John Calvin on Evangelism and Missions

By Ray Van Neste
from Founders Journal, How Does Doctrine Affect Evangelism?, Issue 33, Summer 1998.

Introduction

From his own lifetime onward John Calvin has been a controversial person. One controversy stems from the accusations leveled against him by many that he was completely unevangelistic and unconcerned about missions. A. M. Hunter, in his book on Calvin's teaching, said, "Certainly he [Calvin] displayed no trace of missionary enthusiasm."[1] Some have even said that Calvin's teaching on predestination necessarily destroyed evangelistic fervor; "we are all familiar with the scornful rationalization that facilely asserts that his horrible doctrine of divine election makes nonsense of all missionary and evangelistic activity."[2] Others, however, have said: "One of the natural results of Calvin's perspective of predestination was an intensified zeal for evangelism."[3] Though some have used Calvin's teachings to excuse their apathy towards evangelism, a close examination of Calvin's historical context, his writings, and his actions would prove John Calvin to be a man truly committed to the spread of the gospel.

Historical Context

In order to understand John Calvin, or any other historical figure, one must understand the time in which the person lived and worked. Calvin emerged as a Reformation leader in 1536 with the publication of The Institutes of the Christian Religion and remained in leadership until his death in 1564. Thus, Calvin was a generation after Luther, and the Reformation, well entrenched in Germany, was spreading all over Europe. However, there was little organization among the churches that had split with Rome. Historian Owen Chadwick noted that

The problem now was not the overthrow of the papacy, but the construction of new modes of power . . . In breaking down papal authority, the Reformation seemed to have left the authority of the Christian ministry vague and uncertain.[4]

Protestant groups, who had been accustomed to strong central authority in Rome, were now only loosely organized and, though they claimed scripture for their authority, they disagreed on what the scriptures meant with regard to certain doctrines. By the time that Calvin gained prominence in 1536, Protestant churches were in great need of organization and structure in their doctrine and practice.

In addition to the disorganization within, there was a persecution from without. The scattered condition of Protestantism was only worsened by the intense efforts of the Roman Church to eradicate the Protestant movement. Protestant churches were struggling not only for their identity but also for their very survival. Calvin himself had to leave France for personal safety, and he wrote the first edition of the Institutes in response to the ill treatment of French Protestants. Identification with Protestantism brought immediate punishment, including torture and even death.

Obviously, Calvin's era was a time of intense difficulty for Protestant churches. The demands of the day led him to spend a considerable amount of his energy developing a church organization, writing theology, and training ministers. With such pressing needs one might understand if Calvin neglected evangelism or missions. After all, the church itself and its message must first be established. Moreover, preaching Reformation doctrine in areas other than the Protestant cities would mean almost certain death. However, even these pressing needs and problems, which would immobilize many churches today, did not stop the evangelistic efforts of Calvin and his followers.

Calvin's Writings

Calvin's writings on predestination have most often been targeted as unevangelistic and destructive to missionary zeal. Calvin addressed predestination primarily in related parts of his Institutes and in his treatise, Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God, which J. K. S. Reid called "the longest and most sustained exposition which Calvin wrote on the subject."[5] Dealing with predestination in the Institutes, Calvin does not directly address evangelism specifically, but neither does he describe it as unnecessary. He does, in fact, write several times about the gospel being preached to the masses, resulting in the salvation of the elect and the hardening of the non-elect (III.23.10; II.5.10). In other words, Calvin did not limit the preaching of the gospel to those considered to be elect. He explains his views more fully in his treatise on predestination:

Since we do not know who belongs to the number of the predestined and who does not, it befits us so to feel as to wish that all be saved. So it will come about that, whoever we come across, we shall study to make him a sharer of peace . . . even severe rebuke will be administered like medicine, lest they should perish or cause others to perish. But it will be for God to make it effective in those whom He foreknew and predestined.[6]

Calvin clearly encouraged Christians to be involved in evangelism! "It befits us" to desire all people to be saved. The result of this proper desire should make us try to lead everyone "we come across" to faith in Christ, for that is the only way they could share in peace. This is not to be a half-hearted effort. Christians are to use "even severe rebuke" if necessary to prevent others from ignoring the gospel and perishing. Christians must make the effort to evangelize everyone knowing that only God can save.

Calvin's doctrine of predestination did not make the preaching of the gospel unnecessary; instead, it made preaching necessary because it was by the preaching of the gospel that God had chosen to save the predestined.

Aside from his writings on predestination, Calvin also strongly supported the idea of missions with passages widely scattered throughout his commentaries.[7] Commenting on Micah 2:1-4, Calvin states, "The Kingdom of Christ was only begun in the world when God commanded the gospel to be every where proclaimed and . . . at this day its course is not as yet complete."[8] In other words the Great Commission was not fulfilled by the apostles and, consequently, this mission is still the responsibility of Christians.

