Difference between revisions of "Blasphemy"

<p> Literally a "railing accusation" against anyone (&nbsp;Judges 1:9). "Evil speaking" is probably meant by it in &nbsp;Colossians 3:8. But it is more often used in the sense of any speech directly dishonoring God (&nbsp;1 Kings 21:10; &nbsp;2 Samuel 12:14; &nbsp;Psalms 74:18; &nbsp;Isaiah 52:5; &nbsp;Romans 2:24). [[Stoning]] was the penalty, as upon the son of Shelomith, a woman of Dan, and of an Egyptian father (&nbsp;Leviticus 24:11); Stephen was so treated by a sudden outbreak of Jewish zeal (&nbsp;Acts 7:57-60). The [[Savior]] would have been stoned for the blasphemy alleged as the ground of His condemnation (&nbsp;Matthew 26:65; &nbsp;Luke 5:21; &nbsp;John 10:36); but the Romans, to whom He was delivered, used crucifixion. </p> <p> So the fulfillment of the prophecy (contrary to what might have been expected, seeing that crucifixion was not a Jewish punishment) was brought about, "they pierced My hands and My feet" (&nbsp;Psalms 22:16; compare &nbsp;John 18:31-32; &nbsp;John 19:6-7). The Jews, in spite of themselves, fulfilled the prophecies to the letter (&nbsp;John 11:50-52). The hearer of the blasphemy rent his garment, which might never be mended, and laid his hand, putting the guilt wholly, on the offender's head. The Jews, because of &nbsp;Leviticus 24:16, superstitiously shrank from even naming Jehovah. In &nbsp;Exodus 22:28, "thou shalt not curse the gods" (elohim ) refers to disrespectful language toward magistrates. From &nbsp;Exodus 23:13, "make no mention of the name of other gods," they thought themselves bound to turn the idols' names into nicknames, as [[Baal]] into Bosheth, Beth-aven for Beth-el, Beel-zebul for Beel-zebub. </p> <p> When the Jewish rulers, who had such numerous proofs of Jesus' Messiahship, shut their hearts against conviction, and at last stifled conscience and the light so utterly as to attribute His miracles of love, as the casting out of unclean spirits, to the help of the prince of demons, Christ pronounced that they were either committing or on the verge of committing the sin against the Holy Spirit which is forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come, though all sin against the Son of man can be forgiven (&nbsp;Matthew 12:31, etc.; &nbsp;Mark 3:28, etc.). </p> <p> None can now commit formally the same sin of attributing Jesus' miracles against Satan's kingdom to Satan's help, so evident a self contradiction that nothing short of a seared conscience, and a hardened determination to resist every spiritual impression and even malign the Spirit's work before other men, could have given birth to such a sin. But a man may commit virtually the same sin by continued malignant resistance of the gracious Spirit in one's own heart, with, at the same time, blasphemous and Satanic misrepresentation of it to others. He who has committed it is so given over to a reprobate mind as to have no pang of conscience about it, and the very fear of anyone that he has committed it is proof positive that he has not, for if he had he would have been "past feeling" (&nbsp;Hebrews 6:4-6; &nbsp;1 John 5:16). </p>

<p> '''Blasphemy.''' In its technical English sense, blasphemy signifies ''The Speaking Evil Of God'' and, in this sense, it is found &nbsp;Psalms 74:18; &nbsp;Isaiah 52:5; &nbsp;Romans 2:24, etc. But, according to its derivation, it may mean any species of calumny and abuse: See &nbsp;1 Kings 21:10; &nbsp;Acts 18:6; &nbsp;Judges 1:9, etc. </p> <p> Blasphemy was punished by stoning, which was inflicted on the son of Shelomith. &nbsp;Leviticus 24:11. On this charge, both our Lord and St. Stephen were condemned to death, by the Jews. </p> <p> ['''The Unforgivable Sin!''' ] The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, &nbsp;Matthew 12:32; &nbsp;Mark 3:28, consisted in attributing to the power of Satan, those unquestionable miracles which [[Jesus]] performed by "the finger of God," and the power of the Holy Spirit. It is plainly such a state of wilful, determined opposition to God and the Holy Spirit, that no efforts will avail to lead to repentance. Among the Jews, it was a sin against God, answering to treason, in our times. </p>

