Please read my article below. Let me know if I am on the right track or not- if you read this that is
“Blasphemy of Spirit” The Unforgivable Sin
By Jennifer Braden
Matthew 12:31-33- "Therefore I am saying to you, Every sin and blasphemy shall be pardoned men, yet the blasphemy of the spirit shall not be pardoned. And whosoever may be saying a word against the Son of Mankind, it will be pardoned him, yet whoever may be saying aught against the holy spirit, it shall not be pardoned him, neither in this eon nor in that which is impending."
There are many different interpretations of what the blasphemy of spirit really is (it being the only “unforgivable' sin and all) and I can tell you there are many different things it can be. But in most cases, I feel that this verse is misused to suit the judgments of those who claim to keep the faith but do not. It can be a great weapon to say that someone has sinned unforgivably so as to have the perfect excuse to judge and condemn our fellow human beings in the name of Jesus and God. But one has to take into account that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to this complex concept being stated in this verse and once you see it for what it really means you will know the incredible irony in using this verse as a weapon of condemnation. Surprisingly to some (and not so to others), this verse when used alone is a misquote and here is why: the quote in Matthew is incomplete. When reading the Matthew verse, you must also find the same quote in Mark to complete the actual dialogue- like so:
Mark 3:28-30-"Verily, I am saying to you that all shall be pardoned the sons of mankind, the penalties of the sins and the blasphemies, whatsoever they should be blaspheming, yet whoever should be blaspheming against th e holy spirit is having no pardon for the eon, but is liable to the eonian penalty for the sin" -- for they said, "An unclean spirit has he."
In this passage, you can see that Jesus is referring to a specific group of people- and here is the answer to who they are in Luke:
Luke 7:31-34- To whom, then, shall I be likening the men of this generation, and to whom are they like? Like are they to little boys and girls sitting in the market and shouting to one another and saying, 'We flute to you and you do not dance! We wail to you and you do not lament!' For come has John the baptist, neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you are saying, 'A demon has he!'Come has the Son of Mankind, eating and drinking, and you are saying, "'Lo! a man gluttonous and a tippler, a friend of tribute collectors and sinners!'
These three verses when taken together form the true picture Jesus intended to paint of the concept of blasphemy of the spirit. Jesus wa s not speaking about those who live a life of sin, he was not even speaking about those who sin against Him. Jesus was speaking of the Pharisees (supposed holy men of the time) who were claiming to speak for and on behalf of God and using this authority to condemn John the baptist and also Jesus. They were not just sinning at this point, they were condemning in the name of God- they were blaspheming. This is an important clarification and the difference that sealed the fate of the pharisees in the bible. If you read these three verses combined, this is the crux of the message: Those who sin against each other and themselves will be forgiven, those who sin against the Son of Mankind (Jesus) will be forgiven, but those who speak against or, more acurrately, misrepresent the holy spirit (God) can not and will not be forgiven (in this age or the next). Most Christians would agree that the Pharisees deserved to have these passages directed at them, for they were the ones that killed Jes us in the name of God and their king.
Yet still, some choose to think there are other worse things than what the Pharisees did. For example some people may think that atheists must automatically be guilty of the “unforgivable sin” of blasphemy of spirit. In my humble opinion, I disagree- on the basis of it not making any sense. How can one speak against, misrepresent or portray in an evil light something that they do not believe exists?? Most people who don't believe in God are not talking about Him period and they would not be accusing, condemning or killing a man in His name.
But who would do things like that? Hmmmm...perhaps those who do believe in God but are misrepresenting Him? Who could be known in our culture today who claim to believe in God and know God- but may also be misrepresenting Him and condemning and hurting people in His good name?
Let's just bring this into the “now” and say that, according to this set of verses, Madonna would more than likely be forgiven her blasphemy with the whole mirrored cross thing being that blaspheming against the Son of Mankind is indeed forgiven. But, perhaps the so called God loving Christians that are portrayed in the media holding picket signs that say “you will burn in hell and God will be laughing” will be treading a very thin line with our Creator for portraying Him in such an evil light. Do you think God takes it kindly when one verbally abuses another in His name? Puts things into perspective doesn't it?
It is too bad that a small minority of people are giving Christians and Christianity a bad name. It is even more sad that these type of Christians are the majority of what we see in the news. I hope that this changes some day.
As a good Christian, may I seek to love- not to condemn. I feel I can better represent my Creator in this way.
I will now top this off with a couple of my favorite quotes from the good book that go along with the three previous qu otes.
Matthew 7:1-2- "Do not judge, lest you may be judged, for with what judgment you are judging, shall you be judged, and with what measure you are measuring, shall it be measured to you.
Matthew 15:11- Not that which is entering into the mouth is contaminating a man, but that which is going out of the mouth, this is contaminating a man."
Have a beautiful day!
Jennifer Braden
Dear Jennifer:
I'm afraid you missed it. If your definition of what the "unpardonable sin" is, then Paul (as Saul, slaughtering many believers in Christ, and doing it in the Name of God) certainly committed this sin. But we know from his convesion and ministry that he did not commit this sin.
God be with you,
Ray