Calvin expressed similar views as he commented on 1 Tim. 2:4, saying "there is no people and no rank in the world that is excluded from salvation; because God wishes that the gospel should be proclaimed to all without exception."[9] He is not, of course, saying that everyone in the world would be saved, but that certain people from all parts of the world would be saved. The whole idea of the passage is that God desires "foreign nations" to hear the gospel and to be included in salvation. It is the Christian's duty "to be solicitous and to do our endeavor for the salvation of all whom God includes in his calling."[10]

No one should be denied the opportunity of hearing the gospel proclaimed. Continuing to verse five of the same passage, Calvin writes that those people insult God "who, by their opinion, shut out any person from the hope of salvation."[11] The gospel is to be preached indiscriminately to all people, and the decision about who will believe is to be left to God.

Indeed, Calvin never portrays God as a cruel tyrant grudgingly allowing some to be saved. In a comment on Ezek. 18:23, he states:

God certainly desires nothing more than for those who are perishing and rushing toward death to return to the way of safety. This is why the gospel is today proclaimed throughout the world, for God wished to testify to all the ages that he is greatly inclined to pity.[12]

God desires for men to be saved and by His election has assured that some will be. It is the fact that God will definitely call some that encourages believers to "bestow more toil and exertion for the instruction of rebels," realizing that "our duty is, to be employed in sowing and watering, and while we do this we must look for the increase from God."[13] Clearly, Calvin recognized the need for Christians to exert effort in evangelism in order to be used of God to call out His elect. He saw evangelism as a duty and employment involving "toil and exertion." Such is far from an indifferent attitude toward evangelism.

Calvin's Activity

Perhaps the best evidence of Calvin's concern for missions is the mission activity of the Genevan church under his leadership. Under Calvin's leadership, Geneva became "the hub of a vast missionary enterprise"[14] and "a dynamic center or nucleus from which the vital missionary energy it generated radiated out into the world beyond."[15] Protestant refugees from all over Europe fled to Geneva; they came not merely for safety but also to learn from Calvin the doctrines of the Reformation so they could return home to spread the true gospel. Philip Hughes notes that Geneva became a "school of missions" which had as one of its purposes

to send out witnesses who would spread the teaching of the Reformation far and wide . . . . It [Geneva] was a dynamic centre of missionary concern and activity, an axis from which the light of the Good News radiated forth through the testimony of those who, after thorough preparation in this school, were sent forth in the service of Jesus Christ."[16]

Thus was Calvin's missionary concern reflected in the church he served and the students he taught.

The pastors of Geneva, including Calvin himself, met regularly and kept sporadic notes of their actions in a register, which became the greatest source of information on the missionary activity in Geneva. In April 1555 the Register of the Company of Pastors for the first time listed men who were sent out from Geneva to "evangelize Foreign Parts."[17] The entry that mentioned these men stated that they had been sent out prior to April 1555, and they were already ministering in the Piedmont valleys.[18] More ministers may have been sent out before this time without being recorded in the Register because the notes were not complete and it was often dangerous to record the names of missionaries.

By 1557 it was a normal part of business for the Genevan pastors to send missionaries into France. Robert M. Kingdon called it a "concentrated missionary effort."[19] By 1562, religious wars had broken out in France, and it was no longer safe to record the names of missionaries. However, between 1555 and 1562 the Register records 88 men by name who were sent out from Geneva to different places as "bearers of the gospel."[20]

In reality many more than 88 were sent. In one year, 1561, though the Register mentions only twelve missionaries, other sources indicate that at least 142 missionaries were sent![21] Hundreds of men were sent out, reaching Italy, Germany, Scotland, England, and practically covering France.[22] From all over Europe requests came to Geneva for ministers of the gospel and the Genevan Company of Pastors filled as many as possible. At times even their own churches were deprived of pastors in order to meet the needs of struggling groups abroad.[23] Thus, Geneva, under Calvin's direction, served as the heart of the Reformation in Europe, pumping out the lifeblood of trained ministers into all areas.

In addition to the extensive work in Europe, one group of Genevan missionaries was sent to Brazil. The Register simply states that on Tuesday, August 25, 1556, M. Pierre Richier and M. Guillaume were sent as ministers to Brazil. "These two were subsequently commended to the care of the Lord and sent off with a letter from this church."[24] The ministers were sent in response to a request from Admiral Coligny, a Huguenot leader. They were to serve as chaplains for a group of Protestants who were going to Brazil to establish a colony, and they would have opportunity to instruct the natives in the gospel.[25] One man who went on the trip wrote that, upon receiving the request,

the church of Geneva at once gave thanks to God for the extension of the reign of Jesus Christ in a country so distant and likewise so foreign and among a nation entirely without knowledge of the true God.[26]