<p> is an Anglicized form of the Greek word βλασφημία '','' and in its technical English sense signifies the speaking evil of God (in Heb. יְהוֹה נָקִב שֵׁם, to curse the name of the Lord), and in this sense it is found &nbsp;Psalms 74:18; &nbsp;Isaiah 52:5; &nbsp;Romans 2:24, etc. But, according to its derivation ''(Βλάπτω Φήμῃ'' quasi ''(Βλαψιφημέω'' ), it may mean any species of calumny and abuse (or even an unlucky word, Eurip. ''Ion.'' 1187); see &nbsp;1 Kings 21:10; &nbsp;Acts 18:6; &nbsp;Judges 1:9, etc. Hence in the Sept. it is used to render בָּיִךְ, &nbsp;Job 2:5; גָּדִ ), &nbsp;2 Kings 19:6; יָכִח, &nbsp;2 Kings 19:4; and לָעג, &nbsp;Hosea 7:16, so that it means " reproach," "derision," etc.; and it has even a wider use, as &nbsp;2 Samuel 12:14, where it means "to despise Judaism," and &nbsp;1 [[Maccabees]] 2:6, where βλασφημία = idolatry. In &nbsp;Sirach 3:18 we have it applied to filial impiety, where it is equivalent to "accursed" (Schleusner, Thesaur. s.v.). In the Auth. Engl. Vers. "blaspheme," etc., occasionally represent the following Heb. words: בָּיִךְ, ''Barak'; גָּדִŠ, Adaph';'' חָרִ ''Š, Charaph'; נָקִב'' , ''Nakab';'' נָאִוֹ, naats'. </p> <p> '''I.''' Among the Israelites injurious language toward Jehovah was punished, like a heathenish and capital crime, with stoning, as in the case of the son of Shelomith (&nbsp;Leviticus 25:16; Josephus, ''Ant. 4:'' 8, 6; comp. Otho, ''Lex. Rabb.'' p. 104 sq.). This, however, did not include any prohibition of blasphemy against ''Foreign'' deities (&nbsp;Exodus 22:28; &nbsp;Leviticus 24:15), as [[Philo]] ''(Opp.'' ii, 166, 219) and [[Josephus]] ''(Ant. 4:'' 8, 10; ''Apion,'' ii, 33) suppose, the practice of which among the Jews seems to be alluded to by Pliny (13:9: "gens contumelia numinum insignis"). The injunction against disrespect in &nbsp;Exodus 22:28, refers to magistrates (אֵֹלהַים ); comp. Selden, Tus nat. et gent. ii, 13; Michaelis, Mos. Recht, v, 158 sq. The Jews interpreted the command in &nbsp;Leviticus 24:16 as prohibiting the utterance of the divine name under any circumstance (comp. &nbsp;Numbers 1:17; see Hartmann, ''Verbind. D. A. Wld N.T.'' p. 49 sq., 434; also Philo, Opp. ii, 166), and hence never pronounce the word JEHOVAH (See Jehovah) (q.v.), a superstition that still has its analogous customs in the East (see Rosenmuller on &nbsp;Exodus 3:13; Michaelis, ''Mos. Recht,'' v, 163 sq.). They also construed &nbsp;Exodus 23:13 so as to hold themselves bound to give nicknames to the heathen deities; hence their use of Bosheth for Baal, [[Bethaven]] for Bethel, [[Beelzebul]] for Beelzebub, &nbsp;Hosea 4:5, etc. When a person heard blasphemy he laid his hand on the head of the offender, to symbolize his sole responsibility for the guilt, and, rising on his feet, tore his robe, which might never again be mended. (On the mystical reasons for these observances, see Lightfoot, Hor. Hebr. &nbsp;Matthew 26:65.) </p> <p> '''II.''' Blasphemy, in the theological sense, consists in irreverent or insulting language toward God or his perfections ''(Blasphemia Est Locutio Contumeliosa In Deum;'' and Augustine, ''De Morib. Manich'' lib. ii, c. 11, ''Jam Vero Blasphemia [[Non]] Accipitur Nisi Mala Verba De Deo Dicere).'' Primarily, according to Dr. Campbell, blasphemy denotes calumny, detraction, reproachful or abusive language, against whomsoever it be vented. It is in Scripture applied to reproaches not aimed against God only, but man also (&nbsp;Romans 3:8; &nbsp;Romans 14:16; &nbsp;1 Peter 4:4, Gr.). It is, however, more peculiarly restrained to evil or reproachful words offered