Mark 3:28-30

[Kattylove]

I was reading my Bible this morning and I came across this passage:

28 "Truly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of eternal sin" - 30 for they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."

I might be missing something obvious, and this may be a stupid question, but I'll go ahead anyway because I do need clarification. What I'm wondering about is the precise definition of "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" - apparently saying "He has an unclean spirit" is an example of this. What exactly is this sin? Why does it not fall under the umbrella of "whatever blasphemies they may utter", according to Jesus? I try my best to live by the Bible and am rather confused, so please help me out here.

 

[Where]

Hi there,

You will surely get many replies to your post here, because people have so many different interpretations of this verse. Some people think that this sin could only be commited in Christ's time...that the Pharisees commited in or something like that. I think of it like this- to blaspheme the Holy Spirit would be to reject it and smear it away. Now, for someone to get the Holy Spirit, all they must do it become a Christian. Ask yourself this-how does a person NOT get the Holy Spirit? The answer-people who do not have the Holy Spirit are those who are not Christians. Since the only way to get the Holy Spirit, to accept it, is to believe in Christ. Therefore, you could say the only sin that cannot be forgiven is the sin of refusing to become a Christian (personally accepting Christ's sacrifice for yourself).

Just some thoughts, hope they help.
-Where
P.S. You aren't in danger of commiting this unforgiveable sin. Also, read the first part of these verses again: Assuredly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men...
Believing in Christ for your forgiveness of sin is all you need, then you are set

 

[Where]

Oh, and the part that some people believe about how it was the Pharisees who comitted this sin base that on the part that says

"because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."

 

[calluna]

I was reading my Bible this morning and I came across this passage:



I might be missing something obvious, and this may be a stupid question, but I'll go ahead anyway because I do need clarification. What I'm wondering about is the precise definition of "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" - apparently saying "He has an unclean spirit" is an example of this. What exactly is this sin? Why does it not fall under the umbrella of "whatever blasphemies they may utter", according to Jesus? I try my best to live by the Bible and am rather confused, so please help me out here.

I think 'Where' has got it. There are some very odd 'explanations' of this, but the answer is right there in the text- 'because they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."' The Pharisees were maligning Jesus, but Jesus said, "You can slander me all you like, but speak against the Holy Spirit and you are done for." Of course that was the same thing. Why did the Pharisees hate Jesus? Because they did not want to repent. They said that good is bad. They hated the truth, as Paul put it, the truth that one is a sinner and unable to save oneself, and that is the ultimate sin, that cannot be forgiven. All sins, theft, adultery, murder, bearing false witness, can be forgiven, except refusal to accept forgiveness.

 

[Yarddog]

I was reading my Bible this morning and I came across this passage:



I might be missing something obvious, and this may be a stupid question, but I'll go ahead anyway because I do need clarification. What I'm wondering about is the precise definition of "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" - apparently saying "He has an unclean spirit" is an example of this. What exactly is this sin? Why does it not fall under the umbrella of "whatever blasphemies they may utter", according to Jesus? I try my best to live by the Bible and am rather confused, so please help me out here.

Hello Katty,
If you read also read the verses in Matthew and Luke about this incident, in their full context, it shows that the Pharisees were attributing to Satan what is of God.
Matthew 12:
22 Then they brought to him a demoniac who was blind and mute. He cured the mute person so that he could speak and see.
23 All the crowd was astounded, and said, "Could this perhaps be the Son of David?"
24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man drives out demons only by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons."
25 But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and no town or house divided against itself will stand.
26 And if Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself; how, then, will his kingdom stand?
27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29 How can anyone enter a strong man's house and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
31 Therefore, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
32 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.

God Bless,
Yarddog

 

[calluna]

Hello Katty,
If you read also read the verses in Matthew and Luke about this incident, in their full context, it shows that the Pharisees were attributing to Satan what is of God.

Can that not be forgiven?

 

[Yarddog]

Can that not be forgiven?

Not according to scripture.

Yarddog

 

[calluna]

Not according to scripture.

Let's not go beyond what is written. Not according to your interpretation of Scripture, yes.

 

[Yarddog]

Let's not go beyond what is written. Not according to your interpretation of Scripture, yes.

I agree, let's not go beyond what is written, so let's see what is written.
Matthew 12:31 Therefore, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

Mark 3:29 But whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin."

