What Is the Unpardonable Sin?
Dear Phil,
What is the unpardonable sin?
Myra
What is the unpardonable sin?
Myra
Dear Myra,
There are only three places in the New Testament that refer to the unpardonable sin: Matthew 12:31–32; Mark 3:28–30; and Luke 12:10. All three passages of Scripture must be interpreted together in order to arrive at a proper understanding of the unpardonable sin.
In Matthew 12:14, the Pharisees met together to decide how to destroy Jesus. Shortly thereafter, Jesus healed a demon-possessed man who was both blind and mute (Matt 12:22). Astounded, people began to wonder aloud if Jesus couldn’t be the Messiah. As soon as the Pharisees heard what people were saying, they launched their attack: “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons” (Matt 12:24).
Jesus responded to their attack by pointing out five things that rendered the Pharisees’ accusation not only absurd but wicked (Matt 12:25–30). First, Satan would be working against himself if he cast out demons. In other words, he would be destroying his own kingdom (Matt 12:25–26). Second, since the Pharisees’ own children cast out demons, they of all people should know that it can be done only by the power of God (Matt 12:27). Third, Jesus said that if He cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God had arrived. In other words, He was indeed the Messiah (Matt 12:28). Fourth, the only way to plunder the devil is to bind him. If he is bound, then he is not loose and active (Matt 12:29). Fifth, a bad tree does not produce good fruit (Matt 12:33). Since all the fruit of His ministry had been good, it should be obvious that He himself was good and not bad.
In between his fourth and fifth points, Jesus lowered the boom: “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” (Matt 12:31–32). Mark’s account is even more emphatic: “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” (Mark 3:29). Luke records, “Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven” (Luke 12:10).
The unpardonable sin is blaspheming the Holy Spirit. But what is “blaspheming the Holy Spirit?” If we fail to interpret the phase “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” in context, we will misunderstand what Jesus meant.
In context, the Pharisees were not using the Holy Spirit as a curse word. They were not cursing or reviling the Holy Spirit directly. They were certainly not denying the existence of the Holy Spirit. Mark 3:30 gives us a clear explanation of what they were doing: “For they were saying, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’” Mark’s phrase “were saying” indicates the Pharisees were repeatedly asserting, “He has an unclean spirit.” This then is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit: to deliberately attribute what one knows to be the work of the Holy Spirit to the prince of devils, Satan.
Both John Wesley and Adam Clarke come to this same conclusion. As Clarke says, “The unpardonable sin, as some term it, is neither less nor more than ascribing the miracles Christ wrought, by the power of God, to the spirit of the devil.”
For a much more comprehensive treatment of the history of interpretation on this subject, I recommend the journal article of Dr. Bill Combs, “The Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.” His article is online at https://www.dbts.edu/journals/2004/Combs.pdf.
Blessings,
Phil
There are only three places in the New Testament that refer to the unpardonable sin: Matthew 12:31–32; Mark 3:28–30; and Luke 12:10. All three passages of Scripture must be interpreted together in order to arrive at a proper understanding of the unpardonable sin.
In Matthew 12:14, the Pharisees met together to decide how to destroy Jesus. Shortly thereafter, Jesus healed a demon-possessed man who was both blind and mute (Matt 12:22). Astounded, people began to wonder aloud if Jesus couldn’t be the Messiah. As soon as the Pharisees heard what people were saying, they launched their attack: “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons” (Matt 12:24).
Jesus responded to their attack by pointing out five things that rendered the Pharisees’ accusation not only absurd but wicked (Matt 12:25–30). First, Satan would be working against himself if he cast out demons. In other words, he would be destroying his own kingdom (Matt 12:25–26). Second, since the Pharisees’ own children cast out demons, they of all people should know that it can be done only by the power of God (Matt 12:27). Third, Jesus said that if He cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God had arrived. In other words, He was indeed the Messiah (Matt 12:28). Fourth, the only way to plunder the devil is to bind him. If he is bound, then he is not loose and active (Matt 12:29). Fifth, a bad tree does not produce good fruit (Matt 12:33). Since all the fruit of His ministry had been good, it should be obvious that He himself was good and not bad.
In between his fourth and fifth points, Jesus lowered the boom: “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” (Matt 12:31–32). Mark’s account is even more emphatic: “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” (Mark 3:29). Luke records, “Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven” (Luke 12:10).
The unpardonable sin is blaspheming the Holy Spirit. But what is “blaspheming the Holy Spirit?” If we fail to interpret the phase “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” in context, we will misunderstand what Jesus meant.
In context, the Pharisees were not using the Holy Spirit as a curse word. They were not cursing or reviling the Holy Spirit directly. They were certainly not denying the existence of the Holy Spirit. Mark 3:30 gives us a clear explanation of what they were doing: “For they were saying, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’” Mark’s phrase “were saying” indicates the Pharisees were repeatedly asserting, “He has an unclean spirit.” This then is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit: to deliberately attribute what one knows to be the work of the Holy Spirit to the prince of devils, Satan.
Both John Wesley and Adam Clarke come to this same conclusion. As Clarke says, “The unpardonable sin, as some term it, is neither less nor more than ascribing the miracles Christ wrought, by the power of God, to the spirit of the devil.”
For a much more comprehensive treatment of the history of interpretation on this subject, I recommend the journal article of Dr. Bill Combs, “The Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.” His article is online at https://www.dbts.edu/journals/2004/Combs.pdf.
Blessings,
Phil