to God. According to Lindwood, blasphemy is an injury offered to God by denying that which is due and belonging to him, or attributing to him what is not agreeable to his nature. "Three things," says a divine, "are essential to this crime: 1, God must be the object; 2, the words spoken or written, independently of consequences which others may derive from them, must be injurious in their nature; and, 3, he who commits the crime must do it knowingly. This is real blasphemy; but there is a relative blasphemy, as when a man may be guilty ignorantly, by propagating opinions which dishonor God, the tendency of which he does not perceive. A man may be guilty of this constructively; for if he speak freely against received errors it will be construed into blasphemy." (See Cavils). </p> <p> There can be no blasphemy, therefore, where there is not an impious purpose to derogate from the Divine Majesty, and to alienate the minds of others from the love and reverence of God. The blasphemer is no other than the calumniator of Almighty God. To constitute the crime, it is also necessary that this species of calumny be intentional. He must be one, therefore, who by his impious talk endeavors to inspire others with the same irreverence toward the Deity, or, perhaps, abhorrence of him, which he indulges in himself.. And though, for the honor of human nature, it is to be hoped that very few arrive at this enormous guilt, it ought not to be dissembled that the habitual profanation of the name and attributes of God by common swearing is but too manifest an approach toward it. There is not an entire coincidence: the latter of these vices may be considered as resulting solely from the defect of what is good in principle and disposition, the former from the acquisition of what is evil in the extreme; but there is a close connection between them, and an insensible gradation from the one to the other. To accustom one's self to treat the Sovereign of the universe with irreverent familiarity is the first step, malignly to arraign his attributes and revile his providence is the last. </p> <p> As blasphemy by the old law (&nbsp;Exodus 20:7; &nbsp;Leviticus 19:12; &nbsp;Leviticus 24:10; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 5:11) was punished with death, so the laws of Justinian also directed that blasphemers should be put to death. The Church ordered their excommunication. In the Church of Rome cases of notorious blasphemy are reserved. By the laws of [[England]] and of many of the United States, blasphemies of God, as denying His being or providence, and all contumelious reproaches of the Lord Jesus Christ, profane scoffing at the Holy Bible, or exposing it to contempt, are offences punishable by fine, imprisonment, etc. (Blackstone, Ccmmentaries, bk. 4,ch. iv). By the statute of 9 and 10 [[William]] III, ch. 32, if any one shall deny either of the [[Persons]] of the [[Trinity]] to be God, or assert that there are more than one God, or deny Christianity to be true, for the first offence, is rendered incapable of any office; for the second, adjudged incapable of suing, being executor or guardian, receiving any gift or legacy, and to be imprisoned for years. According to the law of Scotland, blasphemy is punished with death: these laws, however, in the present age, are not enforced; and by the statute of 53 [[George]] III, ch. 160, the words in italics were omitted, the Legislature thinking, perhaps, that spiritual offences should 'be left to be punished by the Deity, and not by human statutes. </p> <p> The early Christians distinguished blasphemy as of three kinds: </p> <p> '''1.''' The blasphemy of apostates and ''Lapsi,'' whom the heathen persecutors had obliged not only to deny, but to curse Christ. </p> <p> '''2.''' The blasphemy of heretics and other profane Christians. </p> <p> '''3.''' The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. The