"But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. . . . 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."
Mt. 12:28, 30-31
Why did I never take the verses before the "therefore" into consideration when interpreting this verse? I've pondered the unparondable sin countless times, yet never did I simply read it and take it like it is. Christ is casting out demons, and the pharisees are attributing it to satan. They are speaking against the work of the Holy Spirit. And Christ is saying that those who reject the work of the Spirit will not be forgiven, not in this age or in the age to come.
And I guess my interpretation isn't that crazy, because good ol' Wesley thought the same thing:
"The blasphemy against the Spirit - How much stir has been made about this? How many sermons, yay, volumes, have been written concerning it? And yet there is nothing plainer in all the Bible. It is neither more nor less than the ascribing those miracle to the power of the devil, which Christ wrought by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Now the scary thing is... how many works of the Holy Spirit are attributed to the devil today? How many cessationists have claimed that christians "do not cast out demons except by Beelzebub"?
And when we scoff at the gifts of the Spirit that Paul urged us to "eagerly desire", attributing the manifestation of those gifts to the devil... are we blaspheming the Holy Spirit just like the pharisees?
"Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues."
1 Cor. 14:39
*sigh*
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