Sadly, the mission was not successful because the leader of the group betrayed the Protestants. Some were killed, and others were sent back to Europe. Though the mission failed, it remains "a striking testimony to the far reaching missionary vision of Calvin and his Genevan colleagues."[27]

Conclusion

Though evangelism was not discussed as much in the sixteenth century as it would be later, Calvin proved himself to be genuinely concerned for the spread of the true gospel. In light of the situation of the world around him, his mission activity, and that of his colleagues, is truly admirable. His writings also show that he believed the gospel should be preached to all. The missionary endeavors of the Genevan church especially prove Calvin's commitment to missions. Speaking of these efforts, Philip Hughes states,

Here is irrefutable proof of the falsity of the too common conclusion that Calvinism is incompatible with evangelism and spells death to all missionary enterprise.[28]

Clearly, Calvin must have believed his teachings were compatible with mission work since he was so involved in such work himself. Whether or not one agrees with all of Calvin's views or actions, one must admit the great reformer's teachings (including predestination) do indeed support evangelism and mission work.

Selected Bibliography

Beaver, R. Pierce. "The Genevan Mission to Brazil." In The Heritage of John Calvin, ed. J. H. Bratt, 55-73. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1973.

Calvin, John. Calvin's Commentaries. Ephesians - Jude. Wilmington, DE: Associated Publishers and Authors, n.d.

. Calvin's Commentaries. Vol. 7, The Gospels. Grand Rapids: Associated Publishers and Authors, Inc., n.d.

. Calvin: Commentaries. Edited by Joseph Haroutunian. Vol. 23, The Library of Christian Classics, eds. Baillie, McNeill, Van Dusen. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1963.

. Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion. Edited by John T. McNeill. Translated by Ford Lewis Battles. Vols. 20-21, The Library of Christian Classics, eds. Baillie, McNeill, Van Dusen. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1960.

. Calvin's New Testament Commentaries. The Epistles Paul the Apostle to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. Edited by David W. Torrance and Thomas F. Torrance. Translated by T. H. L. Parker. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1965.

Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God. Translated by J. K. S. Reid. London: James Clarke and Co. Limited, 1961.

Chadwick, Owen. The Reformation. Vol. 3, The Penguin History of the Church, ed. Owen Chadwick. Pelican Books, 1964; reprint, New York: Penguin Group, Penguin Books, 1990.

George, Timothy. Theology of the Reformers. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1988.

Gerstner, John H. A Predestination Primer. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1960; reprint, Winona Lake, IN: Alpha Publications, 1980.

Hughes, Philip E. "John Calvin: Director of Missions." In The Heritage of John Calvin, ed. J. H. Bratt, 40-54. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1973.

. ed. and trans. The Register of the Company of Pastors of Geneva in the Time of Calvin. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1966.

Hunter, A. Mitchell. The Teaching of Calvin, A Modern Interpretation. Glasgow: Maclehose, Jackson, and Company, 1920.

James, Frank A., III. "Calvin and Missions." Christian History 5, no. 4 (Fall 1986) : 23.

"It was both 'a horrible decree' and 'very sweet fruit."' Christian History, 5, no. 4 (Fall 1986) : 24-26.

Kingdon, Robert M. "Calvinist Religious Aggression." In The French Wars of Religion, How Important Were Religious Factors?, ed. J. H. M. Salmon, 6-11. Problems in European Civilization, eds. Ralph W. Greenlaw and Dwight E. Lee. Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath and Company, 1967.

Kuiper, R. B. God Centered Evangelism. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1961; reprint, Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1978.

McGrath, Alister E. A Life of John Calvin, a Study in the Shaping of Western Culture. Oxford: Basil Blackwell Ltd., 1990.

McNeill, John T. The History and Character of Calvinism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1954.

Menghujat Roh Kudus

Menghujat Roh Kudus: Dosa Yang Tidak Dapat Diampuni
By Budi Sutrisno Soewondo
Reformed Institute for Christianity and 21st Century

Alkitab mencatat ada satu dosa yang tidak dapat diampuni yaitu dosa menghujat Roh Kudus. Hal ini dikatakan oleh Tuhan Yesus sendiri seperti yang tercatat di Injil Matius 12:31, Markus 3:29, dan Lukas 12:10. Banyak orang percaya terus-menerus kuatir dan was-was bahwa mereka telah melakukan dosa ini dan tidak mungkin diselamatkan lagi. Maka, hal ini perlu dimengerti dengan lebih jelas agar tidak dipakai oleh iblis untuk menghambat pertumbuhan rohani orang percaya.

Berbagai Pendapat Mengenai Arti Dosa Ini
Ada yang berpendapat bahwa yang dimaksud dengan dosa ini adalah menolak Yesus Kristus atau menolak kesaksian Roh Kudus mengenai Kristus. Tetapi bukankah hampir semua orang percaya pernah menolak Kristus sebelum mereka akhirnya bertobat dan diselamatkan? Maka, ini pasti bukanlah dosa menghujat Roh Kudus.