first kind is referred to in Pliny, who, in giving [[Trajan]] an account of some Christians that apostatized in time of persecution, says, "They all worshipped his image, and the image of the gods, and also cursed Christ." That this was the ordinary mode of renouncing the Christian religion appears from the demand which the proconsul made to Polycarp, and Polycarp's reply. He bade him revile Christ, to whom [[Polycarp]] replied, "These eighty-six years I have served him, and he never did me any harm: how, then, can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour?" [[Heresy]] was sometimes reputed blasphemy, and was punished by the same penalty. </p> <p> '''III.''' The [[Blasphemy Against The Holy Ghost]] is variously understood. Some apply it to the sin of lapsing into idolatry; others to a denial of the proper [[Godhead]] of 'Christ; others to a denial of the divinity of the Holy Ghost. Others place this sin in a perverse and malicious ascribing of the works of the Holy Spirit to the power of the devil. [[Augustine]] resolves it into obstinacy in opposing the methods of divine grace, and continuing in this obduracy to the end of life. The passages in the N.T. which speak of it are &nbsp;Matthew 12:31-32; &nbsp;Mark 3:28-29; &nbsp;Luke 12:10. These passages are referred by many expositors to continued and obstinate resistance of the Gospel, which issues in final unbelief. This, they argue, is unpardonable, not because the blood of Christ cannot cleanse from such a sin, nor because there is any thing in its own nature which separates it from all other sins, and places it beyond the reach of forgiveness, but simply because so long as a man continues to disbelieve he voluntarily excludes himself from mercy. In this sense, every sin may be styled unpardonable, because forgiveness is incompatible with an obstinate continuance in sin. One principal objection to this view is that it generalizes the sin, whereas the Scripture represents it as specific, and discountenances the idea that it is of frequent occurrence. The case referred to by Christ is this: He cured a daemoniac who was blind and dumb. The Pharisees who stood by and witnessed the miracle, unable to deny the fact, ascribed it to the agency of the devil. Not only did they resist the evidence of the miracle, but they were guilty of the wicked and gratuitous calumny that Christ was in league with the powers of darkness. It was not only a sin of thought, but one of open speech. It consisted in attributing to the power of Satan those unquestionable miracles which Jesus performed by "the finger of God," and the power of the Holy Spirit; nor have we any safe ground for extending it to include all sorts of willing (as distinguished from unwilling) offences, besides this one limited and special sin. In both the cases referred to, speaking against is mentioned as the sin. "Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man;" "Whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost." The Spirit dwells in Christ, and, therefore, such imputations were calumnies against the Holy Ghost. The sin betokened a state of mind which, by its awful criminality, excluded from all interest in Christ. </p> <p> There is no connection between this awful sin and those mentioned in &nbsp;Hebrews 6:4-8; &nbsp;Hebrews 10:26-31. There may be dangerous approximations to such a sin. When men can ridicule and contemn religion and its ordinances; when they can sport with the work of the Holy Ghost on the human heart; when they can persist in a wilful disbelief of the Holy Scriptures, and cast contemptuous slanders upon Christianity, which is " the ministration of the Spirit," they are approaching a fearful extremity of guilt, and certainly in danger of putting themselves beyond the reach of the arm of mercy. Some persons, when first awakened to discover the awful nature and aggravations of their