How do you interpret the words "will not be forgiven" and "will never have forgiveness"?

Yarddog

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

I was reading my Bible this morning and I came across this passage:
Originally Posted by Mark 3:28-30, NIV
28 "Truly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of eternal sin" - 30 for they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."

I have seen threads like this on other boards and found this one

http://christianforums.com/showthread.php?t=7248204&page=3
have i done the unforgivable sin?

Those who do not profess Jesus as coming in the Flesh could be what it means. I don't think any Christians doubt that today that I know of. Here is an interesting commentary on it here or just google search for "blasphemy of Holy Spirit" and read thru some of the views and see if it matches up to the Scriptures. Hope this helps

http://www.kingdombiblestudies.org/savior/SOW14.htm

...........Nowhere has there been more ignorance manifested than on this subject of the "unpardonable sin." Too often evangelists and preachers use that term to intimidate people and create a FEAR while they are preaching. Many torture themselves with doubt and anxiety over whether they may have committed this sin. Open your Bible to Mat. 12:22-32. Here we find that Jesus was teaching the people one day. In the crowd about Him were many of the leading theologians and teachers of the Pharisee denomination...................

 

[calluna]

I agree, let's not go beyond what is written, so let's see what is written.
Matthew 12:31 Therefore, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

Mark 3:29 But whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin."

There's no mention of attributing to Satan what is of God in that.

 

[AllTalkNoAction]

. . . the precise definition of "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit"

Simply it is to speak evil of the Holy Spirit or his works.

For example, if you ar ewith a group that teaches that speaking in tongues today is of the devil, or that Christians have demons it's time to get out!

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Simply it is to speak evil of the Holy Spirit or his works.

For example, if you ar ewith a group that teaches that speaking in tongues today is of the devil, or that Christians have demons it's time to get out!

Glad you brought that up. There is a great thread on the GA board concerning demons if you are interested

http://christianforums.com/showthread.php?t=7259365&page=14
Mental Illness Is Caused by Demons?

 

[calluna]

Simply it is to speak evil of the Holy Spirit or his works.

For example, if you ar ewith a group that teaches that speaking in tongues today is of the devil, or that Christians have demons it's time to get out!

Or maybe it's making up stuff like that.

 

[Yarddog]

There's no mention of attributing to Satan what is of God in that.

Hello Calluna,
But you didn't question that in your post #6 of this thread, you asked "Can that not be forgiven?" and I gave you the answer. If you were questioning the part of that these verses are about attributing to Satan what is of God, I'd attempted to show that.

Matthew 12: 22-32, Mark 3:20-30, and Luke 11:14-23 all tell of the same incident.

Mark 3 says: NAB
29 But whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin."
30 For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."

Line 30 clearly shows that the reason that Jesus said what was in verse 29.
Mark 3:20 says:The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "By the prince of demons he drives out demons."

The footnote in the NAB for this says:
11 [29] Whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit: this sin is called an everlasting sin because it attributes to Satan, who is the power of evil, what is actually the work of the holy Spirit, namely, victory over the demons.

My post #5 which you question gives Matthew's version, if you want to go back and reread it. Jesus clearly points to this there as well.
Matthew 12:
26 And if Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself; how, then, will his kingdom stand?
27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

I think that it is pretty clear what Jesus is referring to when we read the context of of what is written and not a few lines.

Yarddog

 

[calluna]

Hello Calluna,
But you didn't question that in your post #6 of this thread, you asked "Can that not be forgiven?" and I gave you the answer.

We still wait to know why attributing to Satan what is of God is unforgivable. I suspect we will never be told that.

 

[Yarddog]

We still wait to know why attributing to Satan what is of God is unforgivable. I suspect we will never be told that.

No, we probably won't know why until we die and go to heaven. Hopefully none of us will be guilty of that. We also don't know if committing that sin would keep someone out of heaven.

Yarddog

 

[calluna]

No, we probably won't know why until we die and go to heaven. Hopefully none of us will be guilty of that. We also don't know if committing that sin would keep someone out of heaven.

Yarddog

But that won't stop Yarddog from posting that they are kept out of heaven?

 

[Yarddog]

But that won't stop Yarddog from posting that they are kept out of heaven?

Instead of posting single lines, show where I have said what you claim.

 

[calluna]

Instead of posting single lines, show where I have said what you claim.

#7.