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Questions · Doctrine

The sin against the holy ghost

What Christian writers said, from about AD 370 to 1884.

31 passages · 16 writers · 6 centuries

The short answer

Luther lists the sins against the Holy Ghost as presumption, despair, opposition to the known truth, grudging a brother the grace of God, hardness, and impenitence. Aquinas, quoting Augustine and Fulgentius, gives these kinds, and explains each as contempt of something that would keep a man from sinning, such as hope, which despair removes, or fear, which presumption removes. Aquinas says despair and presumption consist in contemning God's mercy and justice, and that envy of another's spiritual good is a sin against the Holy Ghost because it envies the Holy Ghost glorified in his works. Calvin describes the sin as willful obstinacy against God, in which a man knowingly fights against his word, and Jerome says impenitence is the one sin for which there is no forgiveness. Watson says hardness of heart makes the sin incapable of mercy, because the sinner who has committed it is incapable of repentance.

The classic kinds

12 passages · 4 writers · 1200s to 1600s

Aquinas says three meanings have been given to the sin against the Holy Ghost: for Athanasius, Hilary, Ambrose, Jerome, and Chrysostom it is literally blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, as when the Jews ascribed Christ's works to the prince of devils, and for Augustine it is final impenitence. Aquinas says that in the third sense the sin is sinning through malice, by contempt of the things that prevent the choosing of evil, all of which are effects of the Holy Ghost in us. Aquinas, quoting Augustine, with one passage noted as Fulgentius's, cites despair of pardon, presumption on God's mercy without merits, dying in obstinacy, impenitence, resisting fraternal goodness with envy, and spurning the truth as sins against the Holy Ghost. Aquinas assigns six species, despair, presumption, resistance of the known truth, envy of a brother's spiritual good, impenitence, and obstinacy, each as contempt of something that would keep a man from sinning, hope being removed by despair and fear by presumption. Aquinas says despair and presumption consist not in disbelieving God's justice and mercy but in contemning them, and he assigns refusal to obey to obstinacy, feigned repentance to impenitence, and schism to envy of a brother's spiritual good. Aquinas says sin through malice is a special sin only when it results from special contempt of an effect of the Holy Ghost, that final impenitence is not a species of sin but a circumstance of any sin, and that not every disobedience is this sin but only that to which obstinacy is added. Aquinas distinguishes impenitence as persistence in sin until the end, following Augustine, from habitual impenitence, which he says is a sin against the Holy Ghost. Luther lists the sins against the Holy Ghost as presumption, despair, opposition to and condemnation of the known truth, grudging one's brother or neighbor the grace of God, hardness, and impenitence. Watson says Aquinas and other schoolmen place the sin against the Holy Ghost in malice, in which the sinner does all he can to vex God and despite the Spirit of grace.

1265–1273 · Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica II-II, q. 14, a. 2, s.c.

On the contrary, Augustine [*Fulgentius] (De Fide ad Petrum iii) says that "those who despair of pardon for their sins, or who without merits presume on God's mercy, sin against the Holy Ghost," and (Enchiridion lxxxiii) that "he who dies in a state of obstinacy is guilty of the sin against the Holy Ghost," and (De Verb. Dom., Serm. lxxi) that "impenitence is a sin against the Holy Ghost," and (De Serm. Dom. in Monte xxii), that "to resist fraternal goodness with the brands of envy is to sin against the Holy Ghost," and in his book De unico Baptismo (De Bap. contra Donat. vi, 35) he says that "a man who spurns the truth, is either envious of his brethren to whom the truth is revealed, or ungrateful to God, by Whose inspiration the Church is taught," and therefore, seemingly, sins against the Holy Ghost.

1265–1273 · Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica II-II, q. 14, a. 2, co.

