Are jokes blasphemy?
- Thread starter JayJ
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do you mean like one of the threads they have going, making fun of scriptures and the Bible ??. well on one hand God knows your heart and if you meant it as a joke then God Knows that, but speaking lightly of something as making a joke about the power of the Holy Spirit, I don't think I would push it.
Eph 6:24Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in SINCERITY. Amen.Tit 2:7In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, SINCERITY,
I was in a christian chatroom online once and I had a picture of a cat as my avatar and someone said "I hate cats" and I said "I won't forgive you for blaspheming the holy cat" I was joking, I remembered the part of the bible where Jesus said he would not forgive people for blaspheming against the Holy Spirit and told her I would not forgive her for "blaspheming the holy cat" is this blasphemy against the Holy Spirit if so am I going to hell for this?
C
By the way, we moved from Bible puns to laughung about ourselves. God made us to laugh and actually does use puns and humor in His Word. (Isaiah's references regarding how ridiculous idolatry is are lol hilarious.) But there are limits on humor. Obviously crudity and cruelty are two. I believe that you should never have humor that speaks ill of or diminishes the reputation of God.
One of my favorite cartoons is a Far Side. It has a game show where the two contestants are God and Bob. God has 163,829 points and Bob none. The announcer says, "And God gets another one right..." What a comic and true image of how small our minds are compared to the wisdom and knowledge of God.
One of my favorite cartoons is a Far Side. It has a game show where the two contestants are God and Bob. God has 163,829 points and Bob none. The announcer says, "And God gets another one right..." What a comic and true image of how small our minds are compared to the wisdom and knowledge of God.
C
Blashemy? Probably not. Crude and careless? Most likely.
Let's not forget that scripture reads "out of the mouth the abundance of the heart speaks". In other words, what comes out of your mouth reveals what lives in your heart. Distasteful jokes, sarcasm, excessive negativity - all could be a sign that your heart isn't where it needs to be in your relationship with the Lord.
Let's not forget that scripture reads "out of the mouth the abundance of the heart speaks". In other words, what comes out of your mouth reveals what lives in your heart. Distasteful jokes, sarcasm, excessive negativity - all could be a sign that your heart isn't where it needs to be in your relationship with the Lord.
M
The Unpardonable sin was committed by the Jews of Yeshua’ day and it would be “that generation” that would have to answer for the rejection of Yeshua Messiah as their “Promised Messiah. Many of the Pharisees were saved afterwards proving it was not an individual sin but a collective one. The Scripture says they will not be forgivenin the present age or later on. It does not mean people will commit this sin in the age to come, because one of the requirements is that he had to be physically present in front of them, this is why the term Son of Man is used. There are other blasphemies we can do, so there is not just the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. However this is the only one that has the punishment of being unforgiven, with no hope of ever being forgiven. This is strictly a sin from unbelievers opposing Yeshua’s ministry. No one who believes in Yeshua Messiah and His purpose of coming to the earth to forgive sins can ever commit this sin. So if you're a believer and wondering if you committed this type of sin today, rest assured you have not. However one can still receive the same form of punishment unless they too repent and believe.
In Matt.12:24-45 and Mk.3:22-30, Yeshua is involved in a conflict with the Pharisees who want Him to authorize their interpretation of the Law. (Known as the “Tradition of the Fathers or the Elders.”) Yeshua rejects the Pharisaic interpretation of the Law which is from man and not God.
In Matt.12:22-29 Yeshua is brought a person who has a demon that has made him dumb and deaf. When he is cast out, the people wonder if he could be the Son of David? (this would mean he is Mashiach). For there were certain miracles only the Messiah would be able to do, setting him apart form other prophets. The Pharisees in Matt.12:24 tell the people that Yeshua casts out demons by the “Prince of demons”(Beezelbub, lord of the flies) claiming that the spirit that is working through Him is not the Holy Spirit but a demonic spirit. In verse 29 Yeshua states that this cannot be true because Satan would be divided and his kingdom would fall. Furthermore, No one is able to bind Satan and spoil his belongings unless he is stronger and not subservient. Yeshua specifically states “He is driving the demons out with the Spirit God.”
