Matthew 12:31 kjv
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.
Matthew 12:31 nkjv
"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
Matthew 12:31 niv
And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
Matthew 12:31 esv
Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
Matthew 12:31 nlt
"So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven ? except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven.
Matthew 12 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mk 3:28-29 | "Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man... but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness..." | Parallel account; identifies blasphemy against the Spirit as eternal sin. |
| Lk 12:10 | "And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven." | Parallel account; clarifies blasphemy against Jesus is forgivable, but not against the Spirit. |
| Heb 6:4-6 | "For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened... and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance..." | Warning against apostasy and deliberate rejection after experiencing truth. |
| Heb 10:26-29 | "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth... how much worse punishment will be deserved..." | Describes severe consequence for willful, persistent sin against revealed truth and grace. |
| 1 Jn 5:16 | "If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he should ask... There is a sin that leads to death..." | Implies a sin exists that offers no pathway to restoration, often linked to this context. |
| Acts 7:51 | "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit..." | Stephen's rebuke, highlighting persistent resistance to God's Spirit by religious leaders. |
| Jn 16:8-11 | "When he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment..." | The Holy Spirit's role in convicting individuals, a prerequisite for repentance and forgiveness. |
| Mt 12:22-24 | "Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to him... But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, 'It is only by Beelzebul...'" | Immediate context of Jesus' healing and the Pharisees' blasphemous accusation. |
| Isa 63:10 | "But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy and himself fought against them." | Old Testament example of grieving and resisting God's Spirit leading to divine judgment. |
| Rom 2:4-6 | "Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience... you are storing up wrath for yourself..." | Hardness of heart and impenitence prevent repentance, leading to stored-up wrath. |
| Ps 103:10-12 | "He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are... so far has he removed our transgressions from us." | Emphasizes the vast scope of God's mercy and readiness to forgive all repentant sins. |
| Mic 7:18-19 | "Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity... He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot..." | Highlights God's unique character as One who delights in mercy and forgiveness. |
| Isa 1:18 | "'Come now, let us reason together,' says the LORD: 'though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow...'" | God's invitation to all to repent and receive cleansing from sins. |
| Acts 2:38 | "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins..." | Calls for repentance and faith for the forgiveness of sins for all who hear the gospel. |
| 1 Jn 1:9 | "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." | Condition for receiving forgiveness for confessed sins; emphasizes God's faithfulness. |
| Lk 7:47 | "Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much." | Jesus forgiving many sins, highlighting that great love for Christ implies repentance. |
| Acts 5:31 | "God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins." | God offers repentance as a gift, enabling forgiveness for sins. |
| Rom 3:23-24 | "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus..." | Universal human sinfulness, and God's gracious provision of forgiveness through Christ. |
| Eph 1:7 | "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace..." | Forgiveness is provided through Christ's sacrifice, by God's rich grace. |
| Lk 23:34 | "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." | Jesus' prayer on the cross, demonstrating forgiveness for sins committed in ignorance. |
| Ps 78:40-41 | "How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert! They turned back and tested God..." | OT example of persistent rebellion grieving God, but repentance was still possible at times. |
Matthew 12 verses
Matthew 12 31 Meaning
Matthew 12:31 declares that while every conceivable sin and blasphemy against humanity or God can be forgiven through repentance and faith, there is a singular, fatal exception: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This specific offense refers to a deliberate, malicious, and persistent attribution of the Holy Spirit's undeniably divine work—specifically, the miracles and ministry of Jesus—to the power of Satan. It is a willful and hardened rejection of clear divine revelation, leading to a state where the individual cannot or will not repent, thus precluding forgiveness.
Matthew 12 31 Context
Matthew 12:31 directly follows Jesus' confrontation with the Pharisees. Immediately preceding this verse (Mt 12:22-29), Jesus had performed a widely acknowledged miracle, casting out a demon from a blind and mute man. The crowds were astonished and began to wonder if Jesus was the Messiah. However, the Pharisees, observing the undeniable display of divine power, maliciously attributed Jesus' Spirit-enabled healing to the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons. This was not a moment of confusion, but a calculated, envious, and hardened rejection of truth, directly challenging the very source of Jesus' power. Jesus responds by warning against a "house divided" and then issues this severe warning about the unforgivable blasphemy. Historically, this highlights the spiritual blindness of some religious leaders in first-century Judaism who, despite clear signs, refused to accept Jesus as Messiah and even slandered the very Holy Spirit operating through Him. It serves as a direct polemic against the deliberate spiritual rebellion and antagonism shown by the Pharisees towards divine truth.
Matthew 12 31 Word analysis
- Therefore (διὰ τοῦτο, dia touto): Acts as a connective phrase, linking Jesus' statement directly to the preceding accusation by the Pharisees. It signals a conclusion drawn from their attributing His miraculous power to demonic sources.
- I tell you (λέγω ὑμῖν, legō hymin): A strong, emphatic declaration by Jesus, asserting His authority as a divine teacher and judge. It underscores the gravity and certainty of His pronouncement.