I answer that, The above species are fittingly assigned to the sin against the Holy Ghost taken in the third sense, because they are distinguished in respect of the removal of contempt of those things whereby a man can be prevented from sinning through choice. These things are either on the part of God's judgment, or on the part of His gifts, or on the part of sin. For, by consideration of the Divine judgment, wherein justice is accompanied with mercy, man is hindered from sinning through choice, both by hope, arising from the consideration of the mercy that pardons sins and rewards good deeds, which hope is removed by "despair"; and by fear, arising from the consideration of the Divine justice that punishes sins, which fear is removed by "presumption," when, namely, a man presumes that he can obtain glory without merits, or pardon without repentance. God's gifts whereby we are withdrawn from sin, are two: one is the acknowledgment of the truth, against which there is the "resistance of the known truth," when, namely, a man resists the truth which he has acknowledged, in order to sin more freely: while the other is the assistance of inward grace, against which there is "envy of a brother's spiritual good," when, namely, a man is envious not only of his brother's person, but also of the increase of Divine grace in the world. On the part of sin, there are two things which may withdraw man therefrom: one is the inordinateness and shamefulness of the act, the consideration of which is wont to arouse man to repentance for the sin he has committed, and against this there is "impenitence," not as denoting permanence in sin until death, in which sense it was taken above (for thus it would not be a special sin, but a circumstance of sin), but as denoting the purpose of not repenting. The other thing is the smallness or brevity of the good which is sought in sin, according to Rom. 6:21: "What fruit had you therefore then in those things, of which you are now ashamed?" The consideration of this is wont to prevent man's will from being hardened in sin, and this is removed by "obstinacy," whereby man hardens his purpose by clinging to sin.

1566 · Martin Luther, Table Talk 7

Sins against the Holy Ghost are, first, presumption; second, despair; third, opposition to and condemnation of the known truth; fourth, not to wish well, but to grudge one’s brother or neighbor the grace of God; fifth, to be hardened; sixth, to be impenitent.

Despair and presumption

6 passages · 5 writers · 1200s to 1800s

Catherine of Siena records God as saying that despair is the sin pardoned neither here nor hereafter, and that he makes people hope in his mercy so that they will not abandon it at the point of death. Aquinas says presumption is reckoned a species of sin against the Holy Ghost, that it is an inordinate hope conformed to a false intellect, and that it is less grave than despair, since it is more proper to God to have mercy and to spare than to punish. Aquinas also says that not every presumption is a sin against the Holy Ghost, but only that by which one contemns the Divine justice through inordinate confidence in the Divine mercy. Spurgeon says despair has something in it of sinning against the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit brings rich cordials in the promises of God. Goodwin says presumptuous sins are sins against knowledge and are nearest to the unpardonable sin, though not everyone who falls into one commits it, and that committing it requires light in the mind and malice in the heart. Russel warns against hypocrisy, sinning wilfully against conviction of conscience and great light, and sinning presumptuously, none of which he calls the direct sin against the Holy Ghost, but all of which he says come very near to it.

1265–1273 · Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica II-II, q. 21, a. 2, s.c.

On the contrary, It is reckoned a species of sin against the Holy Ghost. I answer that, As stated above (Q[20], A[1]) with regard to despair, every appetitive movement that is conformed to a false intellect, is evil in itself and sinful. Now presumption is an appetitive movement, since it denotes an inordinate hope. Moreover it is conformed to a false intellect, just as despair is: for just as it is false that God does not pardon the repentant, or that He does not turn sinners to repentance, so is it false that He grants forgiveness to those who persevere in their sins, and that He gives glory to those who cease from good works: and it is to this estimate that the movement of presumption is conformed. Consequently presumption is a sin, but less grave than despair, since, on account of His infinite goodness, it is more proper to God to have mercy and to spare, than to punish: for the former becomes God in Himself, the latter becomes Him by reason of our sins.

1882 · Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Spurgeon's Sermons, Volume 28 (1882) 1676

I must go a step further. Despair has something in it of sinning against the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit brings you rich cordials in the promises of God which will raise your spirits and will restore you from death.