Sebagian yang lain berkata bahwa dosa menghujat Roh Kudus adalah jika orang tersebut tidak menerima Kristus sampai ia meninggal. Mengenai hal ini, Abraham Kuyper mengatakan bahwa “...ordinary wanderers from God do not commit the sin against the Holy Spirit; for they have seen naught of the powers and glories of the age to come (Heb 6)” [1]. Orang yang tidak menerima Kristus sampai ia meninggal memang tidak diselamatkan karena keselamatan hanya ada di dalam Kristus. Tetapi ada banyak orang yang tidak pernah mendengar Injil sehingga tidak mungkin menerima Kristus, apakah mereka bisa dikatakan menghujat Roh Kudus? Mereka bahkan tidak pernah mendengar tentang Kristus atau Roh Kudus. Mengenai orang yang sudah mendengar Injil tetapi tetap menolak, sudah dibahas di paragraf sebelumnya. Jika mereka adalah orang pilihan, mereka tidak akan terus-menerus menolak Kristus dan akhirnya akan diselamatkan.

Sebagian orang Pentakosta berkata bahwa dosa menghujat Roh Kudus adalah ketika mengatakan bahwa pengalaman mereka (pengikut ajaran Pentakosta) “di dalam Roh Kudus” itu tidak benar [2]. Pendapat ini tidak dapat dibenarkan karena jika diteliti lebih jauh, banyak dari pengalaman yang mereka sebut “di dalam Roh Kudus” itu justru bertentangan dengan apa yang diajarkan Alkitab.

Selain itu, ada juga yang beranggapan bahwa orang yang mengucapkan nama Tuhan dengan sembarangan atau menghina Tuhan berarti melakukan dosa ini.

Selain perbedaan pendapat mengenai jenis dosa, ada juga yang mengatakan bahwa dosa itu hanya dapat dilakukan pada waktu Tuhan Yesus masih ada di dunia dan tidak berlaku lagi pada masa kini karena peringatan itu ditujukan kepada mereka yang sudah melihat langsung pekerjaan Roh Kudus melalui Kristus, yaitu penggenapan nubuat Mesianik di dalam hidup dan karya Kristus, tetapi mereka malah mengatakan hal itu sebagai pekerjaan iblis. Di pihak lain, ada yang percaya bahwa dosa menghujat Roh Kudus masih dapat terjadi pada masa kini.

Matius 12:22-24 memberikan konteks ketika Tuhan Yesus baru saja menyembuhkan seorang yang buta dan bisu karena dirasuk setan. Lalu orang-orang yang melihat peristiwa itu menjadi takjub dan berkata, “Ia ini agaknya Anak Daud” karena Yesaya 35:5-6 menubuatkan bahwa ketika Mesias datang, Ia akan menyembuhkan orang buta, tuli, lumpuh, dan bisu. “Anak Daud” adalah sebutan bagi Mesias yang saat itu sedang dinanti-nantikan. Tetapi orang Farisi berkata bahwa Yesus mengusir setan dengan kuasa Beelzebul, yaitu penghulu setan. Di perikop selanjutnya (ayat 38-42), orang Farisi dan ahli Taurat meminta tanda dari Tuhan Yesus (dan Yesus menjawab bahwa mereka tidak akan diberikan tanda selain tanda nabi Yunus), padahal mereka sudah melihat sendiri tanda Mesias dan bahkan orang-orang Yahudi (biasa) pun mengetahuinya. Ini menunjukkan ketidakpercayaan orang Farisi dan ahli Taurat.

Markus 3:20-22 memberikan konteks yang sedikit berbeda, meskipun kelihatannya menunjuk pada peristiwa yang sama. Yesus baru saja memilih kedua belas rasul dan kemudian masuk ke dalam sebuah rumah lalu datang orang banyak berkerumun. Ketika itu, keluarga-Nya datang untuk mengambil (menjemput) Dia karena mengira Ia tidak waras. Juga ahli-ahli Taurat berkata bahwa Ia kerasukan Beelzebul dan Ia mengusir setan dengan kuasa penghulu setan. Ayat 1-12 mencatat bahwa Yesus telah menyembuhkan banyak orang, termasuk orang yang kerasukan setan. Penting untuk diperhatikan bahwa di ayat 11, roh-roh jahat pun mengaku bahwa Yesus adalah “Anak Allah”.

Matius 12:9-15a dan Markus 3:1-6 mencatat hal yang sama, yaitu penyembuhan seorang yang mati sebelah tangannya pada hari Sabat. Matius dan Markus menempatkan peristiwa ini sebelum catatan mengenai penghujatan tersebut. Matius mencatat bahwa yang menghujat adalah orang Farisi, sedangkan Markus mencatat bahwa penghujatan itu dilakukan oleh ahli-ahli Taurat.

