In the Gospel accounts, Jesus said that there was a sin that would not be forgiven (in either this age, or the coming age), but what is this sin?
Saint Athanasius wrote:
Christ does not say, ‘to him that blasphemeth, and repenteth, it shall not be forgiven,’ but ‘to him that blasphemeth;” that is continueth in his blasphemy; for there is no sin unpardonable with God where there is genuine and worthy repentance (St. Athanasius, de cummuni essentiâ trium Personarum.)
If we're to understand Christ's words, I believe we must note four things:
1.) Some sins not forgiven in this age will be forgiven in the next (Matt 12:32, any good translation.)
2.) The penalty of this most heinous of human sins (the only one not forgiven in this age or the next) is limited to two ages. That could be a very long time, and it's not a fate I would wish on my worst enemy, but it's not forever.
3.) The word blásphemos is a compound of two root words--“blapto" (meaning "to hurt, harm, injure"), and pheme (meaning "fame, report.") From this (and the context of Christ's words), it would seem that the blasphemy of the Spirit involves rumor mongering (with the intent of injuring the Spirit's testimony to Jesus.)
4.) This was not the first time the scribes and Pharisees accused the very Son of God of being in league with the devil. In fact, Jesus seems to have ignored the allegation the first time it was made (Matt.9:34.)
In Mark's account, we find this inspired commentary, "He said this because they persisted in saying (imperfect active indicative) 'He has an unclean spirit" (Mark 3:30, Amplified Bible.) Matt. 9:34 is also in the imperfect tense, and by the time Jesus spoke the words recorded in the twelfth chapter, the accusation that He cast out demons by Beelzebub had become the established polemic of men who were plotting His death. It was not said once, but repeatedly (and by men who witnessed miracles that displayed Divine love and power in a way that no men have before or since.) As George MacDonald put it:
...the men of whom this was spoken were men who resisted the truth with some amount of perception that it was the truth...I dare not, cannot think that they refused the truth, knowing all that it was; but I think they refused the truth, knowing that it was true—not carried away, as I have said, by wild passion, but by cold self-love, and envy, and avarice, and ambition; not merely doing wrong knowingly, but setting their whole natures knowingly against the light. Of this nature must the sin against the Holy Ghost surely be. “This is the condemnation,” (not the sins that men have committed, but the condition of mind in which they choose to remain) “that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” In this sin against the Holy Ghost, I see no single act alone (although it must find expression in many acts) but a wilful condition of mind...
("It Shall Not Be Forgiven," by George MacDonald.)
When St. Stephen appeared before the Sanhedrin, they were still resisting the testimony of the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51), and it was this unwillingness to accept Christ as their Savior that locked these men out of the Kingdom for the foreseeable future.
And whoever may speak a word against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven to him, but whoever may speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is coming (Matt. 12:32, Young's Literal Translation. )
He said they would not be forgiven in this age or the next, but said nothing of the ages beyond--And the meaning of the Greek word "logos" is broad enough to include the entire testimony of one's life.
As Augustine observed:
...it is the manner of Scripture to call even many words "a word." For no prophet ever spoke one word only; yet we read, "the word which came to such and such a prophet." And the Apostle says, "Let the elders be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine." He does not say, "in words," but, "in the word." And St. James, "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only." He again does not say, "of the words," but, "of the word;" although so many words out of the Holy Scriptures are read, and spoken, and heard in the Church at her celebrations and solemnities. As therefore, how long a time soever any of us have laboured in preaching the Gospel, he is not called a preacher of the words, but of the word...
(Sermon 21.)
But what of the passages in Hebrews? I believe the context of these verses is found in Heb. 3:7-8,12-13.
So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion"...See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness (N.I.V.)
As Saint Chrysostom said, in commenting on this passage:
And [he said] "To-day," that they might never be without hope. "Exhort one another daily," he says, ["while it is called today,"'] that is, even if a man have sinned...let no man then despair so long as he lives. Above all things indeed, he says, "let there not be an evil heart of unbelief." (c. iii. 12.) But even suppose there should be, let no man despair, but let him recover himself; for as long as we are in this world, the "To-day" is in season. But here he means not unbelief only, but also murmurings..." (6th Homily on Hebrews.)
