COMMENTARY ON MARK
LESSON NUMBER 34
“ Mark 3:28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.” (Mark 3:28-30).
THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN
INTRODUCTION
Those who know the Lord, have some awareness of the danger of a mere academic approach to the Word of God and spiritual life. By that, I mean an approach that relies wholly upon men and their abilities. The Word of God and spiritual life cannot be dealt with as though man’s mind was superior, human intellect was sacred, and the conclusions of the created were acceptable. In order to truly know things pertaining to life and godliness, study must be augmented by prayer, and inquiry coupled with faith. There are texts that particularly accent these observations. They tend to stymie surface thinkers, extending beyond their narrow views. We have such a text before us. It does not handily fit into theological systems compiled by men. It also has such a tone of sobriety, that honest men dare not walk away from it as though it was inconsequential. It deals with sin, but in a most unique manner. On the one hand, it opens the door of hope. On the other, it closes the same door, confirming that we dare not enter into the room of sacred contemplation as though nothing was at stake. This particular saying of our Lord was prompted by the charge leveled against Him: “He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils” (3:22). Jesus does not treat this as a thoughtless outburst of no consequence. His reply confirms that these words were well thought out, deliberate, and came from calloused hearts, and those with blinded minds. Men may tend to treat such sayings as a mere “slip-of-the-lip,” but Jesus will not. What men say, particularly regarding the Lord Jesus Christ, is actually shaping their eternal destiny. Our words are immediately associated with God’s judgment of us, and by them we will be either “justified” or “condemned” (Matt 12:37).
ALL SIN SHALL BE FORGIVEN, AND BLASPHEMIES
“ 3:28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme.”
Matthew records a statement Jesus made just before this: “He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad” (Matt 12:30). Jesus is not tolerant of those who reject or criticize Him! The person who is not partnering with Christ – gathering with Him – is living a totally vain and pointless life – “scattering.” Notice that the critical factor is not simply making a favorable statement about Jesus, but “gathering with” Him. Involvement with Jesus is critical. In fact, that is the stated objective of salvation, for God has “called” us “into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” NKJV (1 Cor 1:9). It is within the context of that statement that the following words were spoken. In our time Christendom has been inundated with all manner of teaching and procedural instruction that requires no active association with Christ Jesus. That makes this passage particularly important.
ALL SINS. Matthew reads, “all manner of sin” (Matt 12:31). While there is a sense in which sin can be considered as a whole – “sin of the world” (John 1:29) – there are different categories of sin as well. Paul mentions sins that are “without the body” and fornication, which is “against the body” (1 Cor 6:18). There are sins of the “eyes” (2 Pet 2:14), sins of the “tongue” (Psa 39:1), and sinful “desires of the flesh and of the mind” (Eph 2:3). The mouth can cause the flesh to sin: “Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?” (Eccl 5:6). There are “secret faults” (Psa 19:12), “secret sins” (Psa 90:8), and evil “secrets of the heart” (Psa 44:21).
SHALL BE FORGIVEN. The concept of forgiveness presumes the existence of a debt that must be paid. Thus Jesus taught us to pray, “forgive us our debts” (Matt 6:12). The word “forgive” means “to send away, to let go of a debt, and to remit. THAYER Sin may bring momentary pleasure and seeming advantages to men, but it creates a debt in heaven, and is written in the books of God’s remembrance. Only in Christ are sins “remembered no more” (Heb 8:12). Sin is an attempt to superimpose man’s will upon God. It robs God of His glory, and makes self the center of attention.
Sins that are “forgiven” require no further payment. The debt is liquidated. When Jesus “put away sin,” He liquidated the debt, so that no further payment can possibly be required. Thus it is written, “Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin” (Heb 10:18). The idea of “penance,” perpetrated by the Roman church, whereby an additional payment is made for sin by the sinner, is a most wretched corruption. God cannot be any more satisfied with a payment for sin than He is with that which was made by Christ Jesus. As it is written, “He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge [the knowledge of Him NIV] shall My righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities” (Isa 53:11). Here, Jesus speaks with that His atoning death in mind.
We do read of certain action to be taken following disobedience. “And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled” (2 Cor 10:6). This does not have to do with any payment for sin, but rather refers to the punishment of sin exacted upon willing transgressors – like Ananas and Saphirra (Acts 5), the Corinthian fornicator (1 Cor 5), and Elymas the sorcerer (Acts 13:10).This punishment is to be inflicted only by those who have ordered their own lives aright.
