Blaspheming Versus Blaspheming Against The Holy Spirit

[Study Aired June 28, 2026]

Many agonize over whether they have committed the sin of blaspheming the holy ghost, which Christ said would not be forgiven in this age nor in the age to come:

Mat 12:22  Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
Mat 12:23  And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
Mat 12:24  But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
Mat 12:25  And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
Mat 12:26  And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
Mat 12:27  And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
Mat 12:28  But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
Mat 12:29  Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
Mat 12:30  He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
Mat 12:31  Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
Mat 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.

This is repeated in the gospel of Luke:

Luk 12:10  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.

Notice that ‘blaspheming’ is defined as ‘speaking a word against.’ Paul confesses that he himself was once a blasphemer:

1Ti 1:12  And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
1Ti 1:13  Who [Paul, himself] was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
1Ti 1:14  And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
1Ti 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Paul confesses to being a blasphemer in ignorance and unbelief. He does not confess to blaspheming against the holy spirit. Therefore blaspheming in ignorance and unbelief is not blaspheming against the holy spirit.

Paul tells us that he has turned two men over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme:

1Ti 1:18  This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
1Ti 1:19  Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
1Ti 1:20  Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Paul did the same thing to the Corinthian fornicator, and he uses the same phrase to instruct the Corinthians:

1Co 5:2  And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
1Co 5:3  For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
1Co 5:4  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Co 5:5  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

It is not adding to the Word to say that the Corinthians first went privately to this fornicator and informed him of his trespass, and then took one or two others with the first witness before telling it to the church. We read in the second epistle to the Corinthians that this fornicator, who had been “turned over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh”, later repented when he saw that the whole church would no longer tolerate His fornication. At that point he repented and “heard the church” which had turned him over to Satan for the destruction of his carnal-minded flesh.

Here are the verses of scripture which demonstrate both of these principles:

Mat 18:15  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Mat 18:16  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Mat 18:17  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

1Co 5:1  It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
1Co 5:2  And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
1Co 5:3  For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
1Co 5:4  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Co 5:5  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
1Co 5:6  Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
1Co 5:7  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

‘Leaven’ signifies doctrines:

Mat 16:5  And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.
Mat 16:6  Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Mat 16:7  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.
Mat 16:8  Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?
Mat 16:9  Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
Mat 16:10  Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
Mat 16:11  How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
Mat 16:12  Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

The fact that the Corinthian fornicator was granted repentance after being treated by the church “as an heathen man and a publican” demonstrates that even ‘telling it to the church’ is just another step toward the goal of ‘winning our brother.’ Truly our Lord is longsuffering and patient with all of us.

Yet, Matthew states that blaspheming the holy spirit will not be forgiven, and Hebrews tells us that it is impossible to restore a person to repentance when they fall away after having tasted of the world to come and the holy ghost.

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit.
Heb 6:4  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,
Heb 6:5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 6:6  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.

The Pharisees to whom Christ was speaking in Matthew 12 already had witnessed many of Christ’s miraculous healings. Instead of rejoicing with this man in his miraculous healing of being both blind and dumb, they chose to accuse Christ of casting out devils by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of devils. It was under these circumstances that Christ brought up this topic of blaspheming against the holy spirit:

Mat 12:22  Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
Mat 12:23  And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
Mat 12:24  But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
Mat 12:25  And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
Mat 12:26  And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
Mat 12:27  And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
Mat 12:28  But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
Mat 12:29  Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
Mat 12:30  He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
Mat 12:31  Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
Mat 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.

It is a sad fact that “all the people” had better spiritual discernment than their own religious leaders.

Christ tells us that “The kingdom of God had come unto [these Pharisees]” in the form of its King, Christ. So the priests, scribes and the Pharisees had in type “tasted of the heavenly gift, and [in type] were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and [in type and shadow] tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come”. They had tasted the powers of the world to come, and they rejected it and accused Christ of casting out devils by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.” After pointing out the absurdity of their assertion, Christ informs them that He will, at the appointed time, bind them and spoil their self-righteous, blasphemous house. Then He tells them that this is the reason He is informing them that they if they “speak against the holy spirit” then they will not be forgiven in this age, nor in the age to come.

Hebrews 6 simply repeats the Lord’s warning that we must never “speak against the holy spirit”:

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit.

Now notice what precedes being unable to be forgiven of speaking against the holy spirit:

Heb 6:4  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,
Heb 6:5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 6:6  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 6:7  For the earth [“The earth” is each of the Lord’s people, Jer 22:29] which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
Heb 6:8  But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
Heb 6:9  But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
Heb 6:10  For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
Heb 6:11  And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
Heb 6:12  That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Notice what we are being told here in Hebrews six. Those who are judging whether a brother or sister is beyond being forgiven in this age are those “by whom it [the Lord’s ‘earth’] is being dressed.” That judgment “within” is being made by those who “have ministered to the saints and do minister.” It is not pleasant to make such judgments within the body of Christ, but someone must do so or else “the whole [church] becomes leavened [with] the leaven of the Pharisees.”

1Co 5:11  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
1Co 5:12  For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
1Co 5:13  But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

It is given to those who are dressing the Lord’s earth and are ministering to the saints to determine who among us refuses to be persuaded of their leaders, who obstinately insists on leaning on their own  understanding, and in effect telling the elders that their understanding in spiritual matters,  is superior to that of our acknowledged counselors and leaders.

