Matthew 12:31-32

12:31 For this reason I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy,¹ but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 12:32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven.² But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven,³ either in this age or in the age to come.

Luke 12:10

12:10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit⁴ will not be forgiven.⁵

Hebrews 6:4-8

6:4 For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 6:5 tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age, 6:6 and then have committed apostasy,⁶ to renew them again to repentance, since⁷ they are crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again⁸ and holding him up to contempt. 6:7 For the ground that has soaked up the rain that frequently falls on⁹ it and yields useful vegetation for those who tend it receives a blessing from God. 6:8 But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is useless and about to be cursed;¹⁰ its fate is to be burned.

Hebrews 10:26-31

10:26 For if we deliberately keep on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins is left for us,¹¹ 10:27 but only a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury¹² of fire that will consume God’s enemies.¹³ 10:28 Someone who rejected the law of Moses was put to death¹⁴ without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.¹⁵ 10:29 How much greater punishment do you think that person deserves who has contempt for¹⁶ the Son of God, and profanes¹⁷ the blood of the covenant that made him holy,¹⁸ and insults the Spirit of grace? 10:30 For we know the one who said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,”¹⁹ and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”²⁰ 10:31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Hebrews 10:1

Concluding Exposition: Old and New Sacrifices Contrasted

10:1 For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship.²¹

Hebrews 5:1

5:1 For every high priest is taken from among the people²² and appointed²³ to represent them before God,²⁴ to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.

¹tn Grk “every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men.”

²tn Grk “it will be forgiven him.”

³tn Grk “it will not be forgiven him.”

⁴sn Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit probably refers to a total rejection of the testimony that the Spirit gives to Jesus and the plan of God. This is not so much a sin of the moment as of one’s entire life, an obstinate rejection of God’s message and testimony. Cf. Matt 12:31-32 and Mark 3:28-30.

⁵tn Grk “it will not be forgiven the person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit.”

⁶tn Or “have fallen away.”

⁷tn Or “while”; Grk “crucifying…and holding.” The Greek participles here (“crucifying…and holding”) can be understood as either causal (“since”) or temporal (“while”).

⁸tn Grk “recrucifying the son of God for themselves.”

⁹tn Grk “comes upon.”

¹⁰tn Grk “near to a curse.”

¹¹tn Grk “is left,” with “for us” implied by the first half of the verse.

¹²tn Grk “zeal,” recalling God’s jealous protection of his holiness and honor (cf. Exod 20:5).

¹³tn Grk “the enemies.”

¹⁴tn Grk “dies.”

¹⁵sn An allusion to Deut 17:6.

¹⁶tn Grk “tramples under foot.”

¹⁷tn Grk “regarded as common.”

¹⁸tn Grk “by which he was made holy.”

¹⁹sn A quotation from Deut 32:35.

²⁰sn A quotation from Deut 32:36.

²¹tn Grk “those who approach.”

²²tn Grk “from among men,” but since the point in context is shared humanity (rather than shared maleness), the plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) has been translated “people.”

²³tn Grk “who is taken from among people is appointed.”

²⁴tn Grk “appointed on behalf of people in reference to things relating to God.”