THE SONS OF MEN. So far as Scripture is concerned, only Adam’s offspring can have their sins “forgiven.” The “angels that sinned” have been bound with “chains of darkness,” and “reserved” in their condition “for judgment” NKJV (2 Pet 2:4).
AND BLASPHEMIES. “Blasphemies” are evil speakings – derisive and abusive talk, and slander. It is impious and reproachful speech that is injurious to the Divine majesty. Jesus said such speech comes “from within, and defile the man” (Mk 7:22). Paul said “blasphemy” belonged to the flesh, and was to be “put off” (Col 3:8). Jesus noted the “blasphemy” of some who opposed the church at Smyrna, and told the brethren He knew of it (Rev 2:9).
Jesus here states that blasphemies, or evil speaking, will be forgiven men, “whatever blasphemies they may utter.” NKJV The idea is that God is forward to forgive, and is, as it were, looking for an opportunity to do so. As it is written, “But there is forgiveness with Thee, that thou mayest be feared” (Psa 130:4). Matthew includes blasphemies spoken “against the Son of man” as something that “shall be forgiven him” that uttered it (Matt 12:32). It is to be understood that repentance must precede that forgiveness.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF SIN
“ 29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.”
The Lord here adds a word that is most frightening – a type of blasphemy – a sin – that can never be forgiven. All sin, therefore, cannot be the same, for while “All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men,” here is one that will not be forgiven.
BLASPHEME AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST. Matthew adds, “whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost.” Although these words can be difficult to comprehend, they are directly associated with the charge that had been leveled against him by the scribes: “He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of devils casteth he out devils” (3:22). At the very least, that sin led in the direction of blaspheming “against the Holy Spirit.” That is, when confronted with something that could not possibly be attributed to Satan, for Satan cannot cast out Satan (Mk 3:23), these men charged Jesus with being under the control of the devil himself, so that, according to them, Satan was working through Him to disrupt his own empire.
Some might suppose that since no malicious deed was done, but only words were spoken, nothing of any consequence was actually done. This, however, is emphatically not the case. When men give vent to their sinful notions, putting them into words, they are causing sin to take hold of them more firmly, and lessening the possibility of their own recovery. There is a degenerative nature to sin, so that it hardens the heart more and more, until this very sin is committed. All sin, then, is not alike, for here is a sin that is treated differently than others.
The seriousness of this sin is seen in the extensive ministry of the Holy Spirit, and His indispensable role in the realization of God’s “great salvation.” The persuasion of things requiring salvation, and of the futility of Satan’s rebellion against God, is brought on by the Holy Spirit. Jesus put it this way: “And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged” (John 16:8-11). First, where there is no persuasion of the necessity of the Person of Christ, no one will seek Him. Second, the Holy Spirit, therefore, “reproves,” or convinces, the world of its guilt of unbelief – its lack of persuasion of Christ’s Person, and of their need for Him. He also convicts the world of their own lack of righteousness before God – how that Jesus is the only One who could ascend into heaven, being fully accepted of God. There can be no righteousness apart from Him – none at all! Third, in order to be turned from Satan, the soul must be convinced that he has already been judged, and that all who serve him are bound to be condemned with him. Therefore, the Spirit convinces the world of the present and future state of the devil, who is the god of this world, and under whose sway, all that are of the world presently reside (1 John 5:19).
The new birth itself is wrought through the Holy Spirit. Thus we are said to be “born of the Spirit” (John 3:3,6). In that blessed birth, through the “sanctification of the Spirit” (2 Thess 2:13; 1 Pet 1:2), we are prepared for fellowship of Christ (1 Cor 1:9), and set apart for the “good works,” for which God has ordained us (Eph 2:10). The Spirit is the One through whom we are “washed,” “sanctified,” and “justified” (1 Cor 6:11).
Following our entrance into Christ, God dwells in us “through the Spirit” (Eph 2:22), and the Spirit distributes to us appropriate gifts that enable us to be workers together with God (1 Cor 3:9). He personally assists us in putting to death the deeds of the body (Rom 8:13), and even makes intercession for us when we do not know what to pray for as we ought (Rom 8:26-27). He is the One who causes us to “abound in hope”(Rom 5:13). The truth itself is obeyed “through the Spirit” (1 Pet 1:22).