- Every sin (πᾶσα ἁμαρτία, pasa hamartia):
- πᾶσα (pasa): Means "all," "every," emphasizing the complete breadth and diversity of human failings and transgressions against God's law.
- ἁμαρτία (hamartia): Signifies "sin," literally "missing the mark." This broad term includes thoughts, words, and deeds that fall short of God's righteous standard.
- and blasphemy (καὶ βλασφημία, kai blasphemia):
- βλασφημία (blasphemia): Refers to abusive or evil-speaking, slander, defamation. In a religious context, it is irreverent speech directed against God, sacred things, or even highly revered individuals (like God's appointed messengers). Here, it extends to spoken offenses, specifically.
- will be forgiven (ἀφεθήσεται, aphethēsetai): This verb is in the future passive indicative, implying a divine agent of forgiveness. "Will be forgiven" denotes pardon, release, or remission, emphasizing God's readiness and capacity to overlook all such offenses upon repentance.
- people (τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, tois anthrōpois): Refers to human beings generally. This highlights God's universal offer of forgiveness to humanity, provided they seek it.
- but (δὲ, de): A strong adversative conjunction, indicating a sharp contrast or exception to the general rule of forgiveness. It marks a clear distinction for the subsequent phrase.
- the blasphemy against the Spirit (ἡ δὲ τοῦ Πνεύματος βλασφημία, hē de tou Pneumatos blasphemia):
- Πνεύματος (Pneumatos): Genitive of Pneuma, "Spirit," specifically referring to the Holy Spirit. This phrase defines the particular and unique nature of the unforgivable sin. It is not general slander, but specific reviling against the divine Holy Spirit.
- will not be forgiven (οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται, ouk aphethēsetai): This uses the direct negation "οὐκ" (ouk) with "ἀφεθήσεται" (aphethēsetai), rendering the lack of forgiveness absolute. It underscores the severity and finality of this specific transgression, emphasizing that no means of pardon will be available.
Words-group analysis:
- "every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people": This sweeping declaration showcases the immeasurable scope of God's grace and willingness to pardon. It communicates profound hope, establishing that no past mistake or verbal offense—no matter how grave, except for one—is beyond divine mercy, provided there is genuine repentance. This establishes the rule of abundant forgiveness.
- "but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven": This is the critical, stark exception. It's not a general denial of God's power to forgive, but rather a description of a spiritual state so hardened and rebellious that it willfully and maliciously attributes the clear, undeniable work of God's Holy Spirit to demonic power. By doing so, the individual severs the very channel (the Holy Spirit) through which conviction, repentance, and ultimately forgiveness, are received. This state implies an unrepentant heart, making forgiveness inaccessible.
Matthew 12 31 Bonus section
- The parallel accounts in Mark 3:28-30 and Luke 12:10 confirm that this warning is deeply rooted in Jesus' actual teaching, following His specific confrontations with religious leaders.
- The sin is described as "eternal" in Mark, indicating its lasting consequence due to the impossibility of repentance.
- It is vital to distinguish between blasphemy against the Son of Man (Jesus in His earthly humiliation, where people might reject Him due to misunderstanding or lack of full revelation) and blasphemy against the Spirit (who testifies definitively about Jesus and illuminates truth).
- The severity of this sin emphasizes the ultimate sacredness of the Holy Spirit and His unique role in salvation, especially in convicting humanity of sin and pointing to Christ.
- The context assures us that general sins and blasphemies, even serious ones, can be forgiven upon repentance, highlighting the immense breadth of God's grace for the truly contrite.
Matthew 12 31 Commentary
Matthew 12:31 presents one of the most sobering warnings in the Bible, defining a sin that lacks forgiveness. The core meaning of "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" is not merely a single word spoken in anger or ignorance, but a deliberate, malicious, and persistent rejection of the Holy Spirit's manifest work, specifically His revelation of truth concerning Jesus Christ. In the context of the verse, the Pharisees, witnessing undeniable evidence of Jesus' divine power to cast out demons, consciously chose to attribute this miracle—which was undeniably accomplished by the Holy Spirit—to Beelzebul, the chief of demons. This was not born of confusion but from hardened, envious, and rebellious hearts that actively resisted the clear light of truth.
The unforgivable nature of this sin is not because God's forgiveness is insufficient, but because the one committing it has reached a spiritual state of such absolute rebellion and opposition to divine truth that they willfully extinguish the only means by which repentance and forgiveness are mediated—the Holy Spirit's convicting work. They have so stubbornly refused and slandered the Spirit's testimony that they have become impervious to His influence, cutting themselves off from the pathway to repentance. Consequently, without repentance, forgiveness is not received. This specific sin is marked by a determined refusal to acknowledge the clear demonstration of God's saving power and presence through the Holy Spirit. Those who fear they have committed this sin typically have not, as their very fear suggests a conscience still active and open to the Spirit's convicting power, indicating that they have not reached the irreversible state of absolute spiritual hardness described by Jesus.