Resisting the truth, envy, obstinacy, and impenitence

13 passages · 11 writers · 300s to 1800s

Augustine asks whether the Jews sinned against the Holy Ghost out of envy, says this is not to be gathered from the Lord's words, and says that if after receiving the Holy Ghost they chose to envy the brotherhood and assail the grace received, it could not be forgiven them. Aquinas says envy of another's spiritual good, sorrow for the increase of God's grace, is accounted a sin against the Holy Ghost, because thereby a man envies the Holy Ghost Himself, who is glorified in his works. Calvin says the sin against the Holy Ghost is a willful obstinacy against God, when a man knowingly and willingly not only opposes his word but fights against it. Jerome says impenitence is the one sin for which there is no forgiveness, and that despair is the one sin for which there is no remedy. Watson says hardness of heart makes the sin against the Holy Ghost incapable of mercy, because the sinner who has committed it is incapable of repentance. Owen lists as signs of an irrecoverable condition a long continuance in known sin, convictions digested and warnings despised, and sins that seem to intrench on the unpardonable sin, such as proud, contemptuous, malicious reproaches of the ways of God, of the Spirit of Christ, and of his gospel. Spurgeon says men may quench the Spirit, and that where this is done often and long the Holy Dove at last departs never to return and the soul is given up. Spurgeon also says the sin against the Holy Ghost is different in different people and in many consists in stifling their convictions, and that the rejection of known truth goes very near to it, if it is not that sin. South says a customary course of sinning against conscience takes away the tenderness of conscience, so that the Spirit of God finds nothing in the heart to apply the means of grace to. South also says resisting the Spirit puts a man in the next disposition to the unpardonable sin, and that though a man may frequently oppose the Spirit and not commit it, none ever committed it but those who had frequently resisted the Spirit before. Barnes says that even if we do not commit the unpardonable sin, trifling with the Holy Spirit is attended with infinite danger, and that one who struggles directly against his convictions may be making his damnation sure. Arndt says those who have contemned the inward and outward word of God, persevered in impenitence, resisted the Divine Spirit, and blasphemed him are given up by God to a reprobate mind.

c. 370–419 · Jerome, Letters 147.3

The book which the prophet eats is the whole series of the Scriptures, which in turn bewail the penitent, celebrate the righteous, and curse the desperate. For nothing is so displeasing to God as an impenitent heart. Impenitence is the one sin for which there is no forgiveness. For if one who ceases to sin is pardoned even after he has sinned, and if prayer has power to bend the judge; it follows that every impenitent sinner must provoke his judge to wrath. Thus despair is the one sin for which there is no remedy. By obstinate rejection of God’s grace men turn His mercy into sternness and severity.

1265–1273 · Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica II-II, q. 36, a. 4, ad 2

Reply to Objection 2: It does not follow from the passage quoted that envy is the greatest of sins, but that when the devil tempts us to envy, he is enticing us to that which has its chief place in his heart, for as quoted further on in the same passage, "by the envy of the devil, death came into the world" (Wis. 2:24). There is, however, a kind of envy which is accounted among the most grievous sins, viz. envy of another's spiritual good, which envy is a sorrow for the increase of God's grace, and not merely for our neighbor's good. Hence it is accounted a sin against the Holy Ghost, because thereby a man envies, as it were, the Holy Ghost Himself, Who is glorified in His works.

1546 · John Calvin, Commentary on 1 Corinthians, part 1 (chapters 1-14) 2.8

“What! do we not every day see persons who, with deliberate malice, fight against the truth of God, as to which they are not ignorant; nay, even if a rebellion so manifest were not to be seen by us with our eyes, what else is the sin against the Holy Ghost than a willful obstinacy against God, when a man knowingly and willingly does not merely oppose his word, but even fights against it. It is on this account, too, that Christ declares that the Pharisees, and others of that description, knew him, (John 7:28,) while he deprives them of all pretext of ignorance, and accuses them of impious cruelty in persecuting him, the faithful servant of the Father, for no other reason but that they hated the truth.”