12:31-32 What is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?

The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is called the unpardonable sin in Christendom. It can only be committed by those who have deliberately shut their eyes to the light and call good evil, or who, after having been saved have spurned the Spirit of Grace and declared the blood of Christ that set them apart as unfit to redeem (cp Mk 3:28-29; Lk 12:10).

Jesus charged the Pharisees with blaspheming the Holy Spirit because they knowledgeably attributed the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan. They said Jesus performed His miracles by Satan’s power, instead of acknowledging it was by the Holy Spirit’s power.

This was the worst type of slander against the Holy Spirit (cp Mt 9:32-34; 12:22-24; Mk 3:22, 30; Lk 11:14-15). No practicing Christian should fear that they are blaspheming the Holy Spirit just because they do not agree with some of the teachings and ensuing spiritual manifestations in the contemporary church (cp Acts 17:11; 1Cor 4:6; Ga 1:8-9; 1Th 5:21; 2Ti 3:14-17; 2Pe 1:16-19; 1Jn 4:1; Rev 2:2).

Christians are scripturally bound to test all things and if they cannot find a scriptural basis for whatever is being taught in the church they are obliged to reject it without fear of blaspheming the Holy Spirit (cp He 10:26-31). Here we see the Holy Spirit blasphemed by apostates – those who have defected from the faith.

Doing despite to the Holy Spirit refers to the apostate, who after the Holy Spirit imparted His grace, spurns and insults Him by turning his back on Christ and counting His blood unfit to redeem. Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is the sin unto death which Christians are warned against praying for (1Jn 5:16). The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the only sin in scripture that will never be forgiven – it is a sin unto death.

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