Lukas memberikan konteks yang berbeda dengan Matius dan Markus. Peringatan mengenai dosa menghujat ini disampaikan oleh Tuhan Yesus ketika sedang mengajar murid-muridnya dan tidak ditujukan secara langsung kepada orang Farisi ataupun kepada ahli-ahli Taurat (lihat 12:1, tetapi perhatikan perikop sebelumnya, ketika Tuhan Yesus mengecam keduanya, baik orang Farisi maupun ahli Taurat), meskipun saat itu juga ada ribuan orang yang sedang berkerumun dan mungkin orang Farisi dan ahli Taurat juga ada di situ. Peringatan mengenai dosa menghujat Roh Kudus (12:10) ini diletakkan setelah peringatan mengenai pengakuan dan penyangkalan terhadap Anak Manusia (ayat 8-9) dan sebelum “penghiburan” bahwa Roh Kuduslah yang akan menaruh perkataan kepada para murid ketika mereka dihadapkan ke pengadilan (ayat 11-12). Peristiwa penghujatan itu sendiri dicatat di pasal 11:14-23, seakan-akan kedua peristiwa ini tidak berhubungan langsung.

Kata “menghujat” berasal dari kata “blasphemia” (Yunani), yang terbentuk dari “blapto” dan “pheme”. “Blapto” berarti menghalangi dengan tujuan yang jahat, sedangkan “pheme” berarti mengungkapkan apa yang ada dalam pikiran melalui kata-kata. Dengan demikian, “blasphemia” dapat diartikan sebagai penggunaan kata-kata dengan tujuan jahat, dan sering dikaitkan dengan tujuan untuk merusak reputasi seseorang atau melawan yang Ilahi.

Kata “menghujat” dan variannya muncul 39 kali di dalam Alkitab. Yang berhubungan dengan menghujat Allah, termasuk Roh Kudus, dicatat di Kel 22:28; Im 24:11,14,16,23; Bil 15:30; 2Raj 19:6,22; Neh 9:18,26 (menista); Yes 37:6,23, 52:5 (dikutip di Rm 2:24); Yeh 20:27; Mat 9:3*, 12:31, 26:65*; Mrk 2:7*, 3:29, 14:64*; Luk 5:21*, 12:10; Yoh 10:33,36*; Kis 6:11*, 26:11 (menyangkal iman); 1Tim 1:13,20; 2Ptr 2:10b-12; Why 13:1,5-6, 17:3. Ayat-ayat dengan tanda (*) mencatat tuduhan bahwa Yesus telah menghujat Allah karena menyamakan diri-Nya dengan Allah, kecuali Kis 6:11 di mana Stefanus yang dituduh menghujat Musa dan Allah. Sedangkan di kitab Wahyu, penghujatan dilakukan oleh “binatang” yang keluar dari dalam laut, bukan oleh manusia.

Dalam Perjanjian Lama (PL), penghujatan manusia kepada Allah selalu dijatuhi hukuman mati. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa tidak ada pemulihan dan pengampunan untuk dosa tersebut. Sedangkan dalam Perjanjian Baru (PB), selain peringatan Tuhan Yesus (di Mat 12, Mrk 3, dan Luk 12) dan tentang binatang di kitab Wahyu, adalah mengenai Saulus (Paulus) yang dahulu adalah penghujat (1Tim 1:13), Himeneus dan Aleksander yang diserahkan kepada Iblis karena menghujat (1Tim 1:20), dan tentang akan adanya guru-guru palsu yang menghujat (2Ptr 2:10b-12) yang disebut sebagai orang-orang terkutuk. Dari ketiga kasus ini, hanya Saulus yang menghujat ketika ia belum mengerti kebenaran. Himeneus dan Aleksander adalah orang-orang yang dikenal jemaat, sedangkan guru-guru palsu yang dimaksud oleh Petrus tentu adalah guru-guru yang (akan) ada di kalangan gereja (“di antara kamu”, 2Ptr 1:1), sehingga mereka seharusnya adalah orang-orang yang mengerti kebenaran.

