THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN when Jesus said there is an offence that will not be pardoned in this world or in the afterlife
When Jesus said there is an offense that will not be pardoned in
this world or in the afterlife, Christians brought up in a biblical
atmosphere are often horrified to learn that Christ said there was a
sin that could not be forgiven in this world or in the world to
come—an eternal sin. They wonder what it is and find their clergy
cagey on the subject. And then they begin to wonder if they
have—horror of horrors—committed it!
Perhaps this sin is one of everlasting malice. Maybe God, who
punishes it, is showing malice too. Maybe the gospels made it up. By
taking the gospels as God's word, you are participating in that
making up. Whatever. He who invented the eternal sin becomes guilty
of the infinite malice of it. It is vindictive wishful thinking.
Jesus was supposedly casting demons out, and the Jews said he was
doing it by the Devil’s power. Jesus “refuted” the accusation that
his exorcisms were done by the Devil’s power. He said that Satan
will not put Satan out, or he will have no kingdom left. Then Jesus
said that the alleged absurdity of the accusation was the reason why
those who insulted the Holy Spirit—who did his miracles—by
attributing his works to the Devil would never be forgiven—ever
(Matthew 12:22-37). He claimed that they would not be forgiven in
this world or in the world to come. This implies they will be
condemned forever, perhaps in the everlasting torment of Hell that
Christians believe in.
The Jews knew, and Jesus knew, that just because it looked like he
was casting demons out, it didn’t mean he was really doing so.
Failed exorcisms or people who relapsed into possession were
well-known. A demon could leave one victim to go to
another—especially if there was some deal made with the exorcist.
But anyway, what is this eternal sin?
Christians say that it is stubborn hatred of God. It won’t be
repented, which is why it cannot be forgiven, for God forgives all
who harbor genuine contrition.
The text does not actually mention ingrained hate or ingrained
anything. It just speaks of saying something against the Holy
Spirit. The text does not say whether or not the people saying that
knew Jesus really came from God. So nobody can be sure that they had
set their hearts against God. All hypocrites in religion cannot be
complete fakes—you have to have a little sincerity in some things.
The lover fooling her or his victim has to have some affection for
the victim; otherwise, it cannot be done.
All the Jews uttering the blasphemy couldn’t have been that
stubborn. The sin cannot be the sin of obstinacy. Obstinacy involves
blasphemy, but it is not blasphemy. Jesus said the sin was
blasphemy—insulting God verbally and sincerely by calling him evil.
Also, that is the sin that started him talking about all this, so
the context supports this. The blasphemy may be caused by hardness
of heart, but it is the blasphemy that is called unforgivable. He is
not on about hardness of heart at all.
The interpretation that Jesus just meant a free and permanent
rejection of God is absurd, for you don’t say—even of a stubborn
sinner—that they are guilty of an eternal sin!
In Matthew 12, where he speaks of the unforgivable blasphemy against
the Holy Spirit, Jesus tells the Pharisees to declare a tree rotten
and its fruit rotten, or declare a tree good and its fruit good—one
or the other. He then says to them that they cannot say anything
good, for they are evil inside and are a brood of vipers. He tells
them they are wholly evil. That, in itself, would not mean they
cannot change.
Jesus said that whoever insults the Son of Man will be forgiven, but
whoever insults the Holy Spirit will not. So if the word insult
meant insult until death without remitting, then why did he say that
those who blaspheme the Son of Man will be forgiven? If you
stubbornly blaspheme the Son of Man forever, you will not be saved
either. He meant that you could be left outside salvation forever
just for saying something about the Holy Spirit in a moment of
anger, even if you relent the next minute.
Others say that it is final impenitence—the sin of choosing to go to
Hell as one dies. This sin cannot be pardoned, for there is said to
be no repentance beyond the grave for one who dies in hatred of God.
None of those people were dying. Dying isn’t mentioned. Again, Jesus
said the sin was blasphemy—insulting God verbally and sincerely by
calling him evil. Impenitence wouldn’t be described as blasphemy,
for that is too unclear.
Luke 12:10 merely has Jesus saying, without qualification, that
whoever speaks against him will be forgiven, but whoever speaks
against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. He says it to his
disciples, not the Pharisees or scribes. There is no mention of him
dealing with those accusing him of using Satan's power to do
exorcisms in Luke. He says it clearly and simply. He meant what he
said despite the efforts of those in the Church to twist the
meaning. No rational person would take him to mean anything other
than the straightforward meaning.