I have made reference to these verses in Jeremiah several times. Here are the verses which establish that the earth which is being watered by the Lord and is bringing forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, is the Lord’s own people:

Jer 22:1  Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,
Jer 22:2  And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates:

Speaking to the same people, we come to verse 29 where the Lord’s people are addressed in this manner:

Jer 22:29  O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

My hope for each of us is in Hebrews 6:9.

Heb 6:9  But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

Blaspheming is defined by Christ as “speaking against the holy ghost”:

Mat 12:31  Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
Mat 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.

The holy spirit tells us that  “the earth… brings forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed…”:

Heb 6:7  For the earth [“The earth” is each of the Lord’s people, (Jer 22:29)] which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
Heb 6:8  But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

Jeremiah tells us whom ‘the earth’ signifies:

Jer 22:29  O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

The Lord implores us to “hear the Word of the Lord” which is “the rain which comes oft upon it.” He commands us to “be persuaded by [our] leaders” who are “them by whom [the earth] is dressed”:

Heb 13:7 Be remembering those of your leaders who speak to you the word of God, contemplating the sequel of their behavior, whose faith be imitating. (CLV)

Heb 13:17 Be persuaded by your leaders, and be deferring to them, for they are vigilant for the sake of your souls, as having to render an account, that they may be doing this with joy, and not with groaning, for this is disadvantageous for you.
Heb 13:18 Pray concerning us, for we are persuaded that we have an ideal conscience, in all wanting to behave ideally.

Your leaders [are also called] the Lord’s husbandry. Here is who does the ‘watering’ of ‘the earth.’ This is “them by whom it is dressed”:

1Co 3:6  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
1Co 3:7  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
1Co 3:8  Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
1Co 3:9  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

We “labor together with God.” We do not “speak against the holy spirit.” As good husbandmen we “have respect to the recompense of the reward” of “receiving one hundred fold with persecutions in this life and the age to come ‘eternal life’.”

Mar 10:28  Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
Mar 10:29  And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,
Mar 10:30  But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

This  is what wicked husbandmen will receive as their reward:

Mat 21:33  Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
Mat 21:34  And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
Mat 21:35  And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
Mat 21:36  Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
Mat 21:37  But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
Mat 21:38  But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
Mat 21:39  And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
Mat 21:40  When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
Mat 21:41  They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
Mat 21:42  Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
Mat 21:43  Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a [spiritual] nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Mat 21:44  And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
Mat 21:45  And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
Mat 21:46  But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

The chief priest and the Pharisees “perceived that He spake of them”, but like the “wicked… husbandmen”, they wanted the Heir dead, thinking they could retain His inheritance.

Esau wanted Jacob dead, and he intended to make that happen by his own hand against his own brother:

Gen 27:41  And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.

Jacob had indeed taken advantage of his brother Esau. Nevertheless, we are never to take vengeance into our own hands. This, therefore, is what we are told befell Esau:

Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Heb 12:16  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Heb 12:17  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.

That is the spirit of Korah, who wanted to take the priesthood away from Moses and Aaron, whom the Lord had appointed as the physical leaders of His people. Korah knew everything the Lord had performed through Moses and Aaron. Yet he refused to repent and was swallowed up of the earth. Korah, obviously like Esau, “found no place of repentance.”

When we simply are not granted to become as little children and be persuaded of our leaders, and we refuse to defer to them and insist as one of our former elders said… “I don’t care what the multitude of counselors says, we are right.” that spirit is blaspheming against the holy spirit and is “nigh unto burning” because it is speaking against the explicit words of God. If it remains in the Lord’s house, it will “leaven the whole lump” (1Co 5:6; Gal 5:9). Contrast a spirit which has no regard for its leaders and counselors with the doctrine of Christ contained in these verses:

Mat 18:1  At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
Mat 18:2  And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Mark repeats this message:

Mar 10:15  Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

This is not an encouragement to become gullible ‘as a little child.’ It is an admonition to “humble [ourselves] as this little child”, and become teachable and able to be persuaded of your leaders in spiritual matters.

Pro 25:8  Go not forth hastily to strive [Before the elders or the body]. What will thou do in the end of it when thy neighbor has put thee to shame?
Pro 25:9  Debate thy case with thy neighbor [himself], and disclose not the secret of another,
Pro 25:10  lest he who hears it revile thee, and thine infamy turn not away.
Pro 25:11  A word fitly spoken [including words spoken by those who “dress the [Lord’s] earth”, and “minister to the saints”] is apples of gold in a network of silver.
Pro 25:12  An earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, [is] a wise reprover upon an obedient ear [The ear of “a little child”, (Mar 10:15)]. (ASV)

Pray for our leaders to be given the ability to be “humble… as this little child” and also to be  “a wise reprover”. Those prayers will ‘avail much’.

Pro 15:1  A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
Pro 15:2  The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
Pro 15:3  The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
Pro 15:4  A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. 

In conclusion, Paul confesses to being a blasphemer, but he never confesses to blaspheming against the holy ghost. That sin will not be forgiven and it is impossible to restore such a one to repentance.

The blaspheming we are all guilty of is not the same as the intentional, unrepentant, and obstinate blaspheming of the holy spirit after having tasted of the holy spirit and the world to come. Those who sincerely want to repent have not committed that sin which cannot be forgiven. That sin is revealed in unrepentant words which are spoken against the words and doctrines of Christ.