own sins, have been apprehensive that they have fallen into this Sin, and in danger of giving themselves up to despair. This is a device of the devil to keep them from Christ. The very fear is a proof they are free from the awful crime. The often misunderstood expression, " It shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world," etc., is a direct application of a Jewish phrase in allusion to a Jewish error, and will- not bear the inferences so often extorted from it. According to the Jewish school notions, the person blaspheming the name of God could not be pardoned by sacrifice, nor even the day of atonement, but could only be absolved by death. In refutation of this tradition, our Lord used the phrase to imply that " blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven; neither before death, nor, as you vainly dream, by means of death" (Lightfoot, Hor. Hebr. ad loc.). It is difficult to discover the "sin unto death" noticed by the apostle John (&nbsp;1 John 5:16), although it has been generally thought to coincide with the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit; but the language of John does not afford data for pronouncing them one and the same. The first three [[Gospels]] alone describe the ''Blasphemy'' which shall not be forgiven: from it the " sin unto death" stands apart. (See Lucke, ''Bripe D. Apostels Johannes,'' 2d.ed. 305-317; Campbell, ''Preliminary Diss.'' Diss. 9,pt. ii; Olshausen, ''Comm.'' pt. 453 sq. Am. ed.; Watson, ''Theol. Dict.'' s. av.; ''Princeton Rev.'' July, 1846, art. ii). (See [[Unpardonable Sin]]). </p>

<p> '''''blas´fē̇''''' -'''''mi''''' ( βλασφημία , <i> '''''blasphēmı́a''''' </i> ): In classical Greek meant primarily "defamation" or "evil-speaking" in general; "a word of evil omen," hence, "impious, and irreverent speech against God." </p> <p> (1) In the Old Testament as substantive and vb.: ( <i> a </i> ) (בּרך , <i> '''''bārakh''''' </i> ) "Naboth did blaspheme God and the king" (&nbsp;1 Kings 21:10 , &nbsp;1 Kings 21:13 the King James Version); ( <i> b </i> ) (גּדף , <i> '''''gādhaph''''' </i> ) of Senna-cherib defying [[Yahweh]] (&nbsp;2 Kings 19:6 , &nbsp;2 Kings 19:22 = &nbsp; Isaiah 37:6 , &nbsp;Isaiah 37:23; also &nbsp;Psalm 44:16; &nbsp;Ezekiel 20:27; compare &nbsp;Numbers 15:30 ), "But the soul that doeth aught with a high hand (i.e. knowingly and defiantly),... the same blasphemeth (so the Revised Version (British and American), but the King James Version "reproacheth") Yahweh; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people." Blasphemy is always in word or deed, injury, dishonor and defiance offered to God, and its penalty is death by stoning; ( <i> c </i> ) (חרף , <i> '''''ḥāraph''''' </i> ) of idolatry as blasphemy against Yahweh (&nbsp;Isaiah 65:7 ); ( <i> d </i> ) (נקב , <i> '''''nāḳabh''''' </i> ) "And he that blasphemeth the name of Yahweh, he shall surely be put to death" (&nbsp;Leviticus 24:11 , &nbsp;Leviticus 24:16 ); ( <i> e </i> ) (נאץ , <i> '''''nā'ac''''' </i> ) David's sin is an occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme (&nbsp;2 Samuel 12:14; also &nbsp;Psalm 74:10 , &nbsp;Psalm 74:18; &nbsp;Isaiah 52:5; compare &nbsp;Ezekiel 35:12; &nbsp;2 Kings 19:3 the King James Version; &nbsp; Isaiah 37:3 ). </p> <p> (2) In the New Testament blasphemy, substantive and vb., may be ( <i> a </i> ) of evil-speaking generally, (&nbsp;Acts 13:45; &nbsp;Acts 18:6 ); The Jews contradicted Paul "and blasphemed," the Revised Version, margin "railed." (So in the King James Version of &nbsp;Matthew 15:19 = &nbsp; Mark 7:22; &nbsp;Colossians 3:8 , but in the Revised Version (British and American) "railings"; &nbsp;Revelation 2:9 the Revised Version, margin "reviling"; so perhaps in &nbsp; 1 Timothy 1:20; or [[Hymeneus]] and [[Alexander]] may have blasphemed Christ by professing faith and living unworthily of it.) ( <i> b </i> ) Speaking against