God bless you too, Deuteronomy.
Mat 12:30
He (ὁ) not (μὴ) being (ὢν , present participle) with me (μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ) against me (κατ᾽ ἐμοῦ) is (ἐστιν); and he ( καὶ ὁ) not (μὴ) gathering (συνάγων, present active participle) with me (μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ) is scattering abroad (σκορπίζει, present active indicative).
Mat 12:31 Wherefore (Διὰ τοῦτο) I am saying (λέγω) to you (ὑμῖν), Every sin (πᾶσα ἁμαρτία) and blasphemy (καὶ βλασφημία) shall be forgiven (ἀφεθήσεται, future passive indicative) to the men (τοῖς ἀνθρώποις): but the (ἡ δὲ) of the Spirit ( τοῦ πνεύματος) blasphemy (βλασφημία) not (οὐκ ) shall be forgiven (ἀφεθήσεται, future passive indicative) to the men (τοῖς ἀνθρώποις·).
Mat 12:32 And (καὶ) whosoever (ὃς ἂν) should speak (εἴπῃ, 2nd aorist active subjunctive) a word ( λόγον) against the Son (κατὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ) of the man (τοῦ ἀνθρώπου), it shall be forgiven (ἀφεθήσεται) to him (αὐτῷ·): but whosoever (ὃς δ᾽ ἂν) should speak (εἴπῃ , 2nd aorist active subjunctive) against the spirit (κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος) the holy (τοῦ ἁγίου), it shall not be forgiven (οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται) to him (αὐτῷ), neither (οὔτε) in this (ἐν τούτῳ) the age (τῷ αἰῶνι), neither (οὔτε) in the coming (ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι)
He that is not with me is against me; and he not gathering with me is scattering. Because of this I am saying to you,
"Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to the men
doing them; but the blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be forgiven to the men
doing it. And whosoever might speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be being forgiven to him; but whosoever might speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be being forgiven to Him, neither in this age nor in the coming
one.".....
In my next post I will give my analysis of the Greek text and what it could possibly be saying.
28 He that is not with me is against me; and he not gathering with me is scattering. 29 Because of this I am saying to you,
"Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to the men
doing them; but the blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be forgiven to the men
doing it. 30 And whosoever might speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be being forgiven to him; but whosoever might speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be being forgiven to Him, neither in this age nor in the coming
one."
Verse 28 is describing the
present state of affairs, as they were at the time Jesus was speaking. Jesus uses the present tense. Those during Jesus ministry who were not promoting Jesus as a true prophet, and were claiming to speak for God while exhorting people not to follow Him, as was happening in this narrative, were being used by Satan to scatter the sheep. Moses had said that whoever contradicted the "prophet like unto himself", would be cut off from God's people (Deut. 18:18-20). However, Jesus could also be speaking of a general principle that applies, at all times: past, present and future. Anyone at any time who is not gathering people to Yahweh/Jesus is, by default, scattering them.
Verse 29 and 30 are describing a future state of affairs. They uses the future indicative tense stating assured consequences, and subjunctives stating potential precursors to the assured consequences. However, there are at least two possible meanings that Jesus could have in mind.
"19 Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven (future passive
indicative) to the men
doing them, because under the New covenant all sins will be paid for at the time I die for all sins once for all on the cross. But (there is one exception to this automatic pardoning of sins) the blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be forgiven (future passive
indicative) immediately as it is committed; I will not forgive that sin immediately at the time they commit it, to the men
doing that.
30 And, after my death and resurrection, under the New Covenant, whosoever should speak (aorist active subjunctive) a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven (future passive
indicative) to him; I shall immediately forgive him at the time he speaks it. But after my death and resurrection, under the New Covenant, whosoever should speak (aorist active
subjunctive) against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven (future active
indicative) to Him immediately at the time he commits it. I will not give that an automatic pardon, neither in this age nor in the coming
one."
That an
automatic pardon is not bestowed by Jesus upon this one kind of sin, does not mean there can be no pardon ever for that sin. This is the one and only kind of sin that requires repentance in real time for forgiveness to be granted in real time. It is to publicly testify dishonestly, denouncing what the Holy Spirit is convicting one to be the truth, and one knows it to be the truth. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. This is why scripture says that all those who love lies and make up lies are excluded from Heaven.
Rev 22:15
For without
are dogs and sorcerers and whoremongers and murderers and idolaters - and/even whosoever loves and makes a lie.
To enter and abide in the Kingdom one must respect the Holy Spirit's conviction of the truth. To deny His conviction is to call Him a liar and so to blaspheme against Him. No one will be forgiven for this behaviour while we are practising it. But if we cease and repent and start agreeing with the Holy Spirit, we will be forgiven. The blood of Jesus is sufficient even for this sin, when applied with repentance and faith.
Ananias and Sapphirah may have committed this sin in Acts 5. Whether they remained condemned for it would depend on whether they repented and looked to Jesus for forgiveness. But the seriousness of lying against the conviction of the Holy Spirit is made clear by the severe retribution these two received for doing it.
John speaks of a sin that is go death that we cannot
1Jo 5:16
If 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.
1Jo 5:17
All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
Stephen prayed that his murder not be held against his killers, so even murder seems to be a sin not unto death.
Simon, attempting to buy the power to impart the Holy Spirit, was told he should go to Jesus for forgiveness, Peter did not pray for that sin on Simon's behalf. Was Simon's sin a form of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, alleging that He could be bought for cash? Maybe blaspheming the Holy Spirit includes doing or saying
anything that impugns His character. Nevertheless, Peter thought God could forgive Simon's basphemy against the Holy Spirit.
A different commonly-held option re Matt. 12:18-20 understands it this way -
Some think verse 28 is describing the always true state of affairs, as they have been during all the past and at the time Jesus was speaking and all the future. It uses the present tense gnomically. Anyone who has at any time not been gathering with Yahweh has been scattering people away from Yahweh.
And some think verse 29 and 30 are also describing an always true state of affairs. They uses the future indicative tense stating assured consequences, and subjunctives stating potential precursors to the assured consequences. However, that view assumes that the future tense describes the consequences as continuing forever into the future. They understand it like this -
"19 Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven (future passive
indicative) to the men
doing them, if they trust in My sacrifice for forgiveness, because under the New covenant a sufficient price will be paid to cover all believers' sins when I die for all sins once for all on the cross. But (there is one exception to this pardoning of sins through faith in Me. The blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be forgiven (future passive
indicative); I will never grant forgiveness for that sin, once it has been committed.
30 And, after my death and resurrection, under the New Covenant, whosoever should speak (aorist active subjunctive) a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven (future passive
indicative) to him, because His faith is in my sacrifice for his/her sins; I shall forgive the convert whenever s/he speaks against Me. But after my death and resurrection, under the New Covenant, whosoever should speak (aorist active
subjunctive) against the Holy Spirit, it shall never be forgiven (future active
indicative) to Him; I will never forgive that sin, neither in this age nor in the coming
one."
I go with the first interpretation.
Maybe you have a third understanding, and can paraphrase these verses to clarify exactly what you think it is likely Jesus is saying here.