Blaspheming against the spirit

[Eric_Hyom]

What is blaspheming against the spirit, and why won’t it be forgiven?

Mark 3

28 I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. 29But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin."

In the spirit of searching

Eric

 

[C_Bautista]

I think there are several ideas as to exactly what this might be, but I’m under the impression that most theologians suggest that “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” is denying that God can or will forgive sin.

That is, someone blasphemes against the Spirit if: they continually deny that God can forgive them, continually insist that God does not want to forgive them at all (because their sin is too grave), or decide that they simply do not want to be forgiven by God.

If someone forever actively refuses God’s forgiveness, then there is no conceivable way for them to leave their state of sin. And so they find themselves in “eternal sin.”

 

[Eric_Hyom]

Greetings and peace be with you C Bautista and welcome to the forum,

I think there are several ideas as to exactly what this might be, but I’m under the impression that most theologians suggest that “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” is denying that God can or will forgive sin.

Thank you for your reply and I feel it is a very good answer, But !!

I have probably heard this scripture several times and overlooked its meaning and importance. I could be blaspheming against the spirit and not know that my actions will never be forgiven; we seem vague about what an everlasting sin might be.

Through the eyes of God it must be worse than murder, because murder seems to be a sin that can be forgiven.

In the spirit of searching

Eric

 

[thistle]

What is blaspheming against the spirit, and why won’t it be forgiven?

Mark 3

28 I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. 29But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin."

In the spirit of searching

Eric

CCC 1864 “Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.” There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss.

 

[lak611]

From the Haydock Commentary: “Ver. 31. The blasphemy[2] against the Spirit, or against the Spirit and the Holy Ghost. St. Augustine takes notice, that this is one of the most difficult places in the Scriptures. According to the common exposition, here is not meant a sin committed by speaking against the third person of the blessed Trinity, the Holy Ghost, but that sin by which the obstinate Jews wilfully opposed Christ, and attributed those miracles to Beelzebub, which he performed by the Spirit of God, of which they could not be ignorant, but by a wilful blindness. (Witham) — The sin here spoken of is that blasphemy, by which the Pharisees attributed the miracles of Christ, wrought by the Spirit of God, to Beelzebub, the prince of devils. Now this kind of sin is usually accompanied with so much obstinacy, and such wilful opposing the Spirit of God, and the known truth, that men who are guilty of it are seldom or ever converted; and therefore are never forgiven, because they will not repent. Otherwise there is no sin which God cannot, or will not forgive to such as sincerely request, and have recourse to the keys of the Church. (Challoner)”

 

[Eric_Hyom]

Greetings and peace be with you thistle and lak611

Thanks for your replies, but I still seem perplexed, how does this interpretation of blaspheming against the spirit fit in with Acts 5,

3Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.”
5When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died.

In the spirit of searching

Eric

 

[lak611]

Greetings and peace be with you thistle and lak611

Thanks for your replies, but I still seem perplexed, how does this interpretation of blaspheming against the spirit fit in with Acts 5,

3Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.”
5When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died.

In the spirit of searching

Eric

Ananias and Sapphira did not blashpeme, they lied. From the Catholic Encyclopedia. "Blasphemy
Blasphemy (Greek blaptein, “to injure”, and pheme, “reputation”) signifies etymologically gross irreverence towards any person or thing worthy of exalted esteem. In this broad sense the term is used by Bacon when in his “Advancement of Learning” he speaks of “blasphemy against learning”. St. Paul tells of being blasphemed (1 Corinthians 4:13) and the Latin Vulgate employs the word blasphemare to designate abusive language directed either against a people at large (2 Samuel 21:21; 1 Chronicles 20:7) or against individuals (1 Corinthians 10:30; Titus 3:2).