a heathen goddess: the town clerk of Ephesus repels the charge that Paul and his companions were blasphemers of Diana (&nbsp;Acts 19:37 ). ( <i> c </i> ) Against God: ( <i> i </i> ) uttering impious words (&nbsp;Revelation 13:1 , &nbsp;Revelation 13:5 , &nbsp;Revelation 13:6; &nbsp;Revelation 16:9 , &nbsp;Revelation 16:11 , &nbsp;Revelation 16:21; &nbsp;Revelation 17:3 ); ( <i> ii </i> ) unworthy conduct of Jews (&nbsp;Romans 2:24 ) and Christians (&nbsp;1 Timothy 6:1; &nbsp;Titus 2:5 , and perhaps &nbsp;1 Timothy 1:20 ); ( <i> iii </i> ) of Jesus Christ, alleged to be usurping the authority of God (&nbsp;Matthew 9:3 = &nbsp; Mark 2:7 = &nbsp; Luke 5:21 ), claiming to be the Messiah, the son of God (&nbsp;Matthew 26:65 = &nbsp; Mark 14:64 ), or making Himself God (&nbsp;John 10:33 , &nbsp;John 10:36 ). ( <i> d </i> ) Against Jesus Christ: Saul strove to make the Christians he persecuted blaspheme their Lord (&nbsp;Acts 26:11 ). So was he himself a blasphemer (&nbsp;1 Timothy 1:13; compare &nbsp;James 2:7 ). </p> The Unpardonable [[Sin]] <p> (3) Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit: "Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come" (&nbsp;Matthew 12:31 , &nbsp;Matthew 12:32 = &nbsp; Mark 3:28 , &nbsp;Mark 3:29; &nbsp;Luke 12:10 ). As in the Old Testament "to sin with a high hand" and to blaspheme the name of God incurred the death penalty, so the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit remains the one unpardonable sin. These passages at least imply beyond cavil the personality of the Holy Spirit, for sin and blasphemy can only be committed against persons. In Mt and Mk a particular case of this blasphemy is the allegation of the Pharisees that Jesus Christ casts out devils by Beelzebub. The general idea is that to attribute to an evil source acts which are clearly those of the Holy Spirit, to call good evil, is blasphemy against the Spirit, and sin that will not be pardoned. "A distinction is made between Christ's other acts and those which manifestly reveal the Holy Spirit in Him, and between slander directed against Him personally as He appears in His ordinary acts, and that which is aimed at those acts in which the Spirit is manifest" (Gould, <i> Mark </i> at the place). Luke does not refer to any particular instance, and seems to connect it with the denial of Christ, although he, too, gives the saying that "who shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven." But which of Christ's acts are not acts of the Holy Spirit, and how therefore is a word spoken against Him not also blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? John identifies the Holy Spirit with the exalted Christ (&nbsp; John 14:16-18 , &nbsp;John 14:26 , &nbsp;John 14:28 ). The solution generally offered of this most difficult problem is concisely put by Plummer ( <i> Luke </i> ad loc.): "Constant and consummate opposition to the influence of the Holy Spirit, because of a deliberate preference of darkness to light, render repentance and therefore forgiveness morally impossible." A similar idea is taught in &nbsp;Hebrews 6:4-6 , and &nbsp;1 John 5:16 : "A sin unto death." But the natural meaning of Christ's words implies an inability or unwillingness to forgive on the Divine side rather than inability to repent in man. Anyhow the abandonment of man to eternal condemnation involves the inability and defeat of God. The only alternative seems to be to call the kenotic theory into service, and to put this idea among the human limitations which Christ assumed when He became flesh. It is less difficult to ascribe a limit to Jesus Christ's knowledge than to God's saving grace (&nbsp; Mark 13:32; compare &nbsp;John 16:12 , &nbsp;John 16:13 ). It is also noteworthy that in other respects, at least, Christ acquiesced in the view of the Holy Spirit which He found among His contemporaries. See [[Holy Spirit]] . </p>