Matthew 12:32 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

NASB: And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

CSB: Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the one to come.

NLT: Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

Jesus has said that, unlike every other sin, blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven (Matthew 12:31). The immediate meaning of that refers to something only those who saw Jesus in person could do: to see a miracle from Christ and attribute it to Satan. In the most literal sense, that's a sin which no one today can commit. In a broader sense, to "blaspheme the Holy Spirit" for most people implies a continual rejection of the Holy Spirit's call. Those who call God a liar by rejecting His call have no hope of forgiveness (John 3:36).

Emphasizing this point, Jesus adds that speaking against Him is not unforgivable. The Son of Man is Jesus' most used name for Himself; those who criticize, reject, or even lie about Christ can change their mind and be forgiven. In part, Christ repeats and expands on what He said in the previous verse.

This pattern is demonstrated in Scripture. During Jesus' life and ministry on earth, many people spoke against Jesus. Some of them later came to faith in Him as the Savior and Son of God. Jesus' own family said He was out of His mind (Mark 3:21). After Jesus was crucified, resurrected, and returned to heaven, however, His earthly family is shown to have believed in Him and joined with Jesus' other followers (Acts 1:14). The apostle Paul, in fact, was at one time a hateful persecutor against the Christian church (Acts 22:1–10).

Every person begins life not having yet trusted in Christ. Forgiveness for that unbelief comes when a person believes and puts their faith in Him. He or she is forgiven for any words spoken against Him.

The point made here marks a difference between speaking a word against Christ—the Son of Man—and speaking against the Holy Spirit. Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit as a person. The Spirit is the powerful third member of the Trinity, the "three in one" of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that makes God who He is. The Holy Spirit's work is different than that of the Father and the Son. The Spirit is the one who leads people to faith in Jesus, who makes it possible for sinful humans to see who Christ is and trust in Him.

Broadly applied, to speak against the Holy Spirit is to reject Him and the work He is doing. Those who continue to speak against the Spirit cannot come to faith in Christ. Those who do not come to faith in Christ will not be forgiven for their sins either in this age or in eternity. Jesus will not allow for any faith in Him that does not include faith in the work the Holy Spirit is doing to demonstrate that Jesus is truly the Son of God.

Matthew 12:22–32 begins with Jesus healing a demon-oppressed man who cannot see or speak. The passage ends with a controversial, troubling statement. The crowds wonder if Jesus is the Messiah. Some Pharisees say Jesus casts out demons by the power of the prince of demons. Jesus counters their argument with both logic and a harsh rebuke. The Pharisees have missed the truth: the kingdom of God has come. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit—seeing such a miracle and attributing it to Satan—is a sin which will not be forgiven.

Matthew 12 features confrontations between the Pharisees and Jesus over several issues. Among these are working on the Sabbath, healing on the Sabbath, and the source of His power to cast out demons. Jesus counters each argument and rebukes the Pharisees sharply for their obstinate unbelief. He even notes that those who maliciously ascribe His miracles to demons are unforgivable. He warns them, and the rest of their current generation, about the judgment to come. Jesus calls the Pharisees a brood of vipers and rejects their demand for another miracle. All they'll be promised is the sign of Jonah. The Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days. Jesus also states that all who do His Father's will are His family.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.