NEVER FORGIVENESS. Other versions read, “will never be forgiven,” NIV This parallels the expression found in Hebrews: “there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins” (Heb 10: 26). The idea is that there is no provision for forgiving blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Even the atoning blood of Christ cannot touch this sin. Jesus has spoken too plainly for us to mitigate His words by saying there is no sin God cannot forgive, or there is no state from which God cannot retrieve us. There is at least one sin that cannot be forgiven, and one state from which men cannot be recovered.
IN DANGER OF ETERNAL DAMNATION. Other versions read, “is guilty of an eternal sin,” NASB “but the evil he has done will be with him forever,” BBE and “he is guilty of an everlasting sin.” NAB There is such a thing as an incurable spiritual condition. Once God said to Israel, “Thy bruise is in curable” (Jer 30:12). Again He said through Micah, “For her wound is incurable” (Mic 1:9). These are most sobering words, and ought to be pondered.
BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY SAID
“ 30 Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.” Mark adds WHY Jesus said these words. It was because His critics said He had an unclean spirit. I do not understand this to mean those men had necessarily committed the sin of which Jesus spoke – which sin would never be forgiven – although that is possible that this had occurred. They had at the very least, however, moved in the direction that terminated in never having forgiveness – moving beyond the circumference of the atonement.
Suffice it to say, the more immediate the presence of God, the more serious sin becomes. Here were people who were faced with “God manifest in the flesh” (1 Tim 3:16). With obvious and unquestionable power, he had driven demons from people they had dominated for many years. Christ’s word was with power, and He was “approved of God” before their very eyes “by miracles and wonders and signs” (Acts 2:22). These were all of an epochal nature, and ought to have stimulated fear, or at least great wonder. Instead, the wickedness of these men rose to the surface and spilled out in a charge that said Jesus was actually aligned with Satan, God’s arch-foe. Thus, with this in mind, Jesus said these words.
There is a principle here that must be grasped. The more directly we are confronted with the Son of God and the truth of God, the more dangerous the rejection of the truth and utterance of malicious speech become! Where God is working in an unusual way, human insolence will not be tolerated. This is because grace and truth accompany the Person of Christ (John 1:14,17). The grace of God is as close to us as the Son of God. All of the benefits of God’s great salvation are within our grasp when Jesus is near and truth is clear. Therefore, those who have been exposed to much, yet remain aloof, are moving closer and closer to the point from which they will not be able to recover. God has not revealed precisely when or where this occurs. It has not been confined to a particular word, deed, or attitude. However, wherever that line is, indifference, heart-heartedness, disobedience, and thoughtless words are clearing moving in its direction.
OTHER TEXTS. “ MATT 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.” “And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven” (Luke 12:10).
This sin, therefore, cannot be unbelief, for Paul was forgiven of both “blasphemy” and “unbelief.” As it is written, “Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief” (1 Tim 1:13). His blasphemy was against the people of God, and possibly Christ Jesus – but not against the Holy Spirit.
There is an allusion to this kind of sin in the book of Hebrews. This was written to people who were in a backward stance. They were actually moving toward perdition, and thus were warned with words of the greatest solemnity. “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame” (Heb 6:4-6). It is as though such people crucified Jesus again. Although that crucifixion was only by their intention, yet God will not raise His Son again – even in time or figure.
Repentance thus becomes impossible – a thought that is most terrifying to ponder! It is the sin that Esau committed, moving beyond the possibility of repentance. It is said of him, “For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears” (Heb 12:17). The NIV reads, “He could bring about no change of mind.”
Again, warning us of this category of sin, we read, “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins” (Heb 10:26). That is, “no sacrifice for sins is left,” NIV and “there is no longer any sacrifice left to atone for [our] sins [no further offering to which to look forward].” AMPLIFIED That is, Christ’s death was never intended to cover this kind of transgression! If it was so intended, then Satan and his angels could all be forgiven through Christ’s blood. But they cannot, for they were exposed to the immediate presence of God, and “left their own habitations” in preference for the devil’s delusion (Jude 1:6; Rev 12:4). There was nothing more to draw them! So those who totally reject the Spirit, blaspheming against Him, have nothing more that can convict them, draw them, sanctify them, or change them. When you reject the Holy Spirit, you forfeit everything He brings as well.