By Steve A. Hamilton

Matthew 12:31-32

 Introduction: The passage we just read makes a lot of people nervous. Jesus states that anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.  Since that is a truth stated by Christ who cannot lie (Titus 1:2), wouldn’t we like to know what constitutes blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?

 I. Blasphemy is injurious speech.

          A. “Blasphemy is practically confined to speech defamatory of Divine Majesty” (Vines).

          B. The same Greek word is translated “reviled” or “railed” in the KJV when Jesus hung on the cross (Matt. 27:39; Mark 15:29).

          C.  One of the crucified thieves blasphemed Christ by saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us” (Luke 23:39).

          D. To speak evil or to bring reviling accusations against dignitaries is defined by the same Greek word as blasphemy (2 Pet. 2:10-12; Jude 8, 10).  

          E. In the simplest terms, speaking evil or against anyone is blasphemy (Rom. 3:8; 14:16; 1 Cor. 10:30; 1 Pet. 4:4; 2 Pet. 2:2; Titus 3:2).  In 1 Cor. 4:13, the term defamed is used instead of blasphemy.

II. To speak evil or against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

          A. The Pharisees blasphemed the Holy Spirit by attributing the power of the Holy Spirit to Satan (Matt. 12:22-24; Mark 3:22). All that it took to blaspheme the Holy Spirit was to say the Holy Spirit was unclean (Mark 3:28-30)!

          B. Vine’s says, “As to the Son of Man, in His state of humiliation, there might be misunderstanding, but not so with the Holy Spirit’s power demonstrated.”

III. Caution should be exercised against applying other sins against the Holy Spirit to the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

          A. A person could lie to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3); resist the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51); seek the Holy Spirit’s power (Acts 8:19); misused our body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19); and grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30) without blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

          B. Since the work of the Holy Spirit was giving us the written word of God, some equate a rejection of God’s word to the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. 

                   1. No doubt a rejection of God’s word will prevent forgiveness (Heb. 6:4-6).

                   2. However, rejecting God’s word is not blasphemy (1 Thes. 4:1-8).  Paul says a rejection of God’s will, commands or holiness is a rejection of God.

                   3. Rejection has never been defined as blasphemy.  Though I admit one could blaspheme in the process of rejecting God’s word.  They are two separate sins.

          C. Some argue that blasphemy against God or Christ is equivalent to the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

                   1. Remember Christ said people could blaspheme Him and still be forgiven (Matt. 12:31-32; Mark 3:28-29; Luke 12:10).

                   2. If anyone who speaks against Christ could not be forgiven, than Christ didn’t mean what He said.  Was He lying?

IV. Could a Christian blaspheme the Holy Spirit?

          A. Not as a Christian (1 Cor. 12:3; applied as an axiom).  What Christian would call Jesus accursed?  We can only affirm Jesus as Lord by the Holy Spirit who revealed God's word. [I'm not implying a miraculous indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  The statements are true regardless if the Holy Spirit was miraculously given or not.]

                   1. If a non-Christian cursed the Holy Spirit, would the Holy Spirit influence that person’s heart such that he would be able to call on the Lord in the future?

                   2. It doesn’t seem possible for a blasphemer of the Holy Spirit to confess Christ as his savior because the Holy Spirit’s influence is required to make such a confession.  If a person could make the confession that Jesus is Lord that would be a good indication that he never had blasphemed the Holy Spirit in the past.

          B. Christian are sealed with the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13; 4:30).  Therefore, we would have to quit living as a Christian (fall away) before we could blaspheme the Holy Spirit.

          C. In other words, if a Christian spoke against the Holy Spirit he obviously has quit living as a Christian (1 John 5:16-17).

V.  How might someone blaspheme the Holy Spirit today?

          A. If anyone speaks evil against the Holy Spirit it would be blasphemy.

          B. I believe the following quotation would qualify:

                   1. “The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible…  Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” (Introduction to the Book of Mormon by Joseph Smith Jr.)

                   2. This quotation is not a simple rejection of God’s word but a direct attack against the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to provide an inerrant record of God’s word.  It speaks against the Holy Spirit and supposes a man (or an angel as the Mormons claim) did better at revealing God’s revelations.        

Conclusion: Are there those who have blasphemed the Holy Spirit and therefore cannot receive forgiveness?  I don’t believe Christ would tell us of such a sin if no one was capable of committing it.  I also don’t believe anyone capable of blaspheming the Holy Spirit would ever seek the truth. 

Last modified: 05/02/08