The purpose of his miracles was to authenticate who He was. In Judaism there were 3 main messianic miracles that the rabbis understood would take place when the messiah would come, these would help the people recognize him (Deut.18:15; Isa. 35:3-6; Isa. 43:7-9).
1) He would heal someone born blind from birth (Jn.9:1)
2) He would heal a Jew who had leprosy (from the time of Moses’ law being completed, no Jew was ever healed of leprosy.
3) He would heal or cast out a dumb demon. The Pharisees recognize this as a messianic miracle and ask if this can be the Son of David. At the time their were exorcisms performed within Judaism. For this to be accomplished the exorcist needed to actually communicate with the demon and ask questions. However in the case such as this where someone was affected by the demon to become dumb, this exorcism could not take place because there could be no communication made. According to Judaism only the Messiah could cast out a demon like this because it would be supernatural.
The people instead of judging for themselves whether or not He was the messiah, looked to their leaders to give a statement of acceptance or rejection. The leaders did not accept what He did, so they needed to come up with some substitute explanation of how he performed these miracles. They then lead the people in rejecting Yeshua as the Messiah, on the basis of demon possession. This was the 3rd time they rejected Yeshua (Luke 11:15). The leaders determined and consigned his position to be of Satan. Yeshua’ response is recorded in Matthew 12:30-39 “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Yeshua used Jonah because he died and went to Sheol and was resurrected, this was to be the final sign of the Messiah to the Jewish nation. Jonah had prayed his prayer not to be left in Sheol “Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice” (Jonah 2:2). Yeshua descended into the lower parts of the earth. As David spoke of him in Ps.16:10, and Peter reminds the Jewish people in Acts 2:27,31 of its fulfillment. It is also worth noting that Jonah was sent to rescue the gentiles, Yeshua came to save all.
Yeshua tells the Pharisees, in verses 31and 32, that they have committed the Unpardonable sin by blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Because they said that the spirit that is working through Him delivering people is not the Holy Spirit but a demonic Spirit Mark 3:30 gives up more specific information by saying, “because they said that Yeshua had an unclean spirit.” They attributed His good works while He was personally there in the flesh to an unholy Spirit. On this He pronounced judgment upon them. It is at this time Israel’s fate is sealed. He goes on to say in vs.41-42 that the men of Nineveh and the queen of the south will rise up in judgment on this generation and condemn it. Because a greater then Jonah and Solomon is here. Luke 17:25: “But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.”
This Unpardonable sin was a national sin a collective sin committed by Israel in rejecting Yeshua as the “Promised Messiah” while He was physically present among them in the flesh. It was done by their seeing and rejecting his miracles were from God, blaming it on a unclean Spirit. It was the Pharisee’s that lead the people to attribute the miracles that Yeshua performed not to the Holy Spirit, but to an unclean spirit. This event is unique to the generation of His day, that while he was physically present they watched him do the miracles and attributed them to his being demon possessed.
Blasphemy of the spirit has nothing to do with being saved and losing your salvation, those who blasphemed were unbelievers not believers. No believer would ever say Yeshua did his miracles by a demonic spirit. Mt .12:24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” The context of this contention is “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt 12:37). What they confessed about Yeshua and the power He did His work by will determine what side one is on (are they for or against him).
Again, keep in mind that this is not an individual sin but a national sin by a nation. This did not mean that no individual could be saved because many were saved who previously spoke this. Even the apostle Paul formerly Saul a Pharisee, killed Messiahians and very well could have been on this decision of rejection. As a nation their judgment was imminent which took place approximately 40 years after his death and resurrection. As individuals he gave them a way out.
