| Mathew 12:30-31 30 The one who is not with Me is against Me; and the one who does not gather with Me scatters. 31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. |
Floyd Rogers – Texas Gospel Volunteer, Christian writer
Matthew 12:30-31 speaks of the unpardonable sin. To give context, Jesus spoke these words immediately after rebuking Pharisees who accused him of casting out demons by the power of the ruler of the demons. The Pharisees didn’t just accuse Jesus, they portrayed an act of the Holy Spirit as the devil’s work, and now Jesus speaks of those who are either with or against him. He also warns against speaking against the Holy Spirit. With this as a backdrop, what does Jesus mean by blasphemy against the spirit? Does this mean I cannot question someone who claims to heal in God’s name?
Verse 30 tells us whoever is not with Jesus is against him. And those who do not gather with him scatter. He made this comment as he rebuked the Pharisees who were scheming against him. Consider, Jesus gathered followers and led people to the Kingdom of Heaven in the preceding verses. Is he now saying there is no middle ground; you are either for or against God’s work? The Pharisees motives and actions show they were against Jesus’ gathering of God’s people. In the next verse Jesus’ words are stronger and more to the point.
In Verse 31 Jesus says all sins are forgivable, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven, and those who speak against the Holy Spirit have no forgiveness. Blasphemy can be defined as showing great disrespect; to mock and oppose the to the point of contempt. It appears this is what the Pharisees did. Jesus addressed Pharisees who referred to an act of the Holy Spirit as being an act of the devil. They didn’t just speak carelessly, their words showed what was in their heart. They were dead set against Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit. This is not the same as judging the fruit of a prophet and I think we should address this.
There are people today who claim to heal by the power of the Holy Spirit. I don’t doubt that God can heal the sick. But I can still judge the fruit of the prophets who claim to heal. Jesus and his apostles had a 100% success rate in healing. We don’ see Jesus praying for someone to be healed who walked away unchanged. I don’t mock or reject the Holy Spirit. The point is God can heal a person through his or her faith no matter who is praying for them. Faith in the Holy Spirit is completely independent of recognizing a false prophet, and Matthew told us to examine the fruit of those who claim to do God’s work.
What are your thoughts?
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