Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit
Notes
Transcript
Matthew 12:31–32
31 Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Is it truly unforgivable?
Is it truly unforgivable?
Matthew 12:32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
What is “this age” and “the age to come?”
There were two understandings of the age to come from a jewish perspective, the Millennial Reign of Christ, and the time after the judgement of God.
We need to look at Mark to get more clarity
Mark 3:28–29 “I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, 29 but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences.””
What is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?
What is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?
What is blasphemy?
impious utterance or action concerning God or sacred things.
Synonyms: impiety, sacrilege, profanity
Judaism.
an act of cursing or reviling God.
pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton (YHWH) in the original, now forbidden manner instead of using a substitute pronunciation such as Adonai.
Theology. the crime of assuming to oneself the rights or qualities of God.
irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless, etc.:
What is the biblical understanding of Blasphemy?
1059 βλασφημέω (blasphēmeō): vb.; ≡ Str 987; TDNT 1.621—LN 33.400 blaspheme, insult, slander, curse, (Mt 9:3; Mk 3:28; 15:29; Jn 10:36; Ac 13:45; 19:37; Ro 3:8; 14:16; Tit 3:2; Jas 2:7; 1Pe 4:4; Jude 8; Rev 16:9; 1Pe 4:14 v.r.)
1060 βλασφημία (blasphēmia), ας (as), ἡ (hē): n.fem.; ≡ Str 988; TDNT 1.621—1. LN 33.400 reviling, malicious talk, slander (Mt 15:19); 2. LN 33.401 blasphemy, the content of defamation or slander (Lk 5:21)
1061 βλάσφημος (blasphēmos), ον (on): adj. [see βλάσφημος (blasphēmos), ου (ou), ὁ (ho), just below]; ≡ Str 989; TDNT 1.621—LN 33.402 blasphemous, slanderous, abusive (Ac 6:11; 2Ti 3:2; 2Pe 2:11+)
βλάσφημος (blasphēmos), ου (ou), ὁ (ho): n.masc. [served by 1061]; ≡ Str 989—LN 33.403 blasphemer, slanderer, reviler (1Ti 1:13+)
All these words have a common idea behind them, Slander is used in each of the definitions...
insult, malicious talk, abusive, curse…
the first word is the Verb form, the second is feminine form of a noun, the third is an adj.
Note it is saying something against the Holy Spirit, not the Son of Man…
To understand what it is we need to know the context.
Matthew 12:22–29
22 Then they brought to him a demoniac who was blind and mute; and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see. 23 All the crowds were amazed and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons.” 25 He knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
The leaders were attributing the work of Jesus, via the Holy Spirit, as the work of Satan.