Jesus teaches that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a sin that is unforgivable.1 The “unforgivable” aspect to this can be alarming and troubling. Undoubtedly, there’s no Christian that would want to be guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit! Merriam-Webster defines the blasphemy as, “the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God.” In Greek, it can mean “vilification” or “evil speaking” or “railing against”. However, pinning down the exact meaning and sense in which Jesus is speaking requires us to consider this passage more closely.
How Scripture answers "What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? (Matthew 12:31-32)"
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a ‘hardened heart’ condition379 that can affect the unfaithful15…as well as the faithful146. It stems from rejecting God’s word346789 which leaves one irredeemable8. The “blasphemy” Jesus describes1 is amplified in other places with words like “spurned”/”profaned”4, “resist”5, “reviles”/”despised”8, and “contempt”6.
Answer built on scripture-blocks below
Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And 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.
Therefore I [Jesus] tell you every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven – not in this age, or in the age to come.
Jesus is in the midst of his public ministry. He is teaching harder sayings and the division between those that accept him and those that don’t is becoming starker.
Applying Matthew 12:31-32 to this question...
Jesus contrasts “blasphemy” (unforgiven) with “speaking a word against” (forgiven). The former implies a persistence and stubbornness – we could say a “hardened heart”3, while the latter implies a moment of weakness. For example, the Jewish leaders of his day obstinately rejected his miraculous signs (eg “blasphemy”), compared to Jesus’ disciples speaking out in anger/hurt/weakness [against Jesus/God] at his crucifixion.
This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
Jesus Christ came by water and blood, not by water alone. The Spirit bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.
Applying 1 John 5:6 to this question...
The Holy Spirit is the truth (God’s word).
They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts.
They hardened their hearts against God’s law and the words He sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore, great anger came from the Lord of hosts.
Zechariah preaching God’s words to the people that have returned to the land after seventy years of Babylonian captivity.
Applying Zechariah 7:12 to this question...
The people had hardened their hearts against God’s word to a point that they were irredeemable and sent into exile.
For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
For if we continue to sin willfully/voluntarily after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there is no sacrifice remaining for us. Only a fearful expectation of judgment and a consuming fire awaiting the unrighteous.
The Hebrews writer is beginning the conclusion of his letter imploring the Jewish Christians to remain faithful and not forget all of the “better” things they have in Christ. A Christian continuing to sin willfully is further described as “one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace” (vs 29).
Applying Hebrews 10:26-27 to this question...
Christians who continue to willfully sin have “spurned”, “profaned” and “outraged” God’s truth – all similar to “blasphemy” against the Holy Spirit.
You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.
You stubborn people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, always resisting the Holy Spirit. You do as your fathers did.
Some of Stephen’s final words before the crowd takes him out to stone him by the Jewish leaders of the day.
Applying Acts 7:51 to this question...
Stephen describes a type of person that would seem to be unforgiven by God – someone who would “always resist the Holy Spirit.”
For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.
It’s impossible to restore to repentance those that have fallen away after coming to understand and experience salvation – having shared in the Holy Spirit and the goodness of God’s word and the power to come – since they crucify all over the Son of God, putting him to public shame to their own harm.
The Hebrews writer is arguing the “better” things in Christ, contrasting with things from the Old Law these Hebrew Christians had turned from, but apparently were at risk to turn back. He is chastising them for having become “dull of hearing” (5:11) and requiring someone to still need to teach them these “basic principles” (5:12).
Applying Hebrews 6:4-6 to this question...
“Crucifying once again” and “holding him up to contempt” are similar to “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.” Someone who had responded to the grace of Christ can become unredeemable in their contempt and blasphemy.
If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.
We should ask for a brother seen committing sin not leading to death, and God will give him life. There is sin leading to death; John does not say to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but not all sin must lead to death.
John is defining one’s love of God by the obedience (doing) of His word (vs 3). Indeed, this is the very basis of John’s letter to begin with – confronting those that are denying that Jesus (the Word incarnate) came in the flesh (1:1-4). Opposed to this is “the world” which stands in the way of a “victory” made possible by Jesus Christ (vss 4ff). John wants to remind brethern to remain stong and remember to pray to God for help (vs 13-15).“Death” in this passage is understood by the context to be of a spiritual sort that is unforgivable by God.
Applying 1 John 5:16-17 to this question...
John shares a condition or state of man (“a sin”) whereby prayer to God should not be offered because it is unforgivable.
John’s context tells us it is denying God’s word.
But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, reviles the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from among his people. Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken his commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be on him.
The person acting in deliberate defiance – native or sojourner – blasphemes against the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from his people. He has rejected the word of God and broken His command, so he will be utterly cut off and his sin will be borne by him alone.
The children of Israel are destined to wander in the wilderness after God’s judgment for their disobedience and unfaithfulness (14:22, 34). God is now giving Moses instructions about His commandments for the people (vs 1).
Applying Numbers 15:30-31 to this question...
Under the Old Law, doing something with a “high hand” because they had “despised the word of the Lord” was grounds for that person to be “utterly cut off.” As a result, their sin was “on him” (e.g. not able to be borne or forgiven by God).
If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him? But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death.
Eli tried to warn his sons that God can intercede if someone sins against a man, but asked who could intercede when someone sins against God Himself. But they wouldn't listen to him as it was God's will that He would put them to death.
The book of Samuel chronicles the transition from the judges (namely Eli and Samuel) to the rise of kings (namely Saul and David) leading Israel. At this point, we are transitioning from Eli’s judgeship to Samuel’s who would be both a judge and a prophet.
Applying 1 Samuel 2:25 to this question...
Eli notes that there is a degree of depravity (e.g. “sins agains the Lord”) that reaches an unforgivable point, a point that his sons had reached and for which they would be put to death by the Lord.
Just a little later, Samuel is told of God’s judgment on Eli’s household due in part “because his sons were blaspheming God” (3:13). This characterization seems to match exactly what Jesus would say about forgivable sins vs. “the blasphemy against the Spirit”.1
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