What is the Unforgivable Sin?

“Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” This is Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees found in chapter 12 of Matthew, and he berates them likewise in two other Gospel accounts. At first read, this will likely be construed as excessively harsh, and not at all befitting the gracious and long-suffering character of the Jesus to whom we are introduced in the rest of the books contained in the New Testament. Indeed, one who is struck with confusion by this statement would be completely justified in their uncertainty. As proves to be true in many cases, however, we must delve deeper into this matter before coming hastily to conclusions. Further study will always help us to form a more complete understanding of the words of Jesus Christ.

There are a few principles of Biblical interpretation that one must keep in mind when considering any piece of Scripture. Perhaps the most important is the idea of the unity of the text: Scripture never contradicts itself, and we can therefore compare parallel accounts in a manner which is helpful in exegetic pursuits. Part of this idea is that we must work from the simplest to understand to the more difficult, meaning that we can look at one Scripture where the meaning is somewhat obvious—or at least much less disputable—and use that to aid in understanding a more difficult piece of Scripture. Another important aspect of our paradigm of hermeneutics should be to consider every piece of Scripture contextually.We must avoid the temptation to “pick and choose,” especially when we already have a preexisting bias—as we most surely do, in most cases—and instead try to reflect on the entire body of Scripture available to us. It is crucial to look at connected sections of Scripture in order to get a handle on the idea which is being conveyed: the “big picture,” so to speak. Commentaries can offer a helpful way to gain perspective in such matters. Keeping these techniques in mind will help us as we examine the meaning of this particular verse.

First, we must examine what we know about two of the major issues with which we are dealing here: sin and redemption. All of us have sinned (Romans 3:23), and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We must somehow pay for those sins before we can see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). We are taught that salvation under the new covenant comes not through adherence to the Law, but through the atoning sacrifice that Jesus Christ became when he died on the cross as a perfectly sinless man, so that all of our sins could be forgiven (2 Corinthians 5:21). Indeed, we have absolutely no hope to somehow save ourselves by following the Law (Galatians 2:16; James 2:10). Jesus was one man who died for many, so that all sins—past, present and future—could be forgiven (1 Peter 3:18). He is the Messiah, or savior, of any who acknowledge him as such (Matthew 26:28; Luke 12:8; Hebrews 7:27-28; 10:1-18). John 3:18 tells us that those who do not believe in Jesus are condemned, but we know for a fact that those who “come into the light” by accepting the truth gain salvation in doing so (John 3:21). Apparently, then, every sin can be forgiven. It is because of what we know about Christ’s atoning sacrifice for our sins that Jesus’ mention of blasphemy “against the Holy Spirit” and his specification of such as a sin that “will not be forgiven” should give us great pause. We are faced with the task of defining this unforgivable sin and subsequently reconciling this idea with what we already know to be true.

Next, we must take a look at the parallel accounts. This unforgivable sin of “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” is mentioned in all three of the synoptic Gospels (Matthew 12, Mark 3 and Luke 12).

• Matthew 12:22-32: Jesus’ expression of woe on the unrepentant cities of Jerusalem forms the context of this passage. These people have seen the works of their Messiah with their own eyes, but fail—or refuse—to recognize him as such. Here, the Pharisees accusation serves as a definitive example of this rejection of Jesus Christ as their Messiah.
• Mark 3:20-30: Mark mentions very little of the encounter and doesn’t do much to put the event in context. Mark specifies, though, that Jesus told the teachers of the law that those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven “because they were saying, ‘He has an evil spirit.’” In other words, the teachers of the law were attributing Jesus’ healing to the Satan’s power rather than to the Holy Spirit.
• Luke 12:1-12: Luke refers to the unforgivable sin in quite a different context. This event, as in Matthew’s Gospel, follows a declaration of woes, but these allegations are leveled squarely at the Pharisees, the spiritual leaders of the nation of Israel who have led the children of Jacob astray. Much of the material immediately preceding these verses in Luke has Jesus expounding the signs that will herald the coming of the end times.