Yesus mengatakan bahwa menghujat Anak Manusia dapat diampuni. Tetapi karena tidak ada keselamatan di luar Kristus, bagaimana menjelaskan perkataan Tuhan Yesus ini? Ada yang mengatakan bahwa ketika Yesus mengatakan hal ini, pekerjaan Roh Kudus di dalam diri-Nya belum sepenuhnya digenapi. Yesus belum mempersembahkan diri-Nya di kayu salib, belum dibangkitkan dari kematian, dan belum terangkat ke surga. Roh Kudus juga belum dicurahkan kepada orang percaya. Dengan demikian, orang-orang pada zaman itu belum dapat mengerti dengan jelas karya Roh Kudus di dalam Kristus. Dalam konteks inilah, Yesus mengatakan bahwa hujat terhadap diri-Nya dapat diampuni. Tetapi ketika seluruh pekerjaan Roh Kudus dalam diri Kristus sudah genap dan Roh Kudus sudah diberikan kepada orang percaya, menghujat Anak Manusia berarti menolak karya keselamatan. Maka, jika seseorang terus-menerus menolak Kristus, ia tidak akan diselamatkan.

Kutipan berikut berasal dari Matthew Henry Notes on Matt. 12:22-37 (KJV, dikutip dari BibleWorks): As for those who blasphemed Christ when he was here upon earth, and called him a Winebibber, a Deceiver, a Blasphemer, and the like, they had some colour of excuse, because of the meanness of his appearance, and the prejudices of the nation against him; and the proof of his divine mission was not perfected till after his ascension; and therefore, upon their repentance, they shall be pardoned: and it is hoped that they may be convinced by the pouring out of the Spirit, as many of them were, who had been his betrayers and murderers. But if, when the Holy Ghost is given, in his inward gifts of revelation, speaking with tongues, and the like, such as were the distributions of the Spirit among the apostles, if they continue to blaspheme the Spirit likewise, as an evil spirit, there is no hope of them that they will ever be brought to believe in Christ; for First, Those gifts of the Holy Ghost in the apostles were the last proof that God designed to make use of for the confirming of the gospel, and were still kept in reserve, when other methods preceded. Secondly, This was the most powerful evidence, and more apt to convince than miracles themselves. Thirdly, Those therefore who blaspheme this dispensation of the Spirit, cannot possibly be brought to believe in Christ; those who shall impute them to a collusion with Satan, as the Pharisees did the miracles, what can convince them? This is such a strong hold of infidelity as a man can never be beaten out of, and is therefore unpardonable, because hereby repentance is hid from the sinner's eyes.

Dalam kasus Saulus, ia menghujat ketika ia belum mengerti kebenaran (“tanpa pengetahuan yaitu di luar iman”, 1Tim 1:13b). Yang ia ketahui adalah bahwa Yesus, yang menyamakan diri dengan Allah, sudah mati disalib dan kini para pengikut-Nya menganggap Ia sudah bangkit dan menyembah-Nya sebagai Tuhan. Bagi Saulus, ini adalah penghujatan kepada Allah. Maka ia, dibangkitkan oleh kesetiaannya kepada Allah, menganiaya orang yang percaya kepada Yesus. Inilah yang disebutnya sebagai penghujatan. Tetapi ketika Yesus sudah menampakkan diri dan menyatakan kebenaran kepadanya, Saulus (Paulus) tidak pernah lagi menolak-Nya.

Hal ini berbeda dengan kasus Himeneus dan Aleksander, maupun guru-guru palsu. Mereka sudah ada di dalam gereja dan pasti sudah mendengar tentang kebenaran itu, tetapi mereka malah menghujat. Penolakan secara sadar dan sengaja inilah yang dimaksud dengan penghujatan. Demikian juga yang dilakukan bangsa Israel yang diselamatkan Allah dari Mesir. Mereka telah melihat kuasa Allah di dalam sepuluh tulah, menyeberangi Laut Merah, merasakan penyertaan dan pemeliharaan Allah melalui tiang awan dan tiang api, manna, burung puyuh, dan air yang keluar dari batu; tetapi mereka tetap tidak percaya bahwa Allah sanggup mengalahkan bangsa Kanaan. Orang Israel terus-menerus meminta bukti dari Allah, ini menunjukkan ketidakpercayaan mereka sehingga Allah menghukum mereka dengan tidak membiarkan mereka masuk ke Kanaan yang adalah tempat perhentian dan gambaran dari surga. Stefanus mengatakan bahwa mereka “selalu menentang Roh Kudus” (Kis 7:51). Meskipun mereka tidak langsung mati, tetapi hukuman itu sudah ditetapkan dan sudah tidak dapat diubah.

Menurut J. I. Packer: “It is possible for people to be enlightened to the point of knowing inwardly that Jesus is the divine Savior he claims to be, and still not willing to admit it publicly, because of all the behavioral changes that such an admission would make necessary. It is possible to try to make oneself feel good about one’s own moral dishonesty by inventing reasons, no matter how absurd, for not treating Jesus as worthy of one’s allegiance. Jesus evidently perceived that in calling him Satan’s servant the Pharisees were doing exactly that. They were not ignorant; they were stifling conviction and smothering real if unwelcome knowledge; they were resolutely shutting their eyes to the light and callousing their conscience by calling it darkness” [3].

