (By the way, don't we see God forgiving such sins throughout the Bible? - just think of the stories of David and Paul). Rather, as previously stated, it is blasphemy against the Spiritcurrenthardening of your heartagainst the Holy Spirit who is trying to lead you to repentance from sin and faith in Christ. It is a matter ofhartbeemanifests itselfand weord(and actions).A person who hardens his heart against the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit and refuses to repent of his sin and turn to Christ in faith has committed a sin that can never be forgiven. The person who repeatedly and unrepentantly rejects the Holy Spirit's testimony about Christ is the one who has blasphemed the Holy Spirit. That sin is the only sin that will never be forgiven.
Frequently Asked Questions (Frequently Asked Questions)
FAQ#1: What does Jesus mean when he says that a word spoken against the Son of Man can be forgiven (Matthew 12:32)?
I'm not sure how to answer this question, but Wilkins may be right when he writes, “To speak against the Son of Man is to ignore the full identity of Jesus. Through greater revelation and understanding this deficiency can be overcome. ", the person can repent and then find forgiveness. Yielding to the evidentiary and convincing work of the Spirit can bring a person to that point. But if he continually rejects the work of the Spirit, he will never reach. period.”[3]
FAQ#2: If a person can repent of another sin, why can't he or she repent of this specific sin?
F.F. Bruce makes an interesting comment in this regard, referring to the Markan parallel (3:28-29): “For every kind of sin, for every kind of blasphemy or slander, it is understood that forgiveness is available – presumably when one repents of the sin. But what if someone repents of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Is there no forgiveness for the person who repents of this sin? The answer seems to be that the nature of this sin is such that that person does not repent of it, because those who commit it and persist in it do not know that they are sinning.”[4]I would add that they do not know because they have rejected the Holy Spirit's testimony about Christ and have so hardened themselves that they do not recognize their sin.
FAQ#3: If I am a Christian who loves the Lord, should I worry that I have accidentally committed the unforgivable sin?
Blomberg is probably right to raise this concern: “…professing believers who fear that they have committed the unpardonable sin demonstrate a concern for their spiritual well-being, which by definition proves that they have not committed it.”[5]
To note
[1]Craig L. Blomberg,Matthew,NAC (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1992), 203-204 citing W.C. Kaiser, Jr.,Towards an Old Testament ethics(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1983), 298.
[2]Michael J. Wilkins,Matthew,NIVAC (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004), 449.
[3]Wilkins,Matthew, 449.
[4]F.F. Bruce,The harsh words of Jesus(Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1983), 90.
[5]Blomberg,Matthew, 204.
This postand other resources are available at Kindle Afresh: Kenneth Berding's blog and website.
