Confusion over sin of the Holy Spirit

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Ally_of_Christ

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Hi,

I am very confused over the sin of the Holy Spirit. In the Bible we read these words of Christ: " Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven either in this age or in the age to come. " And from the Gospel of Mark: " Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blahphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgivness, but is guilty of eternal sin."

How are these quotes translated to mean

-Despair of one’s salvation (of God’s mercy)

and
  • Final Impenitence
when Jesus says that there is no forgivness for speaking against the Holy Spirit?
 
Ally_of_Christ said:
Hi,

I am very confused over the sin of the Holy Spirit. In the Bible we read these words of Christ: " Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven either in this age or in the age to come. " And from the Gospel of Mark: " Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blahphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgivness, but is guilty of eternal sin."

How are these quotes translated to mean

-Despair of one’s salvation (of God’s mercy)

and
  • Final Impenitence
when Jesus says that there is no forgivness for speaking against the Holy Spirit?
Click to expand...
I think you’ll find this from the “Ask An Apologist” section helpful:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=25726
 
I am very confused over the sin of the Holy Spirit.
You must be VERY confused if you think the Holy Spirit can sin.
 
bpbasilphx said:
I am very confused over the sin of the Holy Spirit.
You must be VERY confused if you think the Holy Spirit can sin.
Click to expand...
It is the sin you don’t confess and/or are not sorry for. If you commit a mortal in this life and refuse to repent of it, that is the sin against the Holy Spirit.
 
Fermat,

I have heard that explanation, but I don’t see how that explanation fits in with the Bible quotes. It doesn’t make sense to me.
 
Ally_of_Christ said:
Hi,

I am very confused over the sin of the Holy Spirit. In the Bible we read these words of Christ: " Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven either in this age or in the age to come. " And from the Gospel of Mark: " Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blahphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgivness, but is guilty of eternal sin."

How are these quotes translated to mean

-Despair of one’s salvation (of God’s mercy)

and
  • Final Impenitence
when Jesus says that there is no forgivness for speaking against the Holy Spirit?
Click to expand...
I also don’t understand what this sin means. I’m actually glad because I would be tempted to commit or am scared of committing it and then I won’t be forgiven. You’re better not knowing what it is then you won’t commit it deliberately.
 
Ally_of_Christ said:
Fermat,

I have heard that explanation, but I don’t see how that explanation fits in with the Bible quotes. It doesn’t make sense to me.
Click to expand...
My understanding:
In St. John’s gospel, Jesus tells us that one of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to reveal to us our sins (John 16:8 And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: )

In order to be forgiven of our sins, we have to admit them and seek forgiveness. If we reject the Holy Spirit’s conviction of our sins - that is, deny the sinfulness of specific acts we have done that are contrary to God’s law - then we will not seek forgiveness since we hold that we are not guilty of any sin. Thus, we die in our sin because we never sought forgiveness.

I’m not sure tho if rejection of the Holy Spirit’s interior guidance to recognize our sins is considered “blasphemy”. The Catholic dictionary I have defines blasphemy as “Speaking against God in a contemptuous, scornful, or abusive manner. Included under blasphemy are offenses committed by thought word or action. …”
Perhaps rejecting the Holy Spirit’s guidance is equivalent to saying/thinking “I don’t have to listen to you”, “I’m wiser than you”, … If so, that would fit the definition of blasphemy.

Just my thoughts.
 
From the Catholic Encyclopedia newadvent.org/cathen/07409a.htm Scroll down to the finall section - “Sins Against the Holy Ghost”