Reading the related verses in Matthew 12 and Mark 3, we can conclude with some confidence that Jesus is referring specifically to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as wrongfully attributing to Satan the good works of the Holy Spirit. That, taken along with the context in Luke 12 of an impending judgment, implies that the unforgivable sin is the permanent rejection of Christ: a conviction so steadfast and abiding that you have rendered future repentance impossible. Theologian Henry Morris describes this as “demonstrating an attitude permanently resistant to the Spirit and to the deity and saving gospel of Christ.” Matthew Henry gives a helpful interpretation of this and offers us insight as to why this sin is unforgivable: “Let no trembling, penitent backslider doubt of obtaining forgiveness. This is far different from the determined enmity that is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall never be forgiven, because it will never be repented of” (emphasis added). Rejection of the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is the one thing that will stop one from eternal life (John 3:36).

Theologian Dr. Warren Wiersbe also sees this “blasphemy” as more than simply words spoken against the Holy Spirit. The words, he says, “are only ’fruit’ from the sinful heart.” But while Dr. Wiersbe agrees that Jesus’ words in the passages in question point to a contemporary understanding as described previously, he also has a more complex historical understanding which pertains to those living at the time Jesus walked on earth. Wiersbe believes that the finality of the sin in their day had to do with the exhaustion of opportunities, rather than the antagonism they would demonstrate when offered future opportunities. He goes on to explain how the nation of Israel as a whole has spent their every chance by, in essence, rejecting all three persons of the triune Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. When the leaders of the day denied the truth of John the Baptist’s message, they rejected God the Father. When they asked Pilate to crucify Jesus, they rejected the Son whom God had graciously sent following their refusal of the Father. They were forgiven for this, though, because of their ignorance, and would be given a third chance in the form of ministry of the Holy Spirit. After Pentecost, when the Spirit of God came as proof that Jesus was indeed the Christ and was alive, the rejection of the Apostles and their ministry equated to the rejection of the Holy Spirit as well. At this point, Wiersbe claims, they had squandered all of their chances, and there would be no further witness. Jesus tells of all of these things in the parables in Matthew 21 and 22, and they all come to pass in the book of Acts. The rejection of the Father is evident in the parable of the two sons (Matthew 21:23-32) and that of the Son in the parable of the tenants (Matthew 21:33-46). Finally, the rejection of the Holy Spirit is described by the parable of the wedding banquet (Matthew 22:1-14). Stephen, the first martyr, said that the people of the nation of Israel “always resist the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51). After Stephen makes this indictment in front of the Sanhedrin, he is stoned to death (Acts 7). Following this final rejection—which, to Wiersbe, is the sin that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 12, a national sin committed by the entire nation of Israel—the message goes out to the Samaritans (Acts 8) and then to the Gentiles (Acts 10). Wiersbe believes that this same type of sin “cannot be committed today in the same way Israel committed it, because the situation is different.” Currently, the Spirit is bearing witness to all of us through the Word of God (Scripture). This has been the case since Pentecost, and now it is more of a matter of a personal (not a national) choice. Aside from Wiersbe’s historical insight, though, he also believes we can apply meaning from this passage to our contemporary Christian lives.

Whatever your interpretation of Jesus’ meaning of “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” happens to be, it is important to understand that the sin in question is unforgivable only because we refuse to ask for forgiveness. This attitude should not be confused with simple ignorance of the Gospel, though: R. T. France saw the distinction as the “difference... between the failure to recognize the light and deliberate rejection of it once it is recognized.” This, really, is at the heart of the issue, because we are taught that all sins can be forgiven by Jesus if we simply exercise genuine repentance by sincerely asking for forgiveness. It seems almost obvious, then, that the one sin that will keep us from salvation is the deeply rooted and irreversible refusal to acknowledge the need for forgiveness of sins, and of Jesus Christ as the only means through which we can gain that forgiveness. Wiersbe asserts that “God cannot forgive the rejection of His Son” and that “it is the Spirit who bears witness to Christ (John 15:26) and who convicts the lost sinner (John 16:7-11).” We can only be condemned by rejecting the very thing that liberates us. It is also imperative, though, to realize that we do not know when someone is beyond hope. No matter how hard a person’s heart has become, there is hope that they will be saved as long as they are still living. God is willing to forgive as long as one is willing to repent.