Can someone explain passage Mattew 12:31-32?

Question

Matthew 12:31-32 says, "Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 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."


I am a christian and I do not understand this passage. I was taught that God is all forgiving. Wouldn't this contradict that? If someone could explain this to me it would be much appreciated.

Answer 1

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, is when someone who has complete knowledge of the Lord, INTENTIONALLY insults, shows contempt, or lack of reverence for God. It is also the INTENTIONAL act of attributing the Holy Spirit and His Power, to Satan or evil which is not of God.

Note: The key words are knowledge, intent, and unrepentant!!

Someone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit, "knows" God exists, and recognizes His power. However, their motivation for denying the Holy Spirit is to mislead others with lies, promote deception, or practice manipulation. Similar to Satan...they have chosen their path out of pride and hate.

Thus, someone who lacks knowledge of God, and is truly unaware of their actions due to spiritual ignorance, could commit blasphemy, and still be forgiven.

Here are two examples:

In Mark 3:22-30, the religious teachers stated that Jesus was able to perform miracles, because He was possessed by Beelzebub aka Satan. If those Leaders intentionally told such a lie to mislead others, they were guilty of the Unforgivable sin of Blasphemy.

Jesus went on to tell those leaders: "I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin."

In contrast, the Apostle Paul also Blasphemed the Holy Spirit, before he was born again, and had a relationship with the Lord. Thus, Paul stated in 1 Timothy 1:13:

"Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief."

Unforgivable Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, is something NO HUMAN can accuse anyone of doing, because we can not see the hearts of others, or the true intent in their mind. We might recognize blasphemy when we hear it, but that's it.

Only the Lord can determine who is guilty of this. That is why I disagree with Christians who self-righteously accuse others of "definitely" going to Hell for Blasphemy. Blessings, Miji

Answer 2

ESV Translations (literal):
Mat 12:31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
Mat 12:32 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.

These verses mark a crisis in Christ's dealings with the leaders of Israel. He accuses them of committing the unpardonable sin by blaspheming against the Holy Spirit, that is, by charging that Jesus performed His miracles by the power of Satan rather than by the power of the Holy Spirit. In effect, this was calling the Holy Spirit Beelzebub, the ruler of demons.

There is forgiveness for other forms of sin and blasphemy. A man may even speak against the Son of Man and be forgiven. But to blaspheme the Holy Spirit is a sin for which there is no forgiveness in this age or in the millennial age to come. When Jesus said in this age, He was speaking of the days of His public ministry on earth. There is reasonable doubt whether the unpardonable sin can be committed today, because He is not bodily present performing miracles.
The unpardonable sin is not the same as rejecting the gospel; a man may spurn the Savior for years, then repent, believe, and be saved. (Of course, if he dies in unbelief, he remains unforgiven.) Nor is the unforgivable sin the same as backsliding; a believer may wander far from the Lord, yet be restored to fellowship in God's family.

Many people worry that they have committed the unpardonable sin. Even if this sin could be committed today, the fact that a person is concerned is evidence that he is not guilty of it. Those who committed it were hard and unrelenting in their opposition to Christ. They had no qualms about insulting the Spirit and no hesitancy in plotting the death of the Son. They showed neither remorse nor repentance.

Answer 3

This verse bothered and confused me for weeks. I still dont fully understand it but i know that a true believer would never commit this sin. The Pharises had heard of works that Jesus did, the miracles he had performed and with knowledge of all those miracles still said that he gets he powers from satan.
Im only 14 but, my understanding of this is that the only sin that will not be forgiven is well "blasphemy" or speaking evil of the holy spirit. Blasphemy against Jesus will be forgiven but blasphamy against his spirit the holy spirit will not be forgiven. Again, I dont 100% fully understand it but, I understand it enough to know that i have never and will never commit this sin.

Answer 4

A sin against the Spirit is the only unforgiveable sin - and this does not contradict God's forgiving nature.

God is all-forgiving in the sense that, if you accept His forgiveness (the precious gift of Christ Jesus). Whereas, if you reject Christ, this is a blasphemy against the Spirit and cannot be forgiven.

