Matthew 12:32 – Unpardonable Sin Against the Son or Holy Spirit?
30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 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.
Matthew 12:30-32 (ESV)
There are some groups who believe that Jesus Christ is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They believe he is all three. Let’s suppose that Jesus is the Holy Spirit for a minute and read Matthew 12:32 again.
If Jesus is the Holy Spirit then that would mean that blaspheming Jesus would be to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. It’s pretty straight forward. If you blaspheme the Son, you blaspheme Jesus. If you blaspheme the Holy Spirit, you blaspheme Jesus. Blaspheming Jesus is to blaspheme both the Son and the Holy Spirit. The problem with this is that it contradicts what Jesus clearly said. In Matthew 12:32, Jesus made it very clear. If you blaspheme the Son, you will be forgiven, but if you blaspheme the Holy Spirit, you will not be forgiven. If the Son is the Holy Spirit then it follows that blaspheming the Son, who is also the Holy Spirit, is to commit the unpardonable sin.
Clearly, God forgives those who blaspheme the Son, but not those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Jesus makes a distinction between himself and the Holy Spirit. In order to understand this passage consistently, you need to acknowledge the distinction between the 2nd person (the Son) and 3rd person (the Holy Spirit) of the one true living God. The distinction between the Son and the Holy Spirit is evident in this passage.
