DOCTRINE OF BLASPHEMY

I.                   Greek vocabulary and general introduction.

A.                 Blasfhme,w – blasphemeo; used 34x;  speak against, blaspheme.

B.                 Blasfhmi,a – blasphemia; used 18x;  blasphemy, slander.

C.                 Bla,sfhmoj – blasphemos; used 4x;  blasphemous.

D.                This word group is used of verbal sins directed toward God, (Luk.12:10; Jam.2:7) and verbal sins towards others i.e., slander (Mar.7:22; Eph.4:11; Rom.3:8; Col.3:8; 1Tim.6:4).

E.                 This doctrine will address blasphemy against God and His plan (Cp.Rev.13:6; 16:9,11,21) to include blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Cp.Mat.12:31b,32b; Mar.3:29).

F.                  Blasphemy is any mental or verbal repudiation of God's plan.  Act.18:6

II.                All blasphemy is subject to divine forgiveness.  Mat.12:31a,32a

III.             The single exception is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Mt.12:32; Mk.3:28,29; Luk.12:10 cp. Act.18:6

A.                 Synonyms for this sin include:

1)                  Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

2)                  To speak against the Holy Spirit.

3)                  An eternal sin.

4)                  Sometimes coined theologically as “the unforgivable/unpardonable sin” or “sin against the Holy Spirit”.

B.                 In the Mat.12:31-31 account, the preceding context (vss.22-30) determines the specific meaning of the blasphemy in view.

C.                 After Christ healed the demon-possessed blind and dumb man (vs.22), it stimulated the question as to who and what Christ was in healing such a person (vs.23).

D.                The Pharisees in repudiation to any correct conclusions charged Christ with demon possession in collusion with Satan (vs.24 cp.Mar.3:22).

E.                 Christ then used the illustrations of the divided kingdom and house analogies (vss.25-30 cp.Mar.3:23-27) to refute their allegations.

F.                  The Pharisees engaged in blasphemy against Christ two-fold; slander (charging Christ with an untruth) and not believing in His Person as the Son of God.  Cp.Joh.10:33

G.                Christ complete statement recognized both aspects of their blasphemy:

1)                  All sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men (attributing Christ with an untruth i.e., slander).  Vss.31a,32a cp. Mar.3:28; Luk.12:10a

2)                  The exception is blasphemy against the H.S. that shall not be forgiven recognizing their continued state of unbelief in His Person. Vss.31b-32b

3)                  This sin in unforgivable in this life and the next (vs.32b).

4)                  Therefore it is called an eternal sin.  Mar.3:29

H.                The true view of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit:

1)                  It is unbelief at the point of gospel hearing perpetuated to the point of physical death.

2)                  It is rejection of God the Holy Spirit’s basic Ph1 evangelizing ministry revealing the gospel.  Cp.Joh.16:8-11

3)                  It is called blasphemy because unbelief calls God a liar concerning Christ.

4)                  Furthermore, only the unbeliever can commit it.

5)                  It must be understood in the light of unlimited atonement, God consciousness and volition.

I.                   False views of this sin include:

1)                  It is a verbal sin, as per profanity.

2)                  It is a series of decision to not believe in Christ resulting in God refusing to save the individual later on.

3)                  It is a unique sin, only capable of being committed by eyewitnesses of the incarnation of Jesus Christ.  Systematic Theology, Chafer, Vol.V, pgs.47,48

4)                  Ascribing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan.

J.                  Refutation of the false views:

1)                  There is no exception as to how someone is eternally condemned.  Joh.3:36

2)                  The false views confuse blasphemy against the Son with blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

IV.              False religion like Judaism is blasphemy, since it imputes to God doctrines and policies foreign to Him.  Rom.2:24 cp. Rev.2:9

A.                 Paul, as a professional rabbi, was a blasphemer.  1Tim.1:13 cp.Act.26:11

B.                 Jews blasphemed Jesus and His teaching.  Mat.27:39; Mar.15:29; Luk.22:65

C.                 The religious crowd charged Jesus with this sin.  Mat.9:3; 26:65; Luk.22:65; Joh.10:33,36; Mar.2:7; 14:64

V.                 Blasphemy is incited when God's people misrepresent God's plan.  Rom.2:24; 3:8; 14:16; 1Tim.6:1; Tit.2:5; 2Pet.2:2; 2Sam.12:14

VI.              Blasphemy is tied to negative volition and ignorance.  1Tim.1:13

VII.           Blasphemy and the last days.  2Tim.3:2

A.                 False teachers engage in it.  2Pet.2:2,10,12 (example: homosexuality is of God)

B.                 Antichrist and his political and religious movement.  Rev.13:1,5,6; 17:3.

VIII.        Believers that reject the faith commit this sin.  1Tim.1:19-20