And the scribes ... - See the notes at Matthew 12:24-32. The occasion of their saying this was, that he had healed a man possessed with a devil. The scribes, who came from Jerusalem to watch his conduct, charged him with having made a compact or agreement with the prince of the devils. read more
52. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:22-45; Mark 3:22-30; Luke 11:14-36)On one occasion when Jesus cast out demons, the Pharisees accused him of doing it by the power of Satan, the prince of demons (Matthew 12:22-24; Luke 11:14-16). Jesus replied that if the prince of demons used his own power to cast out demons, he would be creating civil war in his own kingdom. He would be destroying himself. The only way a strong man can be defeated is if a stronger man overpowers him. In casting out... read more
Verily . See note on Matthew 5:18 . sins . See App-128 ., and note on Matthew 12:31 . the sons of men . See note on Mark 3:17 . read more
Verily I say unto you, All their sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and their blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: but whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin: because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.3. This third response to their blasphemous charge was to imply, without actually stating it, that the blasphemers were guilty of a sin that could never be forgiven. The final clause, "because they said,... read more
Mark 3:28. Blasphemies—blaspheme— Or revilings—revile. Mark 3:29. Is in danger of] Is liable to. Inferences.—There is something peculiarly beautiful in the account which St. Mark gives us of our Lord's indignation in Mark 3:5. Even his anger was compassionate; he was angry, and yet grieved; angry at the sin, grieved for the sinner. Even when we, through our fatal obstinacy and hardness of heart, give him the justest cause for anger, yet at the same time is he afflicted for us; more pitiful and... read more
B. The increasing rejection of Jesus and its result 3:20-4:34As Jesus’ ministry expanded, so did rejection of Him as God’s anointed servant. Mark documented the increasing rejection that Jesus experienced (Mark 3:20-35) and then explained that Jesus taught the multitudes in parables as a result (Mark 4:1-34). read more
1. The increasing rejection of Jesus 3:20-35Mark again returned to the opposition theme (cf. Mark 2:1 to Mark 3:6). He directed his readers back and forth between Jesus’ acceptance on a superficial level by the multitudes, His disciples’ growing commitment to Him, and the increasing hostility of the religious leaders. This structural pattern highlights the contrasts between the three groups.In this section Mark used a chiastic structure to show two different kinds of opposition that Jesus... read more
The unbelief of Jesus’ enemies 3:22-30 (cf. Matthew 12:22-37; Luke 11:14-26)Evidently it was between the time that Jesus’ family left Nazareth to take custody of Him and the time they arrived in Capernaum (Mark 3:31) that this incident occurred. Mark’s account is shorter than Matthew’s and stresses the nature of the mounting hostility of the religious leaders. read more
Jesus followed up His refutation with a solemn warning. The words "truly I say to you" or "I tell you the truth" occur 13 times in this Gospel, always on Jesus’ lips. This phrase occurs 30 times in Matthew, six times in Luke, and 25 times in John where the "truly" is always double. It denotes that Jesus was speaking out of His own authority. A comparable expression in the Old Testament is, "As I live, says the Lord.""His use of ’Amen’ to introduce and endorse his own words is without analogy in... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Mark 3:28-30
The unforgivable sin. I. AN ACTUAL OFFENCE . It is not mentioned again in the Gospel, but the warning was called forth by the actual transgression. There is no mere theorizing about it therefore. It is an exposure and denunciation. This gives us an idea of the fearful unbelief and bitter hatred of those who opposed him. The manifestation of light and love only strengthened the antagonism of some. They consciously sinned against the light. II. WHY IS IT UNFORGIVABLE ? ... read more