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It is written:
Mark 3:22-30-And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.” 23 So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. 27 No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house. 28 “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— 30 because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Many people through the years have approached me with concern that they have committed the “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.”
Often I have heard it said (especially by inmates that I work with), “Brother Mark, anything can be forgiven except the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. If you have committed that, there is no point in even trying!”
If you are concerned that you have committed the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and that God will not forgive you even if you repent, let me put your minds at ease.
Very simply, if you repent of whatever sin you are convinced that you have committed, then it is most definitely NOT the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
How do I know this?
First, in all of the references dealing with the blasphemy of the Spirit, the context is clear about the specific type of sin under consideration: blasphemy. The word “blasphemy”just means “ to speak evil of.”
“The word “blasphemy” is from the Greek word blasphemeo, meaning to slander; to accuse; to speak against; or to speak derogatory words for the purpose of injuring or harming one’s reputation. It also signifies profane, foul, unclean language.” (Rick Renner, Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God’s Word, 6359-6362 (Kindle Edition); Tulsa, OK; Teach All Nations)
In context, the specific sin under consideration in the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is attributing the power of Christ to the power of the devil.
Second, here is the key to understanding the blasphemy of the Spirit: notice verse 30 and the words “because they said.” Notice how that is rendered in different translations of the Bible:
Mark 3:30 (ESV)-for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Mark 3:30 (Amplified)-For they N1 persisted in saying, N2 He has an unclean spirit.
Mark 3:30 (Williams)-He said so, because they kept saying, “He is under the spell of a foul spirit.”
All of these translations are picking up on the fact that these people were continuing to make these claims and accusations against Jesus. In other words, they had no intention of repenting!
“3: 30 Here Mark defined the sin that “will never be forgiven.” It is ascribing to Satan and his demons the works of the Holy Spirit manifested in the ministry of Jesus. It is not a single act but a habitual action and attitude. The imperfect tense could be translated, “They kept on saying.” In this instance at least the sin was committed by scholars and religious authorities, not laypersons. Apparently the sin is quite rare.” (James A. Brooks, Mark: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture (The New American Commentary Book 23), 1752-1756 (Kindle Edition); Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group)
If you are a believer in Jesus, are you willing today to repent of your sin and be baptized into Christ to have your sins forgiven (Acts 2:37-38)?
If you are a baptized believer who has turned away from the Lord, will you not today repent of your sins and confess them to God in prayer through Christ to be restored (1 John 1:9-2:2)?
The churches of Christ stand ready to assist you.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.
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