Kasus lebih jelas dapat dilihat di dalam diri Firaun ketika ia menghadapi Musa dan sepuluh tulah dari Allah, meskipun tidak secara literal dikatakan bahwa Firaun menghujat Allah. Ketika tulah demi tulah terjadi, Firaun tahu bahwa Allahlah yang melakukan semuanya itu bahkan mengaku bahwa ia telah berdosa (perhatikan peningkatan “kesadaran” Firaun dalam Kel 8:8,28, 9:27-28, 10:16-17, 12:31-33), tetapi ia tetap mengeraskan hatinya. Allah dikatakan mengeraskan hati Firaun dalam arti bahwa Firaun memang mengeraskan hatinya sendiri dan Allah membiarkan. Kecenderungan hati manusia adalah membuahkan kejahatan (Kej 6:5) dan anugerah umum Allah yang menahan kejahatan tersebut, maka ketika Allah menarik anugerah-Nya, kejahatan manusia akan menjadi-jadi. Ketika Allah mengeraskan hati Firaun, Ia melakukannya dengan membiarkan (tidak menahan dengan anugerah-Nya sehingga) Firaun mengeraskan hatinya. Ketika Firaun mulai mengetahui bahwa Allahlah yang melakukan semuanya itu dan ia menetapkan untuk mengeraskan hati, sejak saat itu ia tidak dapat kembali ke posisinya semula karena Allah telah membiarkannya.

Kuyper mengatakan bahwa: “To commit this sin, two things are required, which absolutely belong together. First, close contact with the glory which is manifested in Christ or in His people. Second, not mere contempt of that glory, but the declaration that the Spirit which manifests itself in that glory, which is the Holy Spirit, is a manifestation of Satan. ...This is a willful sin, intentionally malicious. It betrays systematic opposition to God. That sinner cannot be saved, for he has done despite unto the Spirit of all grace. He has lost the last remnant in the sinner, the taste for grace, and with it the possibility of receiving grace”[4].

Dan John Calvin: “By detracting from the grace and power of God, we make a direct attack on the Spirit, from whom they proceed, and in whom they are revealed to us. Shall any unbeliever curse God? It is as if a blind man were dashing against a wall. But no man curses the Spirit who is not enlightened by him, and conscious of ungodly rebellion against him...” [5].

Dosa menghujat Roh Kudus tidak dapat diampuni bukan karena dosa itu lebih besar daripada kuasa penebusan Allah sehingga Allah pun tidak sanggup berbuat apa-apa. Dosa itu tidak dapat diampuni karena Allah memang tidak mau mengampuni. John Piper mengaitkan hal ini dengan peran Roh Kudus: “I think it's because of the unique and decisive role the Holy Spirit plays in our salvation. If we look to God the Father and then turn from his glory to embrace sin, that is bad. If we look to his Son Jesus Christ whom he sent into the world and then turn away from his glory to embrace sin, that is doubly bad. But in either case there is hope. The Father has planned redemption, the Son has accomplished redemption. This wonderful redemption is outside ourselves and available to us if we repent of our sin and turn back to Christ in faith. But it is the unique and special role of the Holy Spirit to apply the Father's plan and the Son's accomplishment of it to our hearts. It is the Spirit's work to open our eyes, to grant repentance, and to make us beneficiaries of all that the Father has planned and all that Christ has done for us. If we blaspheme and reject the Father and the Son, there is still hope, for the Spirit may yet work within us to humble us and bring us to repentance. But if behind the Father and the Son we see and taste the power of the Holy Spirit and reject his work as no more precious than the work of Satan, we shut ourselves off from the only one who could ever bring us to repentance. And so we shut ourselves off from forgiveness” [6].

Piper memberikan definisi dosa menghujat Roh Kudus sebagai berikut: “The unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is an act of resistance which belittles the Holy Spirit so grievously that he withdraws for ever with his convicting power so that we are never able to repent and be forgiven” [7]. Dosa ini bukan sekedar terus-menerus menolak sampai mati karena orang yang melakukan dosa ini tidak akan diampuni, “di dunia ini tidak, dan di dunia yang akan datangpun tidak” (Mat 12:32b). Kata “dunia” dapat diartikan sebagai zaman (age) sehingga ketika dosa itu membuat pelakunya saat itu juga berada di luar kemungkinan untuk diselamatkan.