Peter’s first sermon in Acts 2 is to the Jewish people. He proclaims that Yeshua is their Messiah, after they all heard the disciples proclaiming Gods work in their own Tongues. In Acts 2:38, Peter tells them to repent and be baptized in the name of Yeshua. In other words to change their minds on rejecting Yeshua as their Messiah and publicly declare this by being baptized into His name ( in reference toward the savior). Then in verse 40 Peter says, “Be saved from this wicked (accursed) generation!” What generation was he speaking of? The same generation that had rejected Yeshua and was under a divine judgment but blaspheming the Holy Spirit. So baptism was identification with those Jews who had separated themselves from the generation that was under the curse.
In Matt.12:24-45 and Mk.3:22-30, Yeshua is involved in a conflict with the Pharisees who want Him to authorize their interpretation of the Law. (Known as the “Tradition of the Fathers or the Elders.”) Yeshua rejects the Pharisaic interpretation of the Law which is from man and not God.
In Matt.12:22-29 Yeshua is brought a person who has a demon that has made him dumb and deaf. When he is cast out, the people wonder if he could be the Son of David? (this would mean he is Mashiach). For there were certain miracles only the Messiah would be able to do, setting him apart form other prophets. The Pharisees in Matt.12:24 tell the people that Yeshua casts out demons by the “Prince of demons”(Beezelbub, lord of the flies) claiming that the spirit that is working through Him is not the Holy Spirit but a demonic spirit. In verse 29 Yeshua states that this cannot be true because Satan would be divided and his kingdom would fall. Furthermore, No one is able to bind Satan and spoil his belongings unless he is stronger and not subservient. Yeshua specifically states “He is driving the demons out with the Spirit God.”
The purpose of his miracles was to authenticate who He was. In Judaism there were 3 main messianic miracles that the rabbis understood would take place when the messiah would come, these would help the people recognize him (Deut.18:15; Isa. 35:3-6; Isa. 43:7-9).
1) He would heal someone born blind from birth (Jn.9:1)
2) He would heal a Jew who had leprosy (from the time of Moses’ law being completed, no Jew was ever healed of leprosy.
3) He would heal or cast out a dumb demon. The Pharisees recognize this as a messianic miracle and ask if this can be the Son of David. At the time their were exorcisms performed within Judaism. For this to be accomplished the exorcist needed to actually communicate with the demon and ask questions. However in the case such as this where someone was affected by the demon to become dumb, this exorcism could not take place because there could be no communication made. According to Judaism only the Messiah could cast out a demon like this because it would be supernatural.
The people instead of judging for themselves whether or not He was the messiah, looked to their leaders to give a statement of acceptance or rejection. The leaders did not accept what He did, so they needed to come up with some substitute explanation of how he performed these miracles. They then lead the people in rejecting Yeshua as the Messiah, on the basis of demon possession. This was the 3rd time they rejected Yeshua (Luke 11:15). The leaders determined and consigned his position to be of Satan. Yeshua’ response is recorded in Matthew 12:30-39 “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Yeshua used Jonah because he died and went to Sheol and was resurrected, this was to be the final sign of the Messiah to the Jewish nation. Jonah had prayed his prayer not to be left in Sheol “Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice” (Jonah 2:2). Yeshua descended into the lower parts of the earth. As David spoke of him in Ps.16:10, and Peter reminds the Jewish people in Acts 2:27,31 of its fulfillment. It is also worth noting that Jonah was sent to rescue the gentiles, Yeshua came to save all.
Yeshua tells the Pharisees, in verses 31and 32, that they have committed the Unpardonable sin by blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Because they said that the spirit that is working through Him delivering people is not the Holy Spirit but a demonic Spirit Mark 3:30 gives up more specific information by saying, “because they said that Yeshua had an unclean spirit.” They attributed His good works while He was personally there in the flesh to an unholy Spirit. On this He pronounced judgment upon them. It is at this time Israel’s fate is sealed. He goes on to say in vs.41-42 that the men of Nineveh and the queen of the south will rise up in judgment on this generation and condemn it. Because a greater then Jonah and Solomon is here. Luke 17:25: “But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.”
