What Is Blasphemy? - Biblical Meaning, Definition and Examples

　　“And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” Luke 12:10

　　

Blasphemy Definition

Blasphemy is generally defined as the act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things, synonymous with irreverence and disrespect of God or Christ.

　　According to Merriam-Webster, blasphemy is defined as “the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God; and/or the act of claiming the attributes of a deity”

　　The word blasphemy originated from the Greek word “blasphēmia” then translated from Latin to Old French to Middle English. Blasphemy is generally defined as the act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things, synonymous with irreverence and disrespect of God or Christ.

　　In English "blasphemy" denotes any utterance that insults God or Christ (or Allah, or Muhammed) and gives deeply felt offense to their followers. In several states in the United States and in Britain, blasphemy is a criminal offense, although there have been few prosecutions in this century. In Islamic countries generally no distinction is made between blasphemy and heresy, so that any perceived rejection of the Prophet or his message, by Muslims or non-Muslims, is regarded as blasphemous.

　　

What Does Blasphemy Mean in the Bible?

According to Baker's Bible Dictionary, the biblical concept is very different. There is no Hebrew word equivalent to the English "blasphemy, " and the Greek root blasphem- [blasfhmevw], which is used fifty-five times in the New Testament, has a wide meaning. In both Testaments, the idea of blasphemy as something that offends the religious sensibilities of others is completely absent.

　　In the Old Testament at least five different Hebrew verbs are translated "blaspheme" in English translations. Translators choose "blaspheme" when, for instance, the verbs "curse" (qalal), "revile" (gadap), or "despise" (herep) are used with God as the object. No special verb is reserved for cursing or insults directed at God.

　　However, to curse or insult God is an especially grave sin. It can be done by word or by deed. There is little distinction between the sinner who deliberately abuses the name of the Lord (Le 24:10-16) and the one who deliberately flouts his commandments ( Nu 15:30-31 ). For both, the death penalty is prescribed. Similarly, the prayer of the Levites in Nehemiah 9 calls "awful blasphemies" all that Israelites did when they made the golden calf (9:18).

　　David's flagrant sin with Bathsheba may be called a blasphemy ( 2 Sa 12:14 ), but a more likely translation is that David has "made the enemies of the Lord show utter contempt" (NIV). Instead of testifying by lifestyle to the character of the Lord, David's action confirms the blasphemous belief of the nations that the Lord is no different from any other national god.

　　Blasphemy is a term that appears in both the Old and New Testament. According to Smith’s Bible Dictionary, blasphemy in its technical English use signifies the speaking evil of God and in this sense is found in Psalms 74:18, Isaiah 52:5, Romans 2:24, etc. But according to its derivation, it may mean any sort of slander and abuse: reference 1 Kings 21:10, Acts 18:6, Jude 1:9, etc. Blasphemy was punished by stoning, which was inflicted on the son of Shelomith (Leviticus 24:11). On this charge, both our Lord and St. Stephen were condemned to death by the Jews.

　　In the New Testament, blasphemy may be:

　　Of evil-speaking generally, (Acts 13:45); The Jews contradicted Paul "and blasphemed," the Revised Version, margin "railed." (So in the King James Version of Matthew 15:19 = Mark 7:22; Colossians 3:8, but in the Revised Version (British and American) "railings"; Revelation 2:9 the Revised Version, margin "reviling"; so perhaps in 1 Timothy 1:20; or Hymeneus and Alexander may have blasphemed Christ by professing faith and living unworthily of it.)Against God: (i) uttering impious words (Revelation 13:1-6); (ii) unworthy conduct of Jews (Romans 2:24) and Christians (1 Timothy 6:1); (iii) of Jesus Christ, alleged to be usurping the authority of God (Matthew 9:3 = Mark 2:7 = Luke 5:21), claiming to be the Messiah, the son of God (Matthew 26:65 = Mark 14:64), or making Himself God (John 10:33-36).Against Jesus Christ: Saul strove to make the Christians he persecuted blaspheme their Lord (Acts 26:11). So was he himself a blasphemer (1 Timothy 1:13).

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

The sin of “Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” is referenced in Mark 3:22-30 and Matthew 12:22-32 just after Jesus had performed a miracle of casting a demon out of a man, healing the possessed man of blindness and muteness. The witnesses of this exorcism began to question if Jesus was in fact the Messiah they had been waiting for. A group of Pharisees, hearing the discussion of the Messiah, quickly attempted to quell any developing faith in Christ saying: “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons” (Matthew 12:24).

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　　The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, (Matthew 12:32; 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.

　　Therefore blasphemy against the Holy Spirit has to do with slandering Jesus Christ of being demon-possessed instead of Spirit-filled. This distinct type of blasphemy cannot be reproduced today. The Pharisees were in a distinct moment in history: they had the Law and the Prophets, the Holy Spirit stirring their hearts, and the Son of God Himself right in front of them. Never before or since then in history had so much divine revelation been given to men. If anyone should have identified Jesus for who He was, it was the Pharisees. Yet they chose rebellion. They deliberately accused the work of the Spirit to the devil, even though they knew the truth and had the proof. Jesus declared their intentional blindness to be unforgivable. Their blasphemy against the Holy Spirit was their ultimate denial of God’s grace.

　　

Examples of Blasphemy

Idolatry: Idolatry is an action of blasphemy because it wrongly attributes worship and faith to an entity that is not truly God. When we find comfort in things other than God, we are guilty of blasphemy. We have failed to rightly praise God with our faith and reverence.Arrogance: Apostle Paul states in Galatians 6:3 that when someone “thinks that they are something when they are actually nothing, they deceive themselves.” Such is the case when we live as though we do not need God in our lives, and blaspheme the sovereignty of God.False Teachings: False teaching and/or false depictions of God are also blasphemous because they obscure the true nature of God. Whereas with idolatry, we tend to worship and hope in a false reality, with false teachings or false depictions about God, we are attempting to change the character of God to more closely conform to our preferences.

　　

Bible Verses about Blasphemy

Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs, and a foolish people reviles (or blasphemes) your name. - Psalm 74:18 ESV

　　And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. - Luke 12:10 ESV

　　Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And 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 age to come. - Matthew 12:31-32 ESV

　　And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "by the prince of demons he casts out the demons." And he called them to him and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house. "Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"-- for they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit." - Mark 3:22-30 ESV

　　But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers! Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. - 1 Corinthians 6:6-10 ESV

　　But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? - James 2:6-7 ESV

　　Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. - Titus 2:3-5 ESV

　　It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. - Revelation 13:6 ESV