St. Thomas, whom we may safely follow, gives a very good summary of opinions in II-II.14. He says that blasphemy against the Holy Ghost was and may be explained in three ways.
  • Sometimes, and in its most literal signification, it has been taken to mean the uttering of an insult against the Divine Spirit, applying the appellation either to the Holy Ghost or to all three Divine persons. This was the sin of the Pharisees, who spoke at first against “the Son of Man”, criticizing the works and human ways of Jesus, accusing Him of loving good cheer and wine, of associating with the publicans, and who, later on, with undoubted bad faith, traduced His Divine works, the miracles which He wrought by virtue of His own Divinity.
  • On the other hand, St. Augustine frequently explains blasphemy against the Holy Ghost to be final impenitence, perseverance till death in mortal sin. This impenitence is against the Holy Ghost, in the sense that it frustrates and is absolutely opposed to the remission of sins, and this remission is appropriated to the Holy Ghost, the mutual love of the Father and the Son. In this view, Jesus, in Matthew 12 and Mark 3 did not really accuse the Pharisees of blaspheming the Holy Ghost, He only warned them against the danger they were in of doing so.
  • Finally, several Fathers, and after them, many scholastic theologians, apply the expression to all sins directly opposed to that quality which is, by appropriation, the characteristic quality of the Third Divine Person. Charity and goodness are especially attributed to the Holy Ghost, as power is to the Father and wisdom to the Son. Just, then, as they termed sins against the Father those that resulted from frailty, and sins against the Son those that sprang from ignorance, so the sins against the Holy Ghost are those that are committed from downright malice, either by despising or rejecting the inspirations and impulses which, having been stirred in man’s soul by the Holy Ghost, would turn him away or deliver him from evil.
    (Bolding and underlining done by me.)
 
Nita said:
From the Catholic Encyclopedia newadvent.org/cathen/07409a.htm Scroll down to the finall section - “Sins Against the Holy Ghost”

St. Thomas, whom we may safely follow, gives a very good summary of opinions in II-II.14. He says that blasphemy against the Holy Ghost was and may be explained in three ways.

*** Sometimes, and in its most literal signification, it has been taken to mean the uttering of an insult against the Divine Spirit,** applying the appellation either to the Holy Ghost or to all three Divine persons. This was the sin of the Pharisees, who spoke at first against “the Son of Man”, criticizing the works and human ways of Jesus, accusing Him of loving good cheer and wine, of associating with the publicans, and who, later on, with undoubted bad faith, traduced His Divine works, the miracles which He wrought by virtue of His own Divinity.
  • On the other hand, St. Augustine frequently explains blasphemy against the Holy Ghost to be final impenitence, perseverance till death in mortal sin. This impenitence is against the Holy Ghost, in the sense that it frustrates and is absolutely opposed to the remission of sins, and this remission is appropriated to the Holy Ghost, the mutual love of the Father and the Son. In this view, Jesus, in Matthew 12 and Mark 3 did not really accuse the Pharisees of blaspheming the Holy Ghost, He only warned them against the danger they were in of doing so.
  • Finally, several Fathers, and after them, many scholastic theologians, apply the expression to all sins directly opposed to that quality which is, by appropriation, the characteristic quality of the Third Divine Person. Charity and goodness are especially attributed to the Holy Ghost, as power is to the Father and wisdom to the Son. Just, then, as they termed sins against the Father those that resulted from frailty, and sins against the Son those that sprang from ignorance, so the sins against the Holy Ghost are those that are committed from downright malice, either by despising or rejecting the inspirations and impulses which, having been stirred in man’s soul by the Holy Ghost, would turn him away or deliver him from evil.
    (Bolding and underlining done by me.)
Click to expand...
I picked the first out of the three in bold.
 
OK, I’m really nervous. I have been struggling with thoughts against the Holy Spirit lately, and finally overcame them today, or so I thought. I was thinking to myself that I overcame the thoughts and wouldn’t think them again, that I was in control of my thoughts. Suddenly, I got this insulting degrading thought against the Holy Spirit, and I almost felt like I meant to think it and that I was in a mindset of talking down to Him. Instantly after thinking this, I became horrified and regretful of the thought and was sorry for offending Him, and realized that I didn’t mean what I said. I am scared that I might have blasphemed against Him. Did I? I felt like I meant to think the thought, but then realized that I didn’t meant what I said and was instantly contrite.
 
Ally_of_Christ said:
OK, I’m really nervous. I have been struggling with thoughts against the Holy Spirit lately, and finally overcame them today, or so I thought. I was thinking to myself that I overcame the thoughts and wouldn’t think them again, that I was in control of my thoughts. Suddenly, I got this insulting degrading thought against the Holy Spirit, and I almost felt like I meant to think it and that I was in a mindset of talking down to Him. Instantly after thinking this, I became horrified and regretful of the thought and was sorry for offending Him, and realized that I didn’t mean what I said. I am scared that I might have blasphemed against Him. Did I? I felt like I meant to think the thought, but then realized that I didn’t meant what I said and was instantly contrite.
Click to expand...
Hi, Ally.