Dosa menghujat Roh Kudus tidak akan dilakukan oleh umat pilihan karena Allah sendiri yang (memberikan anugerah-Nya untuk) menjaga mereka dari melakukan dosa tersebut (1Yoh 5:16-18). All other sins against the Holy Spirit are commited by believers. We can repent of them, be forgiven, and make a new start. Not so with blaspheming the Spirit. This sin is committed by unbelievers and is often called “the unpardonable sin” [8]. Ketika orang percaya kuatir dan was-was bahwa ia telah jatuh ke dalam dosa ini, hal ini justru menunjukkan bahwa ia tidak melakukan dosa tersebut karena orang yang menghujat Roh Kudus, hatinya akan dikeraskan sehingga ia tidak akan menjadi kuatir, sebaliknya semakin melawan Tuhan. “...that no one has committed this sin who continues to be under the disturbing, convicting, and drawing power of the Holy Spirit. So long as the Spirit strives with a person, he has not committed the unpardonable sin” [9].

Berdasarkan pembahasan di atas, dosa murtad (fall away, Ibr 6:6, 10:26,29) tampaknya dapat disejajarkan dengan dosa menghujat Roh Kudus. Sebagian orang berpendapat bahwa penulis Ibrani tidak bermaksud menyatakan bahwa dosa murtad benar-benar ada, tetapi hanya memberi peringatan kepada jemaat yang sedang dalam penganiayaan untuk tetap setia. Menurut mereka, seseorang yang telah diterangi hatinya, pernah mengecap karunia sorgawi, pernah mendapat bagian dalam Roh Kudus, mengecap firman yang baik dari Allah dan karunia-karunia dunia yang akan datang (Ibr 6:4-5) serta memperoleh pengetahuan tentang kebenaran (Ibr 10:26), pasti adalah orang yang sudah diselamatkan sehingga tidak mungkin jatuh lagi. Yang dimaksud dengan “fall away” adalah “A total defection or falling away from the Gospel, when a sinner offends not God in some one thing, but entirely renounces his grace” [10]. Maka, dosa murtad tidak mungkin dilakukan oleh orang percaya sejati. Hanya mereka yang memang tidak dipilih yang dapat menginjak-injak Anak Allah (penulis Ibrani tidak memakai “Anak Manusia”), menganggap najis darah perjanjian yang menguduskan, dan menghina Roh kasih karunia (Ibr 10:29).

Tetapi apakah orang yang tidak diselamatkan juga dapat mengalami anugerah yang sedemikian? Bagi Calvin: “But I cannot admit that all this is any reason why he (God) should not grant the reprobate also some taste of his grace, why he should not irradiate their minds with some sparks of his light, why he should not give them some perception of his goodness, and in some sort engrave his word on their hearts” [11]. Calvin mengaitkannya dengan iman sementara yang dicatat di Mrk 4:17, yaitu benih yang jatuh di tanah yang berbatu-batu, yang sempat bertumbuh tetapi kemudian murtad karena tidak berakar.

Simpulan
Dengan demikian, dapat disimpulkan bahwa dosa menghujat Roh Kudus dan dosa murtad adalah dosa yang hanya dapat dilakukan oleh mereka yang memang tidak dipilih untuk diselamatkan, yang mengeraskan hatinya sedemikian setelah mereka menyaksikan atau mengalami anugerah Allah yang begitu nyata, sehingga mereka menempatkan diri mereka sendiri di luar kemungkinan untuk diselamatkan. Kedua dosa ini tidak hanya terjadi pada masa Tuhan Yesus, tetapi juga pada masa kini.

Mengetahui kenyataan ini, setiap orang seharusnya tidak menganggap remeh anugerah Tuhan sehingga ia harus segera melarikan diri dari dosa. Dosa adalah sesuatu yang serius, bukan sebuah permainan. Di sisi yang lain, orang percaya sejati tidak seharusnya terus-menerus merasa kuatir bahwa ia akan melakukan dosa ini. Allah yang memberikan Anak-Nya yang tunggal adalah Allah yang setia, yang akan memampukan setiap orang percaya untuk tetap setia kepada-Nya.

[1] Abraham Kuyper. The Work of the Holy Spirit, trans. by Henri De Vries. (Chattanooga: AMG Publisher, 1995), p. 643.
[2] John MacArthur Jr., "Bible Questions and Answers Part 4" dikutip dari [http://www.biblebb.com/files/macqa/1301-B-8.htm] 30 November 2007.
[3] J. I. Packer, Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs. (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1993), p. 244-245.
[4] Abraham Kuyper. The Work of the Holy Spirit. p. 643.
[5] John Calvin. Commentary on A Harmony of the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, vol. second. Translated by Rev. William Pringle. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1993), p. 75.
[6] John Piper, “Beyond Forgiveness: Blasphemy Against the Spirit”, dikutip dari [http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1984/432_Beyond_Forgiveness_Blasphemy_Against_the_Spirit/] 30 November 2007.
[7] Ibid
[8] Billy Graham. The Holy Spirit: Activating God’s Power in Your Life. (Texas: WORD Books, 1980), p. 181-182.
[9] Ibid
[10] John Calvin. Commentaries on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews, trans. by Rev. John Owen. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1993), p. 136.
[11] Ibid, p. 138.