We serve a merciful God, a God that is willing to look beyond our obvious imperfections and embrace us as His own. That isn’t a license to sin, it’s simply an acknowledgment that we can and do fall short from time to time. When we do, God expects us to repent, to turn away from lawless actions, to do our best not to repeat those actions while seeking and walking in righteousness. Yet, the bible tells us there is a sin that is unforgivable, that sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
Understanding what blasphemy against the Spirit is, exactly, seems to be a point of confusion and sometimes contention among the family of God. Let’s take a look at the words involved and the context in which the phrase is shared by Yeshua.
Matthew 12:31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. (32) Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
Blasphemy is not related to deeds, it’s related to words. The Greek word is blasphemia (G988) and it’s defined in Thayer Lexicon as:
βλασφημία
1) slander, detraction, speech injurious, to another’s good name
2) impious and reproachful speech injurious to divine majesty
In the Webster’s 1828 Dictionary which defined words as they were first understood in our English bibles, we find: “BLAS’PHEMY, n. An indignity offered to God by words or writing; reproachful, contemptuous or irreverent words uttered impiously against Jehovah.”
Rather than doing something wrong or irreverent, blasphemy is speaking something (with intent I would add) that injuries or profanes the name (character, reputation) of God. This is consistent with the context leading up to Yeshua’s words:
Matthew 12:22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. (23) And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” (24) Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”
What these particular Pharisees did was openly speak the idea that the works being done by God’s Holy Spirit were in fact works performed by the Adversary (Satan). This, and the conversation in the next few verses, which I encourage you to read, was the context that led to Yeshua saying, “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.”
Knowingly attributing God’s work to anyone else, especially Satan, is not forgivable. That shouldn’t be confused with verbally expressing doubt (Thomas saying he wouldn’t believe without seeing, for example) because we all have doubt from time to time. When and if we KNOW God has done a work in our life or the lives of others, and we attribute that work to Satan (or anyone else), that is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the only truly unforgivable offense.
Great Teach and it helps clarify.
This makes me think of some forms I have heard of taking God’s name in vain. I find it blasphemous. I’m sure it is sometimes “unintentional” or not truly directed to our Holy Father, but it sure cuts to the heart for me.
Ken I thought that was a very good interpretation of that very difficult to understand Scripture 🌺