Unforgivable sin

The unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which Jesus said shall not be forgiven in this world or the world to come. Christian traditions differ on what it is, some identifying it with attributing the Spirit's work to Satan, as the Pharisees did, and others with final, persistent unbelief, and they differ on how it relates to the warnings in Hebrews and 1 John.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

• Matthew 12:31-32
  ³¹Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. ³²And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.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 one to come.
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• Mark 3:28-30
  ²⁸Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:Truly I tell you, the sons of men will be forgiven all sins and blasphemies, as many as they utter. ²⁹But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of eternal sin.” ³⁰Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.Jesus made this statement because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
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• Luke 12:10
  And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
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The occasion of Jesus' warning

• Matthew 12:22-24
  ²²Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed the man so that he could speak and see. ²³And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?The crowds were astounded and asked, “Could this be the Son of David?” ²⁴But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “Only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, does this man drive out demons.”
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• Mark 3:22
  And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons He drives out demons.”
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Related warnings

• Hebrews 6:4-6
  ⁴For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age— ⁶If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.and then have fallen away—to be restored to repentance, because they themselves are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to open shame.
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• Hebrews 10:26-29
  ²⁶For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, ²⁷But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries. ²⁸He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
  Show context · Read Hebrews 10 →
• 1 John 5:16-17
  ¹⁶If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he should ask God, who will give life to those who commit this kind of sin. There is a sin that leads to death; I am not saying he should ask regarding that sin. ¹⁷All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.All unrighteousness is sin, yet there is sin that does not lead to death.
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Resisting and grieving the Spirit

• Acts 7:51
  Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
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• Ephesians 4:30
  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
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• Hebrews 3:12-13
  ¹²Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God. ¹³But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
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Sins that are forgiven

• 1 John 1:9
  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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• Isaiah 1:18
  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.
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• Acts 13:38-39
  ³⁸Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. ³⁹And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.
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• 1 Timothy 1:13-15
  ¹³Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy. ¹⁴And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.And the grace of our Lord overflowed to me, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.
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See also

• Forgiveness
• Holy Spirit
• Sin
• Apostasy
• Assurance of salvation

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.