BLASPHEMY
This is the anglicized form of the Greek word bla·sphe·miʹa. The Greek term basically means injurious, defamatory or abusive speech and was used with reference to such speech whether directed against God or against humans. The English word blasphemy, however, is usually restricted to irreverent or abusive speech against God and sacred things. It is thus the antithesis of words of worship directed to the Divine Person.—See ABUSIVE SPEECH.
In view of the name Di·aʹbo·los (Devil or slanderer) given to him, it is evident that the first one guilty of blasphemy was God’s original adversary. Though his speech to Eve in Eden was veiled and employed subtlety, it, nevertheless, portrayed the Creator as untruthful. (Gen. 3:1-5) Satan is, therefore, the prime instigator of blasphemy from then till now.—John 8:44-49.
The “calling on the name of Jehovah” that started in the time of Enosh during the pre-Flood period must not have been of an upright and proper nature, for Abel long before that had undoubtedly been directing himself to God by that Sacred Name. (Gen. 4:26; Heb. 11:4) If, as some traditional views hold, this calling on God’s name was in the sense of misusing it and improperly applying Jehovah’s name to humans or to idolatrous objects, then this would constitute a blasphemous act.—See ENOSH.
Faithful Job was concerned lest his children had at some time “cursed God in their heart” by sinful actions or course; and, when made to undergo great adversity, Job himself “did not sin or ascribe anything improper to God” in spite of the Adversary’s blasphemous attempts to cause him to ‘curse God to his very face.’ (Job 1:5, 11, 20-22; 2:5-10) Job’s three “companions,” either wittingly or unwittingly, misrepresented God and ‘pronounced God wicked,’ while insinuating that Job had spoken and acted blasphemously.—Job 15:6, 25; 32:3; 42:7, 8.
BLASPHEMY UNDER THE LAW COVENANT
The first three commandments of the “Ten Words” or ten commandments set forth Jehovah God’s unique position as Universal Sovereign and his exclusive right to worship, warning also “You must not take up the name of Jehovah your God in a worthless way, for Jehovah will not leave the one unpunished who takes up his name in a worthless way.” (Ex. 20:1-7) The calling down of evil upon God and the cursing of a chieftain were condemned. (Ex. 22:28) Thereafter the first recorded instance of spoken blasphemy was that of a son of mixed parentage who, in a struggle with an Israelite man, “began to abuse the Name and to call down evil upon it.” Jehovah decreed the penalty of death by stoning for the offender, and established this as the due punishment for any future “abuser of Jehovah’s name,” whether a native Israelite or an alien resident among them.—Lev. 24:10-16.
Soon thereafter the great majority of Israelites became guilty of disrespectful murmuring against Jehovah, resulting in their being sentenced to wander during forty years and, for those from twenty years old upward, to die in the wilderness. (Num. 14:1-4, 11, 23, 29; Deut. 1:27, 28, 34-39) Their blasphemous attitude brought them to the point of talking of stoning God’s faithful servants. (Num. 14:10) While the abusive speech of Korah, Dathan and Abiram was actually directed against God’s representatives, Moses and Aaron, yet, before God’s execution of these men, and those of their households before their tents, Moses told those observing that “you will then know for certain that these men have treated Jehovah disrespectfully,” by disdaining his theocratic appointments.—Num. 16:1-3, 30-35.
Even where there were no spoken expressions against God, one’s actions against the laws of God’s covenant evidently could constitute a “speaking abusively of Jehovah” or blaspheming him. Thus, while merciful consideration was given to the unintentional violator of God’s law, the individual committing deliberate, willful offenses, whether native Israelite or alien resident, was to be put to death as having spoken abusively of Jehovah and having despised his word and commandment.—Num. 15:27-31; compare Deuteronomy 31:20; Nehemiah 9:18, 26.
Other acts of blasphemy recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures were those of priest Eli’s sons (1 Sam. 3:12, 13) and that of the pagan Assyrian official Rabshakeh. (2 Ki. 19:4-6, 22, 23) Innocent Naboth was convicted of blasphemy and put to death on the basis of testimony by false witnesses. (1 Ki. 21:10-13) In later times, God condemned the false prophets who assured those disrespectful of Jehovah that they would have ‘peace and freedom from calamity.’ (Jer. 23:16, 17) Jehovah gave positive warning that his reproachers would be rendered their due reward “into their own bosom.” (Isa. 65:6, 7; compare Psalm 10:13; Isaiah 8:20-22.) Because of Israel’s apostate course, Jehovah’s name came under reproach among the nations.—Isa. 52:4, 5; Ezek. 36:20, 21.
“BLASPHEMY” IN CHRISTIAN GREEK SCRIPTURE TIMES
The apostle Paul showed the basic meaning of bla·sphe·miʹa by using the related Greek verb bla·sphe·meʹo at Romans 2:24 when quoting from Isaiah 52:5 and Ezekiel 36:20, 21, cited above.
Blasphemy includes the act of claiming the attributes or prerogatives of God, or ascribing these to another person or thing. (Compare Acts 12:21, 22.) The Jewish religious leaders accused Christ Jesus of blasphemy because of his pronouncing forgiveness of sins to certain persons (Matt. 9:2, 3; Mark 2:5-7; Luke 5:20, 21), and tried to stone him as a blasphemer because of his declaring himself to be God’s Son. (John 10:33-36) When tried by the Sanhedrin, Jesus’ statement of God’s purpose toward him and the high position to be granted him served as the basis for the high priest’s ripping his garments and accusing Jesus of blasphemy, for which Jesus was condemned as worthy of death. (Matt. 26:63-66; Mark 14:61-64) Having no authority from the Romans to implement the death sentence, the Jewish religious leaders shrewdly changed their accusation of blasphemy to that of sedition when taking Jesus before Pilate.—John 18:29–19:16.
Since Jesus was God’s Son and direct representative, the things spoken against him may also properly be defined as blasphemy. (Luke 22:65) So, too, the holy spirit or active force emanates from God and is intimately connected with God’s person and hence Jesus could speak of “blasphemy against the spirit.” This is stated to be the unforgivable sin. (Matt 12:31; Mark 3:28, 29; Luke 12:10) Since blasphemy is shown to originate within one’s heart (Matt. 15:19; Mark 7:21, 22), then the motive or heart condition, and the degree of negligence and willfulness involved, must relate to such blasphemy against the spirit. The incident that led to Jesus’ statement concerning the unpardonableness of such sin demonstrates that it refers to opposing the operation of God’s spirit, not because of deception, human weakness or imperfection, but doing so knowingly, willfully and deliberately. The Pharisees clearly saw God’s spirit at work in Jesus to accomplish good, yet for selfish reasons they attributed this power to Beelzebub, Satan the Devil, thereby blaspheming God’s holy spirit.—Matt. 12:22-32; compare Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26, 27.
Like Jesus, Stephen was martyred on a charge of blasphemy. (Acts 6:11-13; 7:56-58) Paul, as Saul, had been a blasphemer and tried to force Christians to make “a recantation” (literally, “to blaspheme”) but, upon becoming a disciple himself, suffered blasphemous contradictions from the Jews and, in Ephesus, his teaching was possibly labeled by certain elements as blasphemous against the pagan goddess Artemis (Diana). (Acts 13:45; 19:37; 26:11; 1 Tim. 1:13) By a disfellowshiping, Paul handed Hymenaeus and Alexander “over to Satan that they [evidently the observers of the action in the congregation] may be taught by discipline not to blaspheme.” (1 Tim. 1:20; compare 2 Timothy 2:16-18.) James showed that the rich, as a class, were prone to “blaspheme the fine name” by which the disciples were called. (Jas. 2:6, 7; compare John 17:6; Acts 15:14.) In the “last days” blasphemers would abound (2 Tim. 3:1, 2), as the book of Revelation also foretells by statement and by symbol.—Rev. 13:1-6; 16:9-11, 21; 17:3.
TRADITIONAL VIEWS OF BLASPHEMY
Evidently toward the start of the Common Era, rabbinical teaching fostered the erroneous view that Leviticus 24:10-23 prohibited as blasphemous the very pronunciation of the name Jehovah. Talmudic tradition also prescribed that when the religious judges heard testimony setting forth blasphemous words supposedly used by the accused, they were to rend their garments, following the example at 2 Kings 18:37; 19:1-4. (The Jewish Encyclopedia [1903], Vol. III, p. 237; compare Matthew 26:65.) Among professed Christians of the early centuries, apostates and also those who denied the faith under persecution were considered as blasphemers. In the early part of the second century C.E., Governor Pliny’s letter to Emperor Trajan concerning the prosecution of Christians relates that certain alleged Christians were made to offer up pagan sacrifices and even reviled the name of Christ; whereas Pliny observes, “there is no forcing, it is said, those who are really Christians into any of these compliances.” (Harvard Classics, Vol. 9, pp. 426, 427) Somewhat later, Polycarp, known as the bishop of Smyrna, when ordered by a consul to renounce Christ is said to have replied: “These eighty-six years I have served him, and he never did me any harm: how, then, can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour?”