22aThen one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the1 blind and mute man both spoke and saw.
23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the aSon of David?”
24aNow when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by1 Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”
25 But Jesus aknew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.
26If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
27And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
28But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, asurely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29aOr how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
30He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.
The Unpardonable Sin
31“Therefore I say to you, aevery sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, bbut the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
32Anyone who aspeaks a word against the Son of Man, bit will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
The Pharisees (oi de Farisaioi). Already (Matthew 9:32-34) we have had in Matthew the charge that Jesus is in league with the prince of demons, though the incident may be later than this one. See on Matthew 10:25 about "Beelzebub." The Pharisees feel that the excited condition of the crowds and the manifest disposition to believe that Jesus is the Messiah (the Son of David) demand strenuous action on their part. They cannot deny the fact of the miracles for the blind and dumb men both saw and spoke (Matthew 12:22). So in desperation they suggest that Jesus works by the power of Beelzebub the prince of the demons.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Matthew 12:24:
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