This Unpardonable sin was a national sin a collective sin committed by Israel in rejecting Yeshua as the “Promised Messiah” while He was physically present among them in the flesh. It was done by their seeing and rejecting his miracles were from God, blaming it on a unclean Spirit. It was the Pharisee’s that lead the people to attribute the miracles that Yeshua performed not to the Holy Spirit, but to an unclean spirit. This event is unique to the generation of His day, that while he was physically present they watched him do the miracles and attributed them to his being demon possessed.
Blasphemy of the spirit has nothing to do with being saved and losing your salvation, those who blasphemed were unbelievers not believers. No believer would ever say Yeshua did his miracles by a demonic spirit. Mt .12:24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” The context of this contention is “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt 12:37). What they confessed about Yeshua and the power He did His work by will determine what side one is on (are they for or against him).
Again, keep in mind that this is not an individual sin but a national sin by a nation. This did not mean that no individual could be saved because many were saved who previously spoke this. Even the apostle Paul formerly Saul a Pharisee, killed Messiahians and very well could have been on this decision of rejection. As a nation their judgment was imminent which took place approximately 40 years after his death and resurrection. As individuals he gave them a way out.
Peter’s first sermon in Acts 2 is to the Jewish people. He proclaims that Yeshua is their Messiah, after they all heard the disciples proclaiming Gods work in their own Tongues. In Acts 2:38, Peter tells them to repent and be baptized in the name of Yeshua. In other words to change their minds on rejecting Yeshua as their Messiah and publicly declare this by being baptized into His name ( in reference toward the savior). Then in verse 40 Peter says, “Be saved from this wicked (accursed) generation!” What generation was he speaking of? The same generation that had rejected Yeshua and was under a divine judgment but blaspheming the Holy Spirit. So baptism was identification with those Jews who had separated themselves from the generation that was under the curse.
J
Actually, to blaspheme the Holy Spirit you have to first know him. Then second turn from him and start speaking against God. It is like switching sides when you have already known the goodness of God.The bible says if you turn from the way of righteousness it would be better for you to have never known the way at all, because you are then recrucifying Christ in a way and that is not possible. People who turn from Christ after knowing him you will see are the worst blasphemers of all, for they then will hate God just like the Devil.
C
I agree completely. While I realize that there are some that believe it is impossible to lose one's salvation, I truly believe it very possible for a person to forfiet one's salvation, in other words, willingly walk away.
I know a few folks that have done so. Both were pastors (one caught his wife having an affair with a deacon, the other lost a 16 year old son in an automobile accident) who had faced great adversity in lives after many years of service and the trauma was just too much for them to bare. Personally, I believe that God is more than willing to accept people like these back into His good graces however, ussually people like these tend to hold a bitter resentment toward God and often times slander Him, saying things like "there is no God" or "How could God allow such and such to happen". I believe this to be the nature of true blasphemy.
Would God forgive them if they repented? Without question if they humbled themselves and chose to do so. However the question is, do they really want to?
I know a few folks that have done so. Both were pastors (one caught his wife having an affair with a deacon, the other lost a 16 year old son in an automobile accident) who had faced great adversity in lives after many years of service and the trauma was just too much for them to bare. Personally, I believe that God is more than willing to accept people like these back into His good graces however, ussually people like these tend to hold a bitter resentment toward God and often times slander Him, saying things like "there is no God" or "How could God allow such and such to happen". I believe this to be the nature of true blasphemy.
Would God forgive them if they repented? Without question if they humbled themselves and chose to do so. However the question is, do they really want to?
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B
I've always found the following excerpt to be a satisfactory explanation...
Hundreds of verses in the Bible promise the forgiveness of our sins. But only one passage refers to an unforgivable sin. Jesus had healed a demon-possessed man who was blind and could not speak (Matthew 12:22). The multitudes following Jesus began to say, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can He?” They wondered if He was the Messiah.
