The author in this article mentions that "Note: the actual unpardonable sin was that of rejecting the incarnate Jesus, and accusing the Spirit by which He worked of being evil. It could only be committed by that generation, just as Jesus says, they shall bear the full punishment for it, go read it again if you are concerned about it." Is this true (that it could only be committed by that generation)?
The unpardonable sin question
- Thread starter Claudiu
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That answer doesn't seem very satisfactory to me. True, sometimes there are things in the Bible that are quite "temporal," but it seems to me that the above treatment runs to a "don't worry about it" solution, instead of actually looking for what is eternal in the text.
The sin was rejecting the HOLY SPIRIT's testimony to Christ (it is blasphemy of the SPIRIT, after all). They were not "accusing the Spirit" of anything, but they were attributing the work of Jesus BY whatever "spirit" he was of, as evil. When their own eyes siad otherwise.
Today, the same Spirit is at work, and he is still bearing witness to Christ. Today, I would say that those who read the Spirit's account of Christ's ministry in the NT, and say "that's a fairy tale," are in the exact same position as the leaders who rejected Christ in those days. To say to someone simply: "no one today can commit the same sin" doesn't actually help a soul struggling with doubts, and can give to others a sense of security in their sin.
The sin was rejecting the HOLY SPIRIT's testimony to Christ (it is blasphemy of the SPIRIT, after all). They were not "accusing the Spirit" of anything, but they were attributing the work of Jesus BY whatever "spirit" he was of, as evil. When their own eyes siad otherwise.
Today, the same Spirit is at work, and he is still bearing witness to Christ. Today, I would say that those who read the Spirit's account of Christ's ministry in the NT, and say "that's a fairy tale," are in the exact same position as the leaders who rejected Christ in those days. To say to someone simply: "no one today can commit the same sin" doesn't actually help a soul struggling with doubts, and can give to others a sense of security in their sin.
nnatew24
Puritan Board Freshman
I know this is an old thread, but I just now saw this and and would like to offer an interpretation:
Yes, blaspheming the Spirit can still take place today through rejecting His testimony in scripture. What is often misunderstood is why blasphemy against the Son/Father is forgivable, but against the Spirit it is not. I understand this to be because the Spirit is the active agent of regeneration. In other words, when we reject/blaspheme the Spirit, we refuse the Person who "convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment". And thus we have no other hope for forgiveness. The Father and Son do not give our hearts new life, thus blasphemy against them is not any less of a sin, but it isn't like blaspheming the only means of spiritual enlightenment/regeneration/salvation/forgiveness.
Yes, blaspheming the Spirit can still take place today through rejecting His testimony in scripture. What is often misunderstood is why blasphemy against the Son/Father is forgivable, but against the Spirit it is not. I understand this to be because the Spirit is the active agent of regeneration. In other words, when we reject/blaspheme the Spirit, we refuse the Person who "convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment". And thus we have no other hope for forgiveness. The Father and Son do not give our hearts new life, thus blasphemy against them is not any less of a sin, but it isn't like blaspheming the only means of spiritual enlightenment/regeneration/salvation/forgiveness.
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