I believe this provides the context for Hebrews 6:4, and 10:26. I also believe we should pay special attention to the following figure:
Land that drinks in the rain OFTEN falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned (Heb. 6:7-8.)
In this figure, the land represents the people who had "fallen away" after having "OFTEN" (verse 7) "tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age" (verse 5), even witnessing "signs, wonders, and various miracles" (Chapter 2, verse 4.)
Before leaving the 6th chapter of Hebrews, notice that the New International Version's footnote to Hebrews 6:6 gives this as an alternate reading of verses 4-6:
It is impossible...to be brought back to repentance WHILE to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again.
It is impossible for God to forgive these backsliders-- "renew them again unto repentance" -- while they are STILL crucifying the Son of God afresh and putting Him to an open shame.These are the individuals typified by the land that is to be burned, and why is such land burned? Farmers at this time certainly didn't keep the fire burning forever, nor did they do it to destroy the land. I quote the Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary, "Some commentators think the writer knew little of agriculture, for the burning of the field was not a curse but rather a source of blessing as it got rid of the weeds and so prepared for a good crop."
I believe the truth is that the burning of the field was both a curse and a blessing--a curse in the short term, and a blessing in the long run (and the Holy Spirit knows all that there is to know about agriculture!)
Turning our attention to Hebrews 10:26, I would point out that the N.I.V. renders the verse as follows: "If we deliberately KEEP ON SINNING..." In the original Greek, this verse contains a present participle followed by a present tense verb. To quote the Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown Commentary "...if we sin--Greek present participle: if we be found sinning, that is, not isolated acts, but a state of sin [ALFORD]." The meaning is that as long as we continue to sin wilfully, there is no sacrifice for this sin. There are things we should keep on keeping on, but sin is not one of them. I believe it should also be pointed out that the sin spoken of here is probably that of rejecting Christ's sacrifice for all our other sins. An interlinear will show that the definite article is used before the word "truth" (this is not the case in 1Tim. 2:4 BTW), and in Greek "the article is used to refer back to something the writer has just mentioned."
(Englishman's Greek.)
The previously mentioned truth is that of the efficacy of Christ's sacrifice:
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (Heb. 10:19-22.)
There is only one real problem left for any of us and that is lack of trust in Jesus. Thus all God's efforts, prodding, and punishments are to cause us to look to Jesus who will entirely cure us from all sin. The one sin that God cannot overlook is that of rejecting Christ. He must make us pay for that one until we utterly and finally reject it.
The message of Hebrews is that one cannot persist in rejecting Christ's sacrifice without dire consequences. That is the very thing Christ warned the Pharisees of, and the New Testament is very clear on that point. It is also clear on two other things:
1.) It is clear that Christians sin (sometimes seriously),
2.) and it is clear that those sins can be forgiven.
There was sexual sin among the Corithians (1 Cor. 5:1-2), people to whom Paul had preached the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-11), who witnessed miracles (1 Cor. 2:4), and who should have known better. Even when excommunicating the most notorious sinner among them, Paul did so in the hope that the man would repent, and would be among the saints at Christ's return (1 Cor. 5:5.) After writting this epistle, he wrote another, and delayed his third visit to the city to give others time to repent. He said "I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as you would not...and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleaness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed." (2 Cor. 12:20-21.) To the Thessalonians, to whom Paul had already written one epistle, and whom he had said knew the instruction they had received by the authority of the Lord Jesus (1 Thes. 4;1-2), Paul said "If anyone does not obey our instructions in this letter (his second epistle), take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother" (2 Thes. 3:14-15.)
If you've committed any sins as a Christian, go to our Lord and ask forgiveness. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9), and "...by Him all that believe (or are believing) are justified from all things..." (Acts 13:39.)
God bless.
P.S. For more on Hebrew 6, see "impossible to renew."
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