On the other hand, the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. Jesus’ response to their accusation is found in Matthew 12:31-32. In this passage, He refers to blasphemy. The term “blasphemy” may be defined “defiant irreverence.” We would apply the term to sins such as cursing God or willfully degrading things considered holy. The Pharisees had witnessed undeniable evidence that Christ was performing miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit, yet they attributed the miracles to Satan.
I agree with a host of biblical scholars that this unique circumstance cannot be duplicated today. The Pharisees had seen proof of Christ’s deity. But they attributed the supernatural power to Satan instead of the work of the Holy Spirit.
Christ is not in the world as He was then. Although the Holy Spirit still accomplishes supernatural things through His servants, they are merely representatives of the King. The circumstances of Matthew 12 make it impossible for this sin to take place today. And this incident is the only one in which a sin is declared unforgivable. The Bible states, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). No invitation to salvation carries with it an exception clause, “unless you have committed the unpardonable sin.”
No matter how evil our sins, there is pardon for them. God forgave David for his adultery, dishonesty, and murder (2 Samuel 12:13; Psalm 51). Simon Peter’s denial of our Lord accompanied by profanity was forgiven (Matthew 26:74-75). The apostle Paul was forgiven of his merciless persecution of Christians (Acts 9:1). Just about every possible sin is listed somewhere in the New Testament. And every one of them falls into the category of forgivable.
Although there is no unpardonable sin today, there is an unpardonable state—the state of continued unbelief. There is no pardon for a person who dies in unbelief. The Bible refers to this in terms of having a hard heart. The hardening of the heart is not a one-time act. It is the progression in which sin and the conviction of the Holy Spirit are ignored. The hardened heart has no desire for the things of God. But if you have desire in your heart for God, demonstrated by your concern that you have committed some sort of unpardonable sin, you do not have a hardened heart. Your concern confirms your innocence. God always welcomes those whose hearts are sensitive toward Him.
-CS
Hundreds of verses in the Bible promise the forgiveness of our sins. But only one passage refers to an unforgivable sin. Jesus had healed a demon-possessed man who was blind and could not speak (Matthew 12:22). The multitudes following Jesus began to say, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can He?” They wondered if He was the Messiah.
On the other hand, the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. Jesus’ response to their accusation is found in Matthew 12:31-32. In this passage, He refers to blasphemy. The term “blasphemy” may be defined “defiant irreverence.” We would apply the term to sins such as cursing God or willfully degrading things considered holy. The Pharisees had witnessed undeniable evidence that Christ was performing miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit, yet they attributed the miracles to Satan.
I agree with a host of biblical scholars that this unique circumstance cannot be duplicated today. The Pharisees had seen proof of Christ’s deity. But they attributed the supernatural power to Satan instead of the work of the Holy Spirit.
Christ is not in the world as He was then. Although the Holy Spirit still accomplishes supernatural things through His servants, they are merely representatives of the King. The circumstances of Matthew 12 make it impossible for this sin to take place today. And this incident is the only one in which a sin is declared unforgivable. The Bible states, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). No invitation to salvation carries with it an exception clause, “unless you have committed the unpardonable sin.”
No matter how evil our sins, there is pardon for them. God forgave David for his adultery, dishonesty, and murder (2 Samuel 12:13; Psalm 51). Simon Peter’s denial of our Lord accompanied by profanity was forgiven (Matthew 26:74-75). The apostle Paul was forgiven of his merciless persecution of Christians (Acts 9:1). Just about every possible sin is listed somewhere in the New Testament. And every one of them falls into the category of forgivable.
Although there is no unpardonable sin today, there is an unpardonable state—the state of continued unbelief. There is no pardon for a person who dies in unbelief. The Bible refers to this in terms of having a hard heart. The hardening of the heart is not a one-time act. It is the progression in which sin and the conviction of the Holy Spirit are ignored. The hardened heart has no desire for the things of God. But if you have desire in your heart for God, demonstrated by your concern that you have committed some sort of unpardonable sin, you do not have a hardened heart. Your concern confirms your innocence. God always welcomes those whose hearts are sensitive toward Him.
-CS
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