MEANING
While etymologically blasphemy may denote the derogation of the honour due to a creature as well as of that belonging to God, in its strict acceptation it is used only in the latter sense. Hence it has been defined by Francisco Suárez as "any word of malediction, reproach, or contumely pronounced against God: (De Relig., tract. iii, lib. I, cap. iv, n. 1). It is to be noted that according to the definition (1) blasphemy is set down as a word, for ordinarily it is expressed in speech, though it may be committed in thought or in act. Being primarily a sin of the tongue, it will be seen to be opposed directly to the religious act of praising God. (2) It is said to be against God, though this may be only mediately, as when the contumelious word is spoken of the saints or of sacred things, because of the relationship they sustain to God and His service.

Blasphemy, by reason of the significance of the words with which it is expressed, may be of three kinds.

1.It is heretical when the insult to God involves a declaration that is against faith, as in the assertion: “God is cruel and unjust” or “The noblest work of man is God”.
2.It is imprecatory when it would cry a malediction upon the Supreme Being as when one would say: “Away with God”.
3.It is simply contumacious when it is wholly made up of contempt of, or indignation towards, God, as in the blasphemy of Julian the Apostate: “Thou has conquered, O Galilaean”.
Again, blasphemy may be (1) either direct, as when the one blaspheming formally intends to dishonour the Divinity, or (2) indirect, as when without such intention blasphemous words are used with advertence to their import." newadvent.org/cathen/02595a.htm

 

[Cari]

Is there a definative Church teaching on this? (I’ll have to go back and read what a previous poster found in the Catechism) Because if there isn’t, and it’s unclear what the sin actually IS, then how could it be a mortal one? The three conditions for mortal sin are 1. Full knowledge 2. Free will and 3. Grave matter.

If we’re not even sure what it is, how can we participate in it with full knowledge?

C

 

[spauline]

allow me to share how I believe I heard JPII deal with it: it is commonly understood in Catholicism that the “unforgiveable blaspheme against the Holy Spirit” is understood to be*** final impenitence***, that is, the utter refusal of a person to accept His need for the forgivenesss of God. Hence, I don’t think the Church would teach that you can commit a sin individually PRIOR TO DEATH that is absolutely unforgiveable.

I don’t think this is dogma yet in the Church, but, again, from what i heard, JPII taught this personally.

It’s sort of similar to another passage in Hebrews 6, where the author states that it is “impossible” for those who once taste the fullness of the fruits of Christ’s Redemption, if they apostatize from Christianity altogether, to be restored to the faith. Again, from what i understand, this passage is to be understood as hyperbole, exaggeration to get a point across. In other words, it is saying that, as a general rule, persons who experience the fullness of gifts and grace of the Catholic faith, and then afterwards leave the faith will most likely not come back to the faith, but that there may ***rare exceptions ***in which they might come back. At least, that was what the author of Hebrews was saying about Jewish converts to Christianity who apostatize and go back to Judaism.

 

[Grow_in_Faith]

There are times when I start to question my believes, but I always resolve my doutes. In questioning my faith, I guess you could say that I am questioning the Holy Spirit. This wouldn’t count, would it? I want salvation and try to be a good person, but sometimes the doute creeps in. When I was a pre-teen/early teen, I sometimes promised God I would try my hardest to be a good person. However, I didn’t always try my hardest and commited some awful sins that now make me sick. I feel so bad when I think of them and now try my hardest to avoid sin.

 

[spauline]

There are times when I start to question my believes, but I always resolve my doutes. In questioning my faith, I guess you could say that I am questioning the Holy Spirit. This wouldn’t count, would it? I want salvation and try to be a good person, but sometimes the doute creeps in. When I was a pre-teen/early teen, I sometimes promised God I would try my hardest to be a good person. However, I didn’t always try my hardest and commited some awful sins that now make me sick. I feel so bad when I think of them and now try my hardest to avoid sin.

The Lord is surely pleased with your desire to seek the good and avoid evil. Keep at it, and seek His help at all times, and the Lord will lead you, Grow in Faith.

I wish blessings to you.
scott