If you are not a Christian, you cannot receive the Holy Spirit, but whereas if you have received the Spirit and sin against it (and I don't just mean the every-day failings we have as sinners, I mean the purposeful rejection of the Spirit, of Christ's work in your life) then forgiveness is denied. This is a logical result; if your forgiveness is a grace of Christ, and you refuse to accept that grace, you shall not be forgiven.

I've read a number of other opinions on it, some of which depend on whether you adhere to a dispensationalist theology (ie, certain portions of Scripture only apply to certain people at certain times in history), but this is my best understanding.

May the grace you need be abundant this day.

Answer 5

I sure can explain,and I will. This is speaking of the unpadonable sin,and there is only 1. Also it can only be commited at a specific time,and that is when satan returns pretending to be Christ. God's elect at that time will be delivered up before antichrist at that time for a witness against him,and if they refuse to let the Holy Spirit speak through them at the time it is unforgivable. Why? Because the elect now for absoulute certaninty the truth of God's word. And the will know that it is satan and not The true Christ. Read Mark chapter 13 verses 10 through 13. This speaks of that delivering up.Also read Luke chapter 12 verses 8 through 12 and that will tie it all together for you.

Answer 6

The concept of an unpardonable sin has been a source of difficulty for many because it seems to go against the Bible's teachings about grace. If you want to obey God but are concerned that you may have committed the unpardonable sin, you have not committed it. If anyone today has committed this sin, it would be one who is hard-hearted, who has turned against Jesus, reviled Him, and become so depraved that he would claim that God's Spirit is Satan. The Pharisees slandered the Holy Spirit by knowledgeably attributing His work to the Devil, thus commiting the unpardonable sin.

Answer 7

God is dual. (Two) And now (we) will make human being(s), (they) will be like (us), and resemble (us). And they made them, male and female. Blasphemy, or Lies told against Jesus Christ, or the Son of Man, the end time figure for our day, will be forgiven. But anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit (Mother), will not be forgiven, not now, or ever!
What does that say for the old testament, is it a book of Blasphemy?

Answer 8

I'm no theologian but I think it means that if we speak evil against the person of God or Jesus... if asking for forgiveness, we will receive it but if we speak against the moving of the HOly Ghost by calling it evil or something like that... then we won't be forgiven.

I don't know the reason behind it but I think it's calling the power of the Holy Ghost blasphemous in a way

Answer 9

Be forgiven unto men; if men repent of and forsake them, they are pardonable. Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven; it is unpardonable; it will never be repented of. The sin spoken of seems to have been that of malignantly ascribing to Satan what was known to be the work of the Spirit of God.

Verses 31,32. In this place, and in Mr 3:28-30, Jesus states the awful nature of the sin of which they had been guilty. That sin was the sin against the Holy Ghost. It consisted in charging Jesus with being in league with the devil, or accusing him with working his miracles, not by the spirit or power of God, but by the aid of the prince of the devils. It was therefore a direct insult, abuse, or evil speaking, against the Holy Ghost--the Spirit by which Jesus worked his miracles. That this was what he intended by this sin, at that time, is clear from Mr 3:30, "Because they said he had an unclean spirit." All other sins--all speaking against the Saviour himself--might be remitted. But this sin was clearly against the Holy One; it was alleging that the highest displays of God's mercy and power were the work of the devil; and it argued, therefore, the highest depravity of mind. The sin of which he speaks is, then, clearly stated. It was accusing him of working miracles by the aid of the devil--thus dishonouring the Holy Ghost.

All manner of sin--shall be forgiven. That is, only on condition that men repent and believe. If they continue in this sin, they cannot be forgiven,

Answer 10

This passage is talking denying the Holy Spirit... This is when your heart is hardened to the point that you will never NEVER accept Christ as your savior. Some people arrive at this point early in their life (I would say Manson is a good example - but that is my opinion, not God's) and others may not ever come to that point but never accept Christ either. If a person knows that they are a sinner in need of a savior but never accepts Christ then that would be blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Hope that helps.