Hi Everyone!

Yippee, I received a question! By the way, starting now, if and when I receive a question, I will simply state the question and not also who asked the question. I know sometimes the questioner is known, but nevertheless, I won’t restate that person’s name in my response… I hope this new policy will encourage more people to ask questions.

Okay, let’s get to it… The question is:

What does it mean to blaspheme?

To find the answer, let’s first look at the original languages of the Bible (Hebrew and Greek) to learn about the word “Blaspheme”.

Hebrew “Blaspheme” is the verb word “gadaph” which means “to revile”. Also: the verb word “na’ats” which means “to spurn and to despise”. And also the verb word “naqab” which means “to pierce and to curse”.

Greek “Blaspheme” is the verb word “blasphēmeō” which means “to speak reproachfully, to revile, to speak evil of, to rail”

Now let’s look at our English: “to speak of or address with irreverence”.

So with these meanings, let’s put it all together…

To blaspheme is to speak evil of something that is really holy. To blaspheme is to attribute anything less than holy to what it perfectly holy.

In the context of Scripture and Christian considerations, to blaspheme is to speak, attribute, and/ or address (with conscious understanding) anything about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as anything less than what they truly are.

A great example of blasphemy comes from the Scribes and Pharisees…

Luke 11:15
But some of them said, “He (Jesus) casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of demons.”

Notice that they attributed the power, the graciousness, and the compassion of God as coming from Satan. Wow! This is speaking evil of someone who is perfectly holy.

The Scribes and Pharisees knew full-well what blasphemy was…

John 10:33
The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy ; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”

Ironically, they were correct in saying a sinful man claiming to be holy God is blasphemy, but Jesus was no mere man, was He? Jesus was really God!

I conclude with this thought… to speak evil of the divine is blasphemy, but how does one say those words without first believing it in their minds?

I believe as adultery can be committed in the heart, so can blasphemy. The spoken word is merely audible thoughts… So if someone blasphemes, it means their thinking is evil.

Hmmmm! What do you think?

Peace,
Jim