Blaspheming the Holy Spirit: The "Unpardonable Sin"

[Steven Rasberry]

Originally Posted by Prov.31Wife

a tough subject indeed Butch ...as I re-read Stevens reply above( and Roberts) and then re-read all of Mark 14,15 and 16 I just can't help but see things differently. I understand that in context Jesus is talking to the disciples, I get that...but Robert said :
My point is; the only reason for signs/miracles was to CONFIRM the word of God was from God. It was not to help people (although a secondary reason).
Yet in Scripture we see Gods compassion all throughout the Bible at least 88 times ( compassion read).
Jesus healed for compassion, not only to confirm the word.

Matt.14:14
14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Matt.9:36
36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

He showed compassion on the 4000 he fed who had not eaten in 3 days ( Matt.15:32 and Mark 8)

Matt.20:34
34Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

Mark 1:41
41Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!"

Jesus did not perform miracles ONLY to confirm the word He had, and still has today, compassion and mercy on us , Praise God!

we are told to imitate Christs humility (phil.2:1)
1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, and his word sustains us ( Heb.1:3)
3The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. This means Jesus is our co-worker also...and there is power behind His name...even today, as He is the same today as He was yesterday and will be forever and ever. Why would the power of His name be any different for us today??

Peter says that we all receive the power of the Holy Spirit just the same as they did in Acts 10:47
Then Peter said, 47"Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have."

1Cor.12:13
13For we were all baptized by[a] one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

in John 14 and 15 Jesus is speaking to the apostles, but why are these words not for us??

in Mark 9, the transfiguration...I believe that the disciples are not the only ones who witnessed the miracle of transformation...what began on the mountain continues today in each believer :
2 Cor. 3:18
18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect[a] the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

in Mark 16 we see it is the disciples who travel and teach God's word with Jesus as their "co-worker" performing great signs and miracles through him [Jesus] after He ascended in to Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God...they perform these miracles calling on the power behind Jesus' name...Today we see the miracle of redemption....and even though we don't see the physical miracles as often, the power of Jesus is still here among us:

Matt.28:20
20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

I understand what is being said about 2 Peter 1:3....of course God is not a lier! His divine power HAS given us everything we need.....but again, the power is still with us today ; the power behind the name of Jesus...and to just over all say that miracles today do NOT exist is denying that power, IMHO. It's just what I see in Scripture right now...but I am certainly not "all knowing" I"m human...I want desperately to know God's truth ....so I will study further....I just wanted to explain how the Scriptures read to me

Please understand that we accept everything you have said about the miracles. Confirming the Word was done by God in LOVE! Speaking in tongues was to give ALL people of all languages the GREAT NEWS. Healing the sick was to show the love for those with infirmities, that God cares! But what was the ultimate GOAL of God? Was it not to be loved?

Make no mistake the WORD itself, so much from God's Heart is called Jesus Himself, John 1 and John 1:1...Soooo since the Lord is love and most of ALL wants our "SOUL" healed, that was the purpose of the sacrifice of Christ and the giving of the mind and thoughts of Him in His Word to us.

So I pray you see, that we NEVER EVER discount the miracles or the amazing love of God. Yes if God wanted to do miracles today He would and could but He has told us that He is finished with this per the verses and examples in the bible.

1. We do not have apostles to pass the abilities to us today, so it cannot be done.

2. The time of God's outpouring of His Word to the church, leading to the binding of these writings, which we know as our bible, has ceased.

As much as we may wonder and be amazed and desire for God to re-grow a hand or instantly remake a sick child's heart or raise the dead after days, God's will is God's will.

You are not showing a lack of faith if you accept this teaching. I know it is difficult because I have been in your shoes and know the teaching you have heard because I have heard it myself and struggled with this.

You are not being asked to doubt God but as we see from His Word, accept God as He is for us in this point and time of the church from His Word, which IS to HIS glory in Christ.

You need to not discount providence though! Yes, amazing things happen in providence. I myself know of amazing things but they are not miracles like happened before. No one will raise from the dead days later, no one will have a shrived hand and it become new and whole instantly.

In our efforts to believe such things, we hear stories from people who will swear by them that they saw it by their own eyes. Well if you know anything about voodoo, they have magicians that are shocking and look so real.

We must not be deceived. Does God use voodoo? They are supposed to do miracles too and heal the sick.

[Marianinark]

Steven, I agree on the following:


You need to not discount providence though! Yes, amazing things happen in providence. I myself know of amazing things but they are not miracles like happened before. No one will raise from the dead days later, no one will have a shrived hand and it become new and whole instantly.

I too, have seen God's providence, and some of it borders on miracles, but it is not the type of miracles that came from the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

[Don Gelles]

Originally Posted by Prov.31Wife

... to deny that His miracles will never again be is too final for us to say.

Hi Prov.31wife,

I hope this thread has been beneficial to your growth on this subject. Let me kindly remark that the above statement is not an accurate statement. The end of the miraculous age has occurred as taught in 1 Corinthians 13:8-11 and Ephesians 4:11-13. With the completion of the NT and the passing away of the apostles and those they laid their hands on, the ability to perform miracles has ceased.

Many want to say they agree with the scriptures that have been shared but then they "leave the door open" with statements that hint at the possibility of miracles.

We can say with BCV that the end of the miraculous age has occurred.

Kindly,
Don

[Don Gelles]

Originally Posted by Robert

I will just restate....

God is AMAZING. Don't doubt His power! Why would God leave us without care? However, miracles are not the same as providence for those who are reading. God can still be amazing and powerful through His providential care.

This is a well stated point. There is a vast difference between the providence of God and the miraculous.

[Don Gelles]

Paul states that these things would continue "until"....

The "Until" clearly shows that they would end at a specific time- the completion of the NT cannon.

[John VanSickle]

First of all, we know that if we repent of a sin and ask for God's forgiveness, the sin will be forgiven.

Jesus did not say that a certain sin was unforgivable. He said that the people committing it will not be forgiven.

He most certainly did not say that people who committed this sin, and then repented, would still not be forgiven.

So the interpretation that I see here is that whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit is not going to repent; they are so far gone, spiritually, that nothing can persuade them to make that spiritual one-eighty that is needed for salvation.

Note that He contrasts blasphemy of the Holy Spirit with blasphemy against the Son of Man (he was speaking of Himself, of course). There were many people who said many things against Jesus, believing that He was a fraud of some sort. Some repented, some did not. Those who repented of this (such as Saul/Paul), were indeed forgiven.

But to believe that the Holy Spirit was the chief of the devils (which was the statement that prompted Jesus to make the statement that He made) is something so wrong that no person can do, unless they are beyond repentance.

[David Hersey]

Originally Posted by John VanSickle

He most certainly did not say that people who committed this sin, and then repented, would still not be forgiven.

Right.

Mark 3:29
But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:

I believe the bolded words are key to understanding this text. He who can never be forgiven under any circumstances is not just in danger, he is condemned already. A walking dead man if you will. I see the bolded text as a warning, not a proclamation of judgement.