WHAT IS BLASPHEMY?

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

WHAT IS BLASPHEMY?

1 Tim 1:19-20

19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

           The dictionary definition of blasphemy is “the act or offence of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things.” The Greek is blasphemeo which literally means “to vilify; to speak impiously.” Ah, but neither definition seems to satisfy us today because it is not a word we normally use – although blasphemy is all around us.

           Dr. Albert Barnes comments: “The truth thus taught is, that people make shipwreck of their faith by not keeping a good conscience. They love sin. They follow the leadings of passion. They choose to indulge in carnal propensities.”

           “Delivering one unto Satan” seems to be an apostolic prerogative. However we also may deliver someone unto Satan through simple fatigue of ministry! We can, because of their rejection, simply abandon our efforts of evangelism and good counsel. Their rejection and stubbornness have worn us out and we simply allow them to go their own way.

           Sin – often referred to today as “bad choices” – incurs its own punishment. Sin is destructive. Sin’s wage is death. No apostolic curse is actually needed. All one has to do is to allow the sinner to continue in his own way. He will destroy himself soon enough.

Hos 7:13-14

13 Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.

14 And they have not cried unto me with their heart …

Dear Lord, let me exhaust myself in ministry even to those who blaspheme. Thank you for always standing ready to hear our cry of repentance. AMEN