Assuming you’re serious, then you’re not busy enough. What you’re doing is “sitting back,” mentally, and watching your “id” have fun with perverse thoughts.

Go be productive.
 
Ally_of_Christ said:
I’m serious, I’m scared.
Click to expand...
I’m just starting to read this thread. Being scared means that one is resisting temptation.

However, I am not sure that the temptations being described actually refer to what is generally known regarding the sin against the Holy Spirit because the opening post used the word “speaking”.
 
As I understand this question, those who willfully refused to acknowledge the hand of God in the signs and wonders wrought by the power of the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ and His apostles, in healing the sick, raising the dead, etc., but instead blasphemed the Holy Spirit by ascribing those works to the devil, had so hardened their hearts against God that they would, practically speaking, never come to repentance in this life and would die in their unrepented mortal sin. It is not that God would not forgive them if they repented, because He will forgive any sin we repent of, but that those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit exhibit a level of hardness of heart so great that they will, practically speaking, never repent nor seek God’s forgiveness.
 
Todd_Easton said:
As I understand this question, those who willfully refused to acknowledge the hand of God in the signs and wonders wrought by the power of the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ and His apostles, in healing the sick, raising the dead, etc., but instead blasphemed the Holy Spirit by ascribing those works to the devil, had so hardened their hearts against God that they would, practically speaking, never come to repentance in this life and would die in their unrepented mortal sin. It is not that God would not forgive them if they repented, because He will forgive any sin we repent of, but that those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit exhibit a level of hardness of heart so great that they will, practically speaking, never repent nor seek God’s forgiveness.
Click to expand...
As tough as this sounds, it sounds right. I would add that the level of hardness deepens each time that God offers mercy. What I mean is that there is a constant series of choices to turn away from God.

I have seen the explanation of “ascribing those works to the devil” in a footnote but unfortunately I don’t remember the verse it referred to.
 
I’m jumping in a little late here,
but the Sin MUST be much more serious than an immediate
literal reading of Matthew 12:28-32 would seem to imply.
We must remember that all 3 persons of the Trinity
are EQUAL to each other in holiness and majesty.
The Holy Spirit is not MORE holy than the Father or the Son.
Nor, of course, is he any LESS holy than they.
So the unforgivable sin must refer to a hardness of heart that
is SO VERY SERIOUS that one rebels against the blazing white light
continuously and with the greatest possible contempt.
No repentance is even possible for one in this state,
and it is the Holy Spirit who gives us light and repentance (prods us to repentance).
Someone who is opposed to Christ and complacent in his opposition,
after being well-enlightened, well-taught, and even having witnessed many
exterior manifestations of God’s power, he or she really has something to
worry about ---- but guess what? If they’re THAT bad, they WON’T worry at all.
 
Nita said:
From the Catholic Encyclopedia newadvent.org/cathen/07409a.htm Scroll down to the finall section - “Sins Against the Holy Ghost”

St. Thomas, whom we may safely follow, gives a very good summary of opinions in II-II.14. He says that blasphemy against the Holy Ghost was and may be explained in three ways.
  • Sometimes, and in its most literal signification, it has been taken to mean the uttering of an insult against the Divine Spirit, applying the appellation either to the Holy Ghost or to all three Divine persons. This was the sin of the Pharisees, who spoke at first against “the Son of Man”, criticizing the works and human ways of Jesus, accusing Him of loving good cheer and wine, of associating with the publicans, and who, later on, with undoubted bad faith, traduced His Divine works, the miracles which He wrought by virtue of His own Divinity.
Suppose this is the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Why is it unforgivable? If we are truly sorry for our actions maybe even years or decades after we commit the sin, why wouldn’t God forgive us? He told us to love our enemies, and to forgive seventy times seven times, but why would he not forgive someone who insulted Him?
​
Click to expand...
​
 
From the Apologist on catholic answers-----Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is essentially the willful rejection of God’s grace and forgiveness.

A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture explains, “Unlike other blasphemies or sins which might be partially excused by ignorance, passion or inadvertence, this was[/is] a sin of willful malice and blindness to the light. As long as such a mentality persists, pardon is impossible, not because of any limitation of God, but because those who are guilty of this sin refuse to respond to the promptings of grace” (p.912).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states, “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” (CCC 1864).
 
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