Question:  Dear Greg,

            I am not satisfied with most explanations of the unpardonable sin.  They never seem to read word for word what those verses say, and other verses that talk about being unable to renew to repentance.  There is a verse that talks about baptism that says to the effect “it does not save us”.  Isn’t it true that the Bible says a lot of things, that it does seem to contradict itself?

            Anonymous

Answer:  Dear Anonymous,

            There is no verse that says that baptism saves us.  There are verses that can be made to say that.  A certain interpretation may seem to say that, but the context of each passage says otherwise, as does the plain and clear message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, reiterated over and over again.  God alone, by his grace, saves us.  We behave in certain ways, we obey Christ, and we do certain things (and not others) because God has saved us.  But doing something (like baptism) does not save us.  That is the clear message of the Bible.

            The Bible only seems to contradict itself.  That would be when the Bible is not read within its context, without understanding or explanation of the grammar and linguistic style in which it is/was inspired, and the historical cultural context in which it is/was inspired.

            It doesn’t take a genius to read any book and make it contradict itself.  We can twist the meaning of any book simply by choosing material, passages and quotations without regard to the author’s intent and purpose.  We may do that without knowing better (covertly) or we may do it deliberately (overtly).  In any case, we still misread the Bible.  There are many that script-torture the Bible.  Some may not mean to, and some may—but what they are getting out of the Bible is not what the Bible says, means or intends.  Correct study of the Bible means that we allow God’s Word to speak to us (exegesis) rather than reading our ideas and prejudices into the Bible (eisegesis).

            As for the unpardonable sin, there is no sin that cannot be pardoned according to the Bible.  But, one must understand that the gospel of Jesus Christ is not imposed upon individuals—we have a choice.  The individual needs to ask for forgiveness and a pardon.  The Bible does talk about those who willfully decide not to seek forgiveness, those who willfully set themselves against God.  Such an attitude is pardonable, according to God, but the decision not to be pardoned is made by the individual.  God does not impose or force his pardon upon us.  God is always ready to forgive.  Nothing in the Bible contradicts that, for that is what the gospel is all about.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht