“Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:”
And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven — the distinction allows for the disciples' failure under pressure (speaking against the Son of Man out of fear) to be forgivable while establishing an absolute limit at the sustained, willful rejection of the Spirit's testimony. The unforgivable sin is not a single utterance but a settled disposition of resistance.
Church Fathers on Luke 12:8
It was said above, that every hidden work and word is to be revealed, but He now declares that this revelation is to take place in the presence of the heavenly city and the eternal Judge and King; saying, But I say to you, Whosoever shall confess me, &c.
He has also well introduced faith, stimulating us to its confession, and to faith itself He has placed virtue as a foundation. For as faith is the incentive to fortitude, so is fortitude the strong support of faith.
The Lord is not then content with an inward faith, but requires an outward confession, urging us to confidence and greater love. And since this is useful for all, He speaks generally, saying, Whosoever shall confess me, &c.
Read all 23 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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