Why does Jesus differentiate the severity of sin against the Holy Spirit as opposed to sin against the Son of Man?
Matthew 12:31 - 32
ESV - 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
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Asked September 09 2014
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Larry Wiseman
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Mike Potter
That's a good question. I remember cursing God before I was a believer. That was in the late 70's. I'm still worried about it
Bill Gillan
You have nothing to be worried about. Peter did it three times and he spent three intimate years with Jesus. In Mark it states that both men either side of Jesus ridiculed him. One was promised heaven when he believed. I won't answer the question here and I'm sure some posts will appear. When you believed all sins were forgiven. Give this burden up to your Father and thank him that through your faith in Jesus you are a precious child of his, fully significant/accepted and loved and your going the same way as the thief who believed.
vanessa pannuti
My opinion is that you must differentiate between Jesus the Son of Man in His carnal flesh and Jesus the Word, the Holy Spirit, Who is Creator of life is the love, the "breath of life" and the Thoughts and Voice of God and has spoken to us through the prophets. As the flesh profits nothing the sins against it will be forgiven but if the sins against The Word will not. I hope this is helpful for you.
Larry Wiseman
That's an impressive answer I hadn't considered. I wonder if there are any other thoughts on the matter?
Bill Gillan
In Jhn 16:7-11 Jesus tells the disciples he will soon depart but a helper the Holy Spirit would be sent. One of his purposes is the convict the world of sin/righteousness and judgment. With regard to sin look at what says's that is. It's a refusal to beleive in him. If one continues in unbelief Jesus is saying you cannot be forgiven and the consequences are eternal separation from God. If you were to speak to someone 100 times about Jesus and he said its a load of rubbish they are in unbelief and speaking about Jesus. If on the 101 occasion they believed then the Holy Spirit dwells in them as a helper and a seal/deposit of their inheritance which is eternal life with God.
Mark Neidert
Do these answers mean that a sin against the spirit is simply not believing God exists or not believing that God will forgive.
Bill Gillan
As I understand it Jesus said that he had leave in order for the Holy Spirit to come, and the reason being was to convict the world of sin and this is/was the sin of unbelief Jhn 16:7-12. Believing that God will not forgive is another issue.
Larry Wiseman
John 6:44 says no one can come to Jesus unless the Holy Spirit draws him. Genesis 6:3 says my Spirit shall not always strive with a man. I interpret the sin agsinst the Holy Spirit as continual rejection of the Spirits drawing to a point where God stops drawing him at which point he's lost forever. John says in 1 John5:16-17 there is a sin we are not to pray for and I believe that is the sin. I don't know how we determine that point, it's in God's mind only so unless I'm given very clear revelation from God, I'll continue to pray for anyone lost.