3:28–30
The teachers of the law made a very serious error. They refused to believe that Jesus had power from the Holy Spirit to cast out demons. Instead, they said that Jesus’ power came from Satan. That is like calling the Holy Spirit “Satan.” So these teachers of the law from Jerusalem were blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
3:28a
Truly I tell you: Jesus often used the words Truly I tell you to introduce a statement that he wanted to emphasize. (This is the first occurrence of the clause Truly I tell you in Mark. It also occurs in 8:12, 9:1, 9:41, 10:15, 11:23, 12:43, 13:30, 14:9, 14:18, 14:25, 14:30.) He was asking people to listen with extra attention.
Some other ways to show this emphasis are:
• Use a phrase before Jesus’ statement. For example:
I assure you that… (Good News Bible)
-or-
Listen to this!
• Include an emphatic word or phrase such as “certainly” within the following statement. For example:
all the sins and blasphemies of men will certainly be forgiven them
3:28b
the sons of men will be forgiven all sins and blasphemies, as many as they utter: This is a passive clause. If it is more natural in your language to use an active verb and indicate who will forgive sins, you should say “God.” For example:
God will forgive people for all their sins and blasphemies.
The form of the Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as will be forgiven often refers to an event in the future. However, this part of the verse is not a promise that God will forgive every sin. Rather it means that it is possible that God will forgive every sin. For example:
God can forgive all the sins of people, and all their blasphemies.
the sons of men: The Greek noun phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the sons of men means “people.” All people, both men and women, are included.
will be forgiven all sins and blasphemies, as many as they utter: In this context the phrase will be forgiven all sins and blasphemies indicates that God can choose not to punish people for the evil/bad things that they have said, done, and thought. God can cancel their guilt and treat them as though they had never offended.
Here are some other ways to translate the phrase in this context:
God can cancel/pardon…their sins and blasphemies
-or-
they can be released from their sins and blasphemies
-or-
God can wipe away their sins and blasphemies
In some languages it is more natural to say “forgive people,” rather than to “forgive sins.” For example:
forgive them for their sins and blasphemies
See the note on “forgiveness of sins” in 1:4d.
all sins and blasphemies: The noun sins is a general term. The noun blasphemies refers to one particular type of sin.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
any sin…including blasphemy (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)
-or-
all the blasphemies and other sins
sins: The word sins refers to offenses against God. Sins include acts, thoughts, and attitudes that are not what God wants or approves. (In Greek, the verb that English versions translate as sin is also a term that is used in archery to mean “miss the target”. When a person sins, he “misses” the target, that is, he fails to reach God’s standard.) A person can also offend God by failing to do what God wants him to do.
It is helpful to translate sins with a general term that can include any offense against God. Here are problems to avoid:
(a) The term should not imply that only serious crimes like murder or stealing are sins. Other offenses like gossip and greed are also sins.
(b) The term should not include accidents or mistakes that are not against God’s will.
Here are some other ways to translate sins:
wrong acts
-or-
offenses against God
-or-
bad/evil things/deeds
In some languages it may be natural to translate sins with a phrase that includes a verb. For example:
wrong/bad things that they have done
blasphemies, as many as they utter: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as blasphemies, as many as they utter is literally “blasphemies as much as they might blaspheme.” It refers to ways that people speak evil of God or of others. Blasphemies include slander and insults. People who speak like this dishonor God. Some languages have idioms for blasphemy.
Here are some other ways to translate the word blasphemies:
slander (Revised English Bible)
-or-
all the evil things they may say (Good News Bible)
-or-
all the things they say to defame someone
General Comment on 3:28b
In some languages, it may be more natural to translate the nouns “sins” and “blasphemies” as verbs. For example:
Every time someone does wrong, and every time someone says